Company Website: http://www.peco.com
PHILADELPHIA -- (Business Wire)

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, has named PECO to the BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts. PECO joins nine other companies receiving this honor tonight at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City.

Each year, Americans for the Arts, through the Business Committee for the Arts, recognizes 10 U.S. companies for exceptional commitment to the arts through grants, local partnerships, volunteer programs, matching gifts, sponsorships and board membership.

“This award reflects our deep commitment to arts and culture in the region. We believe that the arts are essential to the growth and vitality of our community, and we work hard to help make our region’s art and cultural resources more accessible to all,” said Craig L. Adams, president and CEO, PECO.

Arts and culture organizations have an economic impact of more than $1 billion on the economy in the Greater Philadelphia area. In 2013 alone, PECO invested more than $1 million in performing and visual arts helping people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy and experience the arts throughout the region.

PECO proudly sponsors exhibits such as “One Day in Pompeii” at the Franklin Institute and “Treasures from Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We are also long-time supporters of dynamic performing arts programming, including the People’s Light and Theater Company, Media Theatre for the Performing Arts and Bristol Riverside Theatre.

The company also has contributed to major arts education initiatives such as ArtsRising, a community-wide effort to improve and expand equitable access to high-quality arts education, and Arts Alive, which works to expand access to arts education for children.

“I am once again pleased to celebrate such an impressive array of BCA 10 honorees that span business size, industry and geographic locations,” said Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Each year, the BCA 10 sets the standard for other businesses by upholding the arts as an integral part of office culture, the community and the local economy. Through financial and in-kind support, employee volunteer hours, and workplace arts initiatives, these businesses ensure arts access for current and future generations, in addition to serving as successful and inspiring models of business arts support.”

The 2014 BCA 10 honorees also include AC Entertainment (Knoxville, Tenn.), Arts Brookfield (New York), BBVA Compass Bancshares Inc. (Birmingham, Ala.), Brooks Resources Corp. (Bend, Ore.), Classical Movements Inc. (Alexandria, Va.), Edward Jones (St. Louis), Hallmark Cards (Kansas City, Mo.), Milliken & Co. (Spartanburg, S.C.) and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (Appleton, Wis.).

With this honor, PECO joins the ranks of utility companies previously recognized by Americans for the Arts, including Con Edison, Duke Energy, Northeast Utilities and Portland General Electric. Additionally, PECO is the fourth company in the Philadelphia region to receive this honor. Former winners include Advanta, Lincoln Financial Group and Reliance Standard Life Insurance.

For more information about the BCA 10 and Americans for the Arts, visit americansforthearts.org/events/bca-10.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC).PECO serves 1.6 million electric and more than 500,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region.PECO delivered 85.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 37.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2013.Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.For more information visit PECO.com, and connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

Contacts:

PECO
Debra Yemenijian
215-841-5091 or 215-841-5555
debra.yemenijian@exeloncorp.com
or
Americans for the Arts
Patrick O’Herron
212-223-2787
poherron@artsusa.org

Source: PECO