Gary Rahl
The following is an interview between Americans for the Arts Private Sector Initiatives Coordinator, Jordan Shue, and Booz Allen Hamilton Senior Partner Gary Rahl.
Tell us a little bit about Booz Allen Hamilton and why the arts are so important to the company?
Booz Allen recently celebrated its Centennial year. Our firm has a long history of paying tribute to great artists, including the sponsorship of several major art exhibitions over the past decade. Last year, we were proud to sponsor Degas/Cassatt, a free exhibition of some 70 works in a variety of media by Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt which ran from May to October at the National Gallery of Art. We support causes that align with Booz Allen’s values: our culture of collaboration, value of diversity, commitment to innovation, and belief in the power of the intersection of art and science. It’s important for companies like ours to support the arts, because art inspires us and connects us all.
What is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy for the company?
Booz Allen’s approach to philanthropy is two-fold; we support organizations that align with our corporate culture and our business mission—where we can have the greatest impact – and we’re also employee-centric, aligning our resources with the interests of our staff and empowering them to be catalysts for change. honor of our Centennial in 2014, our employees volunteered a record 152,000 hours in our communities—including 6,072 hours in support of arts and culture nonprofits. There’s interconnectivity between corporate citizenship and good business, and having a positive impact in our communities is a core value at Booz Allen. When our people give of their time and talents, something powerful happens—we inspire others to follow our lead.
Give us some background on the Environmental Film Festival. Is Booz Allen Hamilton involved in the event beyond sponsorship/donation?
Eight years ago, I learned about the DC Environmental Film Festival from a few staff members and went with only the intention to see a film. However, after attending a screening and seeing how the films inspired the viewers, I suggested Booz Allen sponsor the festival. Since then, I have served as a Vice Chair of the Environmental Film Festival’s Board of Directors, and am increasingly impressed with how the small, dedicated staff at the Festival pulls off such a complex event involving so many locations and films around the city.
In addition to our sponsorship, for the last 7 years, Booz Allen has provided between 50 and 70 volunteers each year—typically the most volunteers of any sponsoring company.
The films are always an incredible blend of art, information, education, and entertainment from unique points of view. Some films are “calls to action” about specific environmental problems, and others focus on people who are making a difference today, but each one explores some aspect of our relationship with the environment—and they aren’t afraid to challenge you.
How does your support of the program relate to your overarching business goals?
Our clients look to Booz Allen to provide solutions to their most pressing energy and environmental challenges, and the Environmental Film Festival gives us fresh perspectives on these critical issues. As someone who has worked in both the energy and environmental field, I’ve learned things from films in the Environmental Film Festival that have been very relevant to our business goals.
What has the impact been in your company? In your community?
Our support of the Festival is a part of a greater whole of environmental outreach that we do in our communities and for our clients. We have a Sustainability Community of Practice—where our functional experts can engage and learn from one another, Green Office Teams, and a Sustainability Program Management Office that provides staf with a way to engage in environmental stewardship across the firm. We host our own events such as our Earth Day Photo Contest, the national Kids to Parks Day program, the International Coastal Cleanup, and more. Our support to the Environmental Film Festival is an integral part of this outreach and engages our staff in a shared commitment to be stewards of our environment in our communities and through our client work.
