None did a better job concerning 9/11 More than a decade ago, I had the honor and pleasure of coming in contact with Jim Barr, then treasurer of American Water Works. I found J. James Barr a gentleman, as well as a chap hungry to learn the right way to do an annual report. These many years later, he's now CEO and president of the company, which has been acquired by RWE AG, a "global, multi-utility company that does business through its subsidiaries and affiliates in more than 120 countries around the world." Somewhat to my surprise, many companies devoted space in their 2001 annual reports to 9/11, its horror and the aftermath. None did a better job than Barr and Marilyn Ware, chairman. Under the heading, "A different kind of future," here's what they put their names to (no doubt with an able assist from Nancy Macenko, its VP for External Communications): "It is simply impossible to review the events of 2001 without commenting on the tragedy of September 11 and also its impact on the people and the business of American Water Works. Both are forever changed. "As the scope of the disaster became clear, our associates quickly got to work to help. They held fundraisers across the country and collected donations that were matched by the company and sent to charities involved in the relief efforts. Instead of exchanging holiday gifts, our associates chose to send the gift money to organizations that supported the families impacted by the tragedy. "Bottled water was shipped to the rescue workers in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Somerset, Pennsylvania. In cities across the U.S., American Water Works people stood in line to donate blood. Many volunteered to work alongside rescue personnel in New York City. Of course none of this compassion and consideration comes as a surprise to anyone who knows the men and women of American Water Works. "The company also got busy taking steps to protect our facilities and our people, although by necessity the details must be kept confidential. While we have always maintained responsible levels of security at all of our operations, since Sept. 11 our approach has been more stringent. We made significant investments to protect our ability to continue fulfilling our responsibilities to those we serve. "As warnings of credible threats persist, we maintain a high level of vigilance throughout the system. These are the 'new normal' standards by which we operate our business each day. "We are working hard to strike a balance between a community's natural interest in our business and our need to defend our plants, equipment and people from threats unimaginable just a few months ago. It is a different world, and we are doing our very best to adjust to the new realities while never losing sight of our responsibilities to our shareholders, our customers, our associates and our neighbors." *   *   * ADDENDUM: It bears repeating: Despite any services Cato Communications, Inc., may provide those in the annual report industry, it's our right, as well as our obligation, to retain the ability to reveal any such involvement—so readers will be able to know, upon reading any of our reviews and/or other pronouncements, of any potential "conflicts of interest." In the May issue of my Newsletter on Annual Reports, for instance, having advised a Cincinnati-based energy company—as part of our for-pay Theme Registry®—concerning its theme is revealed. More to the point: Mr. Barr's company retained Cato Communications more than a decade ago to critique its annual report in depth, as it did most recently two years ago. That fact was disclosed, via online footnote, a year ago when the American Water Works report made our list of "world's best."

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