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**EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE CONTACT: Dave Nathan**

**5 a.m. EST September 24, 2008 202-434-2560**

[**dnathan@aarp.org**](mailto:dnathan@aarp.org)

**AARP: CORNELL UNIVERSITY TOPS 2008 LIST OF BEST EMPLOYERS FOR WORKERS
OVER 50**

***National Institutes of Health First Federal Agency to Make List***

**Washington, DC --** Cornell University's students, faculty and alumni
have long been known for being proud of the high academic standards of
the Ivy League school located in Ithaca, New York. They now have another
reason to be proud of the "Big Red." Cornell has landed on top of the
list of the 2008 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50, announced
today by AARP CEO Bill Novelli.

Cornell joins a broad group of employers in the top 50 that includes
Scripps Health of San Diego (#2), multi-national corporation S. C.
Johnson and Son, Inc. (#3) of Racine, Wisconsin, and the first federal
agency to make the list, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of
Bethesda, MD, (#11).

Additionally, *AARP The Magazine* will feature the 2008 Best Employers
in its November-December issue, in homes September 25, along with an
extensive feature story on re-careering and discovering new passions at
age 50+. The complete article and list can also be found online at
[www.aarpthemagazine.org](http://www.aarpthemagazine.org/).

"A diverse group of corporations and not-for-profits are increasingly
recognizing the importance of innovative policies as employers seek to
retain and recruit experienced workers," Novelli said in announcing the
winners. "Progressive practices lead to more productive workers."

Novelli noted that in the face of rising health care costs, many Best
Employers are adopting practices such as health screenings and other
wellness programs that will pay off for both the employee and the
employer.

Cornell University President David Skorton said: "This award confirms
that Cornell University is coming ever closer to what we set out to
achieve -- to be an inclusive and caring community of staff, students
and faculty who comprise an institution that imparts an uncommon sense
of purpose to its every endeavor.

"We are honored to be recognized as a top employer for those Cornellians
who work so hard to make this a special place to work, study, create and
discover and who have had a career-long experience of meaningful
employment," President Skorton added.

-more-

Cornell offers a variety of health-related programs through the year,
including health screenings in office buildings on campus, and
computerized and in-person health counseling for those enrolled in its
Health Program for Healthy Living. The university also has established a
special program called Opportunities for Healthy Aging. It provides
older adults nine classes per week, with titles such as "Staying
Strong," "Gentle Yoga," and "Core Conditioning." In addition, there are
weight loss workshops and stress management programs.

The university's wellness program also provides access to five fitness
centers on campus, an ice skating rink and several swimming pools, along
with group fitness and nutrition classes.

Cornell's forward-thinking policies, in addition to its wellness
programs, include flexible arrangements such as flextime, compressed
work weeks and telecommuting; a formal phased retirement program for
faculty; a robust retiree health and prescription drug plan heavily
subsidized by the university; temporary work assignments for non-faculty
retirees; paid time off for care giving, and access for retirees to
continued university education at no charge.

Scripps Health, a non-profit health care system that employs 12,300 and
serves 500,000 patients annually in San Diego County, offers an
extensive wellness program as well. Nearly 75 percent of its employees
are enrolled, receiving free health insurance and other incentives for
completing the required number of wellness activities annually. These
include, for example, fitness and nutrition challenges, preventive
screenings, and wellness assessments.

S. C. Johnson and Son, Inc. is a 122-year-old, family-owned and managed
company that employs 12,000 people world-wide and sells consumer-packed
products in more than 110 countries. S. C. Johnson has generous
wellness, fitness and recreation programs in addition to providing an
on-site medical center.

The National Institutes of Health, the first federal agency honored by
AARP in the history of its Best Employers program, also offers a variety
of wellness programs, including a fitness center and classes focusing on
such issues as smoking cessation and stress management.

The Best Employers winners, and the winners of a separate AARP
International Innovative Employer Award, will be honored at a dinner on
October 7 in Chicago. Go to [www.aarp.org\\bestemployers]() for
information on the Best Employers and International Innovative Employee
Awards. A CEO roundtable will also be held that day, focusing on AARP's
new workforce assessment tool and the importance for employers of
evaluating their workforce to determine future employee needs.

AARP invites employers to apply for the Best Employers honor by
submitting an application outlining their exemplary policies and
practices toward 50 and over workers.

-more-

Candidates are vetted to ensure that practices meet the needs of mature
workers. Key areas of consideration include: recruiting practices,
opportunities for training, education and career development; workplace
accommodations; alternative work options, such as flexible scheduling,
job sharing, and phased retirement; employee health and pension
benefits; retiree work opportunities, and training and development.

**[2008 AARP Best Employers Winners]{.underline}**

**Rank, Company Name City, State**

> 1 Cornell University Ithaca, NY
>
> 2 Scripps Health San Diego, CA
>
> 3 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Racine, WI
>
> 4 The YMCA of Greater Rochester Rochester, NY
>
> 5 Lee Memorial Health System Fort Myers, FL
>
> 6 Securian St. Paul, MN
>
> 7 First Horizon National Corporation Memphis, TN
>
> 8 Stanley Consultants Muscatine, IA
>
> 9 Bon Secours Richmond Health System Richmond, VA
>
> 10 Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Chicago, IL
>
> 11 National Institutes of Health Bethesda, MD
>
> 12 Central Florida Health Alliance Leesburg, FL
>
> 13 Brevard Public Schools Viera, FL
>
> 14 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
>
> 15 Atlantic Health Morristown, NJ
>
> 16 TriHealth, Inc. Cincinnati, OH
>
> 17 Mercy Health System Janesville, WI
>
> 18 Adecco Group North America Melville, NY
>
> 19 Beaumont Hospitals Royal Oak, MI
>
> 20 L.L.Bean, Inc. Freeport, ME
>
> 21 Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA
>
> 22 Jennings Center for Older Adults Garfield Heights, OH
>
> 23 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Durham, NC
>
> 24 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
>
> 25 Pinnacol Assurance Denver, CO
>
> 26 Saint Vincent Health System Erie, PA
>
> 27 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Arlington, VA
>
> 28 Centegra Health System Crystal Lake, IL
>
> 29 Frankford Candy & Chocolate Co. Philadelphia, PA
>
> 30 Nashoba Valley Medical Center Ayer, MA
>
> 31 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
>
> 32 Wells Fargo & Company San Francisco, CA
>
> 33 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Newark, NJ
>
> 34 Harvard University Cambridge, MA
>
> 35 Northern California Presbyterian Homes & Services San Francisco, CA
>
> 36 Manheim Atlanta, GA
>
> 37 ACUITY Sheboygan, WI
>
> 38 DentaQuest Charlestown, MA
>
> 39 The Aerospace Corporation El Segundo, CA
>
> 40 Express Personnel Services Oklahoma City, OK
>
> 41 Nevada Federal Credit Union Las Vegas, NV
>
> 42 Pepco Holdings Inc. Washington, DC
>
> 43 Michelin North America Greenville, SC
>
> 44 Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation Huntsville, AL
>
> 45 Pearson Upper Saddle River, NJ
>
> 46 CTTRANSIT Hartford, CT
>
> 47 Vanguard Valley Forge, PA
>
> 48 Centers for New Horizons Chicago, IL
>
> 49 Hanson Professional Services Inc. Springfield, IL
>
> 50 FINRA Washington, DC

**[About AARP]{.underline}**

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps
people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are
beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not
endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either
political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the
definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world\'s largest-circulation
magazine with over 33 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news
source for AARP\'s 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda
Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to
the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation
is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and
empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of
volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.