Rev. David Schilling to Receive ICCR’s 2021 Legacy Award
A lifetime’s work to address the social impacts of corporate practices to be honored at ICCR’s 50th Anniversary Gala.
NEW YORK, NY – TUESDAY, MARCH 16TH, 2021 - The governing board of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility today announced that Rev. David Schilling, ICCR’s Senior Program Director for Human Rights, will be the 2021 recipient of its Legacy Award. The ICCR Legacy Award was created to honor those whose work has provided a strong moral foundation and an enduring record of demonstrated influence on corporate policies. Rev. Schilling will receive the award at ICCR’s 50th anniversary gala at the Prince George Ballroom on October 20th in NYC.
As a committed, skilled, and accomplished agent for social change, David has spent his entire career working to build a more just and sustainable world. David’s 27 years of impact working on behalf of ICCR members has left an indelible mark on the organization and on the field of faith-based investing. His many achievements, and the strong connections he has made both within and outside the confines of ICCR, provide more than ample evidence that his legacy will endure and serve as a role model for the ICCR agents of change to come.
David joined ICCR’s staff in 1994 already having built a formidable legacy as a faith-based social justice and human rights advocate. Prior to joining ICCR, David worked closely with Cesar Chavez to build support within the religious community for the farm workers’ struggle for justice, as co-director of the Riverside Church Disarmament Program in New York City, and as program coordinator of the Fellowship of Reconciliation-USA.
David has been a principal figure and thought leader in the ICCR community, designing and leading numerous innovative initiatives that have transformed its work across issues and sectors. In response to the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh where over 1,500 garment workers lost their lives, David and a team of ICCR members assembled hundreds of global investors representing $3.7 trillion to form the Bangladesh Investor Initiative, in an ongoing effort to press the Bangladesh government and global brands sourcing there to join the Accord for Fire and Building Safety to provide remedy to the victims’ families and to improve working conditions in the apparel sector.
“David brings his passion for social justice to his work, his collaborative relationship-building with companies, and his desire to ensure that rights holders’ views are represented through the perspective of communities and impacted stakeholder perspectives,” said Lauren Compere of Boston Common Asset Management. “We have seen human trafficking move from a social justice concern to a business imperative, and David's role within ICCR has played a pivotal role in ensuring this happened."
Observed Sr. Nora Nash of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, “As Senior Program Director at ICCR, David has worked and ministered tirelessly to embed a human rights framework in corporations around the globe. One of those corporations is none other than the Chevron Company where David guided an ICCR shareholder group to effectively enable Chevron to adopt a human rights policy. David never ceased working with shareholders and Chevron to pursue implementation of the human rights policy, including the many aspects of community impacts, community consultation, and community consent (FPIC), grievance, and due diligence mechanisms.”
“To me, David’s approach – in all things – embodies the ICCR method: soft-spoken and always willing to hear the other side, but firm and authoritative, collaborative,” said Adam Kanzer of BNP Paribas Asset Management. “David has a way of speaking with companies (“with”, not “to”) that always makes a personal connection and always creates an opportunity for greater and deeper engagement. In every exchange with a company, David puts the most vulnerable workers and community members first and ensures they remain the focus of attention. His approach has gained him equal respect from investors, companies, and NGOs, all of whom view him as a trusted resource and a bellwether for the right course of action.”
“Since the beginning of his service at ICCR, David has worked with a core group of ICCR members to manage numerous engagements with Walmart for 27 years, bringing organizational skills to dialogues on supply chain issues, sustainability, diversity and human rights,”said Sr. Barbara Aires of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth, NJ. “Because of his knowledge, the company has sought his guidance on developing various policies, especially its human rights policy. David is great to work with, well prepared, and passionate to make life more human for so many.”
It is not hyperbole to say that as a result of David’s lifetime work, the “S” in ESG is increasingly receiving the attention it merits, and the lives of rightsholders around the world will be vastly improved. David will always be a leading voice in the field of corporate engagement, and a devoted and compelling ambassador for the work of ICCR and its members.
Please join us in congratulating Rev. David Schilling for his remarkable achievements.
About the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR)
Celebrating its 50th year, ICCR is the pioneer coalition of shareholder advocates who view the management of their investments as a catalyst for social change. Its 300-plus member organizations comprise faith communities, asset managers, unions, pensions, NGOs and other socially responsible investors with combined assets of over $2 trillion. ICCR members engage hundreds of corporations annually in an effort to foster greater corporate accountability. Visit our website www.iccr.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.