In recognition for his commitment to the community both personally and professionally, Craig Ruppert was honored as the 2008 Philanthropist of the Year at the Montgomery County (Md.) Community Foundation’s Celebration of Giving on Nov. 6. The Clifford M. Kendall Award is presented each year to an individual who has made a special impact on the community through charitable giving and whose philanthropic leadership sets an inspiring example.
Ruppert, president and CEO of Laytonsville, Md.-based Ruppert Cos., has emphasized a culture of giving both in his personal life and through his company. Recipients of the support of Ruppert Companies both financially and through community service projects include Easter Seals, Food for the Poor, Ruppert’s alma mater St. John’s College High School, Jubilee Housing and Little League fields in Washington, D.C.
“When we share, we help ourselves as much as others,” says Ruppert, who believes that employees want to be part of a company the shares and encourages them to give back to the community.
He credits the employees of Ruppert Cos. with the hard work which enables the company to support the community in numerous ways.
“As a leader in the company, it is often me who receives the accolades,” he says. “But I want all of the employees to know how much I appreciate and value what they do in this organization every day.”
He also commented on the increased need for giving during tough economic times when people may be less likely to make donations. “It appears that while the need to give grows, the ability to give shrinks. But I don’t believe this paints the whole picture. I believe people give more when times are tough. They are able to see more clearly what they really need and really don’t need.”
The Montgomery County Community Foundation matches community resources with community needs and over the past 12 years, the foundation has shepherded more than $26 million in charitable giving into the hands of those who need it most in Montgomery County and around the world.
Ruppert Nurseries, Inc. provides commercial landscape installation and landscape management services in the mid-Atlantic regions and includes branches in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Georgia. It employs approximately 500 and also operates a 475-acre wholesale tree nursery in Montgomery County, Md.