Rick - Timing sometimes just sucks, doesn't it.  SM

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Rishe, Frank  
Sent:	Monday, October 29, 2001 10:47 AM
To:	Montovano, Steve
Subject:	FW: Response


Steve - Kind of ironic.  Boy was I naive. - Frank

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Votaw, Courtney  
Sent:	Tuesday, October 16, 2001 5:14 PM
To:	Rishe, Frank
Subject:	RE: Response

Frank- Thank you very much for your response.  This will be a great addition to the employee response section in our entry to Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work for. 

Thanks again,
Courtney

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Rishe, Frank  
Sent:	Tuesday, October 16, 2001 4:06 PM
To:	Votaw, Courtney
Subject:	RE: Response


Courtney -

I am pleased to offer my comments on how Enron responded to the events of September 11th.  To give you some background, I was at the Houston attending meetings at the Enron Building on the 47th floor, when news of the tragedy hit. I was originally scheduled to return to New Jersey that evening but as a result of the airport closings, I did not get home until late Friday afternoon when I was fortunate enough to be on the first of a number of chartered planes that Enron utilized to facilitate getting employees back to their homes or other destinations.  

The following is a brief outline on how I was affected and how the Company and various employees responded:

Shortly after the incident, an announcement was made on the PA system indicating that the Enron building was in no danger, but that anyone who felt uncomfortable being at the office was free to leave. This was reassuring particularly for those who were uneasy being on the higher floors. The Company wisely shut down the building late that morning so there was no question that employees were free to go. 
Right from the start, management made it clear that we could do whatever was needed to get home and that the company would be very flexible with respect to travel expenses during the period while we were unable to get home and in travel getting home. 
An e-mail from Rick Shapiro, sent to everyone in the Government Affairs expressing his concerns for everyone, served to reinforced what my immediate supervisor, and to say the least was reassuring.
By early Thursday, the Company was already making plans to utilized corporate plains to try to facilitate travel for those of us that were stuck one place or another, and I was pleasantly surprised when I received a call from Ginger Dernehl, saying that I was on the list of people going on the corporate jet up to the New York area whenever the airports opened, and that I had to be "ready to go on short notice".  
Knowing of three other employees from the New Jersey area that were in the same predicament as I was, I gave their names to Ginger Dernehl and Maureen McVicker who were coordinating the list of those needing flights, and they immediately got them on the list as well. 
As it turned-out the airports never opened on Thursday, so everything was put on-hold for another day.  However, it was clear that everyone was doing what ever they could, and the thought that kept running through my mind was, "What a great company to work for!".
The next day (Friday) I arrived at the Office early only to learn that although some commercial air travel had resumed, the ban on corporate air travel was still in effect. My alternative at that point was a Continental Flight to Philadelphia, but whether or not it would actually go was still a question. What I did not know was that the Company was already working on possible chartered flights anticipating that chartered flights might resume before corporate flights.
Sure enough, just as I was about to leave to go to Intercontinental Airport, not knowing what nightmarish delays I might encounter, I got that call that a chartered flight was leaving for Albany, NY ASAP and I had to be at 3 Allen Center right away because there was a van waiting to take me and seven other Enron employees to Hobby Airport. 
About four hours later we arrived at Albany Airport, where there were two cars waiting to take us to our various destinations. 

Although, it was frustrating at times, not knowing when I would actually get home and see my family, the genuine concern shown by everyone involved was so reassuring that it greatly minimized whatever inconvenience I was experiencing.  "What a great company to work for!"

If you have any questions or need more details, give me a call.

Frank


 



 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Votaw, Courtney  
Sent:	Tuesday, October 09, 2001 6:27 PM
To:	Rishe, Frank
Subject:	Response

Frank- I work in Corp. Internal communications and am compiling information for Fortune's 100 Best Companies to work for entry. Fortune has asked us to submit a section on how we responded to the tragedy and challenges on Sept. 11.  Maureen McVicker told me that you were on the chartered Enron flight to NJ.  We are asking employees who were affected by the tragedy to write a brief response stating how you were affected and what Enron or your supervisor did to help.  

If you have time or are comfortable writing this, please let me know.  I must receive the brief by Oct. 16.  Your name will not be included on your submission.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks,
Courtney Votaw
Corp. Internal Communications
713-853-9390