Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership will honor business and community leader

NEWARK, N.J., Nov. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014, Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership (IEL) will honor Michelle Y. Lee, regional banking executive, Eastern Region for Community Banking at Wells Fargo, with the 2014 Steven J. Diner Ethical Leadership Award.

Created in 2011 in recognition of a champion of the IEL, Steven J. Diner, former Rutgers University-Newark chancellor, this award is given annually to an individual who demonstrates a long-term commitment to strengthening civil society through ethical leadership. In addition to the recognition, the awardee names a nonprofit organization in Newark to receive a monetary prize provided by the IEL. Lee has selected the Marion P. Thomas Charter School Foundation to receive this year's award.

"Michelle's passion and commitment to positive change in our community is evident through her remarkable legacy in the City of Newark and New Jersey," says James Abruzzo, co-founder at the IEL. "The IEL is proud and honored to celebrate such an outstanding individual as Michelle, who exemplifies integrity and ethical leadership in both her personal and professional endeavors."

Lee has spent her entire 30-year banking career with Wells Fargo and has recently been promoted to the top community bank executive position on the East Coast. Beginning Jan. 1, 2015, she will oversee retail operations in 14 states, 32,000 employees and 2,700 banking stores.

A Newark native, she serves on the boards of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation and Junior Achievement of New Jersey, among others. She is a partner member of Choose New Jersey and is past president of the Marion P. Thomas Charter School Foundation in Newark. Lee was recently an honoree at the PowerPlay New York SuperSTARS Celebration. She has also received the following recognitions: Girl Scouts of Greater New York 100^th Anniversary award, named to the NJBIZ Best 50 Women in Business list, New York Women's Agenda STAR Award and Stand & Deliver's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award.

Previous recipients of the award include Alfred Koeppe, retired CEO of the Newark Alliance and former business executive at PSEG; Mary Sue Sweeney Price, former museum director and chief executive officer of the Newark Museum; and Steven J. Diner, former chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark.

For more information, contact Dana Bochna, operations manager, Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School, at 973-353-3488 or [email protected].

To learn more about this year's honoree and award, visit: ww.business.rutgers.edu/iel/support/diner-award.

About Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership
The Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School works with business and government, nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, and within Rutgers University to provide leaders and future leaders with the education, training and critical-thinking tools needed to become more effective leaders and managers and make ethical decisions for real-world challenges.  For more information, visit www.business.rutgers.edu/iel.  

SOURCE Rutgers Business School

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