Over the past 27 years, SMU‘s Cary M. Maguire Center For Ethics And Public Responsibility has shone a light on “individuals who epitomize the spirit of moral leadership and public virtue” at its J. Erik Jonsson Ethics Award Luncheon. Recipients have included Peter Brodsky, Michael Sorrell, Nancy Strauss Halbreich, Bobby Lyle, Terry Flowers and Lyda Hill, to name a few.
It was back in 2013 that a couple received the award. That couple was Nancy Ann and Ray Hunt.
Today a second couple was announced as the 2024 recipients of the Jonsson Ethics Award. That couple is Ashlee and Chris Kleinert — aka Nancy Ann’s and Ray’s daughter and son-in-law.
Over the years the Kleinerts have established themselves as “taking a proactive approach to giving back and believing their highest and best use is connecting people.”
To see this mission through, they founded the Good Foundation in 2017 to “focus on businesses for good, youth education, women and children, homelessness, domestic violence and social justice reform.”
Even before establishing the Foundation, they were hands-on with a number of area non-profits.
But it was in 2011 that they made headlines by launching “Ruthie’s Rolling Cafe.” Named after Ashlee’s grandmother, Ruth Ann Hunt, one of the area’s first food trucks specialized in Ruth’s delicious grilled cheese sandwiches. Its purpose was a bit of a game changer, providing “exceptional service and quality comfort food in order to impact our local community and non-profit organizations.”
In announcing that the Kleinerts would be presented with the award on Thursday, April 11, at SMU’s Martha Proctor Mack Grand Ballroom, Maguire Center Director Rita Kirk said, “Ashlee and Chris Kleinert are social entrepreneurs who set the standard because they model the kind of ethical leadership that inspires others. Like all entrepreneurs, they face successes and challenges, yet they keep engaged in community efforts to do better and to enable sustainable change.”
Funds raised through the luncheon will support the Center’s annual operations and ensure its continued success.
Luncheon sponsorships are currently available here.