Mister Chairman, thank you for inviting me here today to discuss my company's enthusiastic endorsement of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. As a small, community-minded business, we at Wainwright Bank & Trust Company believe strongly that this legislation is in keeping with the values that have laid the foundation for our company's success. It is in line with the most up-to-date personnel practices followed by successful small businesses, who know that in order to stay competitive, we must deploy highly skilled professionals who are capable of working with all kinds of people in an increasingly diverse workplace and marketplace.

We currently employ 93 people at our headquarters and five branch offices in the Boston area. Deposits at our branches have grown by 300 percent in the last three years, with 70 percent of our new business referred to us by existing customers. In our first seven years of operation, our total assets reached 273 million dollars, making Wainwright the 14th largest commercial bank in the Boston area in terms of asset size. Wainwright's assets and market share continue to grow, thanks in large part to our well-considered approach to managing our most precious assets--our people.

Although the Bank was founded in 1987, its commitment to diversity goes back two decades earlier when our chairman and co-founder, Robert Glassman, was a 24-year-old platoon leader in Vietnam. With soldiers who were Caucasian, African-American, Latino, and Native American, his platoon represented the diversity of America. That this diversity was not reflected in the corporate boardrooms of America helped shape the philosophy on which the Bank was founded.

An inclusive, community-minded approach guides all aspects and functions of Wainwright Bank' s operations and growth. Our management refers to it as our "banking on values "policy. And we put our money where our mouth is. We finance affordable housing for all types of families, and underwrite community development in all types of neighborhoods. We contribute to organizations supporting women's rights and human rights, and particularly those that show a commitment to valuing human diversity. More than 50 million dollars of our depositors' money has been committed to financing projects such as homeless shelters; food banks; housing for men, women and children with AIDS; and breast cancer research.

Our staff reflects the diversity of our community and our customer base. It includes African-Americans, Asians, Latinos, and Caucasians; men and women; straight and gay, all working in various departments throughout the organization. Half of the banking officers are women, and fifty percent of the board of directors are women and minorities.

Our gay and lesbian employees have been extremely valuable team players. Eleven percent of our employees are lesbian or gay. Two of our five branches are managed by a gay man and a lesbian. A gay man has the enormous job of managing our rapidly growing credit card department. These employees work extremely hard and have performed extremely well. They are admired by their colleagues and well liked by their customers. Management considers them to be major assets to our company, and would not dream of treating them differently from anyone else.

We have unleashed the full productivity of our employees by ensuring that everyone is treated fairly, valued equally, and judged based on their performance -nothing more and nothing less. It isn't just the business-like thing to do. It is the right thing to do.

Wainwright Bank also believes that passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is the right thing to do. This bill embodies principles that the vast majority of American businesses already comply with under the Civil Rights Act. There is nothing radical or even questionable in this legislation. It is clear, straightforward, and focused like a laser beam on an achievable objective --which is equal treatment in the workplace for everyone. It places no burden on small business, it imposes no costs, and it dictates no quotas. In short, we agree with ENDA on both philosophical and practical grounds.

There are of course those who will disagree with us. They may rightfully ask why Congress should pass a law telling business people how to run their business. As a businessperson myself, I am also wary of inappropriate government intrusion in the marketplace. But I also know that, without basic ground rules, the marketplace could not function. Government has an appropriate role to play in establishing a level playing field in the job market. Government has a responsibility to ensure that every American enjoys equal opportunity in the workplace -if not an equal guarantee of success.

This principle is already well established in the law, and accepted in the private sector. In short, ENDA is the finest tradition of good government --it upholds the values that make this country work, without imposing costly mandates that make our work harder.

Passing ENDA is the right thing to do --and now is the right time to do it. On behalf of Wainwright Bank, our directors, managers, employees, and customers, I thank you for the opportunity to share our views with you today.

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