Oct. 21, 2016 ROCHESTER, Mich. - Oakland University Athletics is the recipient of the 10th Annual Sunrise Pinnacle Innovative Corporate Culture Award, announced by the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce on Friday. Fifth Third Bank presented the award to Director of Athletics Jeff Konya.

"We are a process driven organization where innovation within our culture is stressed as a hallmark principle," said Konya. "Our focus is on making the Athletics Ethos come alive each and every day. It is a testament to the great work of our student-athletes, staff, coaches and all of our Oakland constituents to be recognized in such a prominent way by our community and we certainly appreciate the distinction."

The Golden Grizzlies aim to be innovative and creative to consistently seek once unimaginable accomplishments by utilizing forward-thinking mindset. Oakland created a unique student-athlete celebration with the Black and Gold Awards, hosted at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit, developed Infographics for new story-telling ideas to recap contests, and continue to focus on success being determined at how well you fit into athletics' culture.

"When the Sunrise Pinnacle Awards Selection Committee began to discuss the Innovative Culture Award, Oakland Athletics was immediately at the top of the list," said Chamber President Sheri Heiney. "Their focus on the overall experience of ALL of their constituents transcends boundaries and has a lasting impact that reaches far beyond fields of competition thus creating a true `family' atmosphere. Oakland Athletics' approach to both internal and external culture is, in and of itself, extremely innovative and can serve as a model for other corporate entities."

#WEARtheBEAR