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For Immediate Release

ICF’s ROAD HOME PROGRAM SAVES BATON ROUGE CALL CENTER
Nearly 140 workers keep jobs, benefits

BATON ROUGE, La., Dec. 11, 2006 – The Road Home program will soon take over the facilities and staff of West Corporation’s Baton Rouge call center. West was contracted by ICF earlier this year to provide inbound and outbound call center services for homeowners seeking compensation for their losses from Hurricane Katrina or Rita.

When West decided to close its Baton Rouge facility, executives from ICF’s The Road Home program immediately began discussions to acquire the facilities and hire employees who were working on the program.

“This is an excellent opportunity for everyone involved,” said Mike Byrne, chief program executive. “Employees who would have been laid off by the closing of the facility will keep their jobs and benefits. The Road Home wins by retaining call center staff already well-oriented with the program. It’s a great investment in the local economy.”

This acquisition prevents the hiring and training of a new call center staff, a process that would impede the pace of the program. By continuing with the current Road Home call center staff, the program is able to eliminate the downtime that would occur in orienting and training new employees. It also provides substantial cost-savings by eliminating the duplication of training expenditures.

The lease for the facilities has already been signed, transferring the facilities to ICF. Nearly 140 staff members who have been working with The Road Home will be hired incrementally through the end of February. The entire transaction is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2007. Moreover, ICF is exploring opportunities to fully integrate the call center capabilities into other ICF operations, in the Gulf Coast and elsewhe

 “We are dedicated to the recovery of Louisiana,” said Byrne. “Every homeowner who receives funding from the program and every investment that we can make in the state will aid the recovery process.”

The Road Home program is designed to help residents of Louisiana affected by Hurricanes Katrina or Rita get back into their homes as quickly and fairly as possible. This groundbreaking program represents the largest single housing recovery program in U.S. history. Working together, Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, the Louisiana Recovery Authority and the Office of Community Development created The Road Home program with the approval of the Louisiana Legislature. The program affords eligible homeowners up to $150,000 in compensation for their losses to get back into their homes.

To start your application to The Road Home program, visit www.road2LA.org or call 1-888-ROAD-2-LA (1-888-762-3252).TTY callers use 711 relay or 1-800-846-5277.

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