MBN USA
July 16, 2021
Disability:IN names 2021 Inclusion Award winners
Disability:IN recently announced the 2021 winners of the Disability:IN Inclusion Awards at its annual conference, which was held virtually. According to the organization, companies recognized are visionary brands whose leaders and employees alike are actively taking steps to advance disability inclusion and equality in the workplace.
“The past year has been challenging for society as a whole as we have had to adapt to a new way of living, working and learning,” said Jill Houghton, president and CEO of Disability:IN. “It has been extremely gratifying to see individuals and corporations like our 2021 Inclusion Award winners rise to the occasion despite the challenges of their own ‘new normal’ and work tirelessly to create more inclusive workplaces and greater economic advantages for talent, customers and suppliers with disabilities.”
The 11 Inclusion Award categories, criteria, winners and Disability:IN’s reason for granting the award to a person or company are:
Top Corporation for Disability-Owned Businesses: Merck & Co. Inc.
The Top Corporation for Disability-Owned Business recognizes a corporation that has demonstrated outstanding inclusion of Disability:IN certified disability-owned businesses (including businesses owned by service-disabled veterans), and demonstrated commitment to disability business inclusion in their supply chain processes and corporate supplier diversity programs.
Merck has demonstrated outstanding inclusion of Disability:IN certified disability-owned businesses (including businesses owned by service-disabled veterans) and a commitment to disability business inclusion in their supply chain processes and corporate supplier diversity programs.
John D. Kemp Leadership Award: Catherine P. Bessant, Bank of America Corp.
The John D. Kemp Inclusion Award recognizes an individual who has developed or influenced the development of significant company disability employment programs and/or services that resulted in measurable, tangible and positive outcomes that dramatically improved disability employment opportunities.
Bessant, chief operations and technology officer, has played a significant role in developing and influencing the company’s disability employment programs and services, resulting in measurable, tangible and positive outcomes that have dramatically improved disability employment opportunities at Bank of America.
View the Catherine P. Bessant video
ERG/BRG of the Year: Intel Corp.
The Employee/Business Resource Group of the Year recognizes a corporate employee resource group (ERG) or business resource group (BRG) as having exemplary programming and practices for its employee group that provides business value to the company and professional growth for its members.
Intel’s Disability Employee/Business Resource Group is recognized for making available exemplary programming and practices that provide business value to the company and professional growth for its members.
NextGen Alum of the Year: Ike Tallerine, Accenture
The NextGen Alum of the Year recognizes an alumnus who has gone above and beyond after participating in Disability:IN’s NextGen Leader Initiatives. This alumnus has not only demonstrated corporate leadership, but has also paid it forward for future NextGen Leaders.
Tallerine, senior financial analyst, is a NextGen Leader Initiatives alumnus who has gone above and beyond after participating in the program by not only demonstrating corporate leadership, but paying it forward for future NextGen Leaders.
Supplier Diversity Advocate of the Year: Kimberly Marcus, AARP
The Supplier Diversity Advocate of the Year recognizes a procurement champion who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the utilization and growth of disability-owned businesses, and also provided exceptional support for certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprises- DOBE®s, Veteran-Disability Owned Business Enterprises (V-DOBEs™) and Service-Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (SDV-DOBEs™).
Marcus, director of supplier diversity, is a procurement champion who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the utilization and growth of disability-owned businesses, and has provided exceptional support for certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprises- DOBE®s, Veteran-Disability Owned Business Enterprises (V-DOBEs™) and Service-Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (SDV-DOBEs™).
View the KImberly Marcus video
Supplier of the Year: Certify My Company
The Supplier of the Year recognizes a certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprises- DOBE®s, Veteran-Disability Owned Business Enterprises (V-DOBEs™) or a Service-Disabled Veteran Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (SDV-DOBEs™) supplier that has provided excellent service and serves as a role model for disability business inclusion in the supply chain.
Certify My Company, a leader in assisting companies in developing their supplier diversity programs, is recognized as a role model for its focus on growing disability business inclusion in the supply chain.
View the Certify My Company video
Marketplace Innovator of the Year, Advertising/Marketing Category: Comcast Corp.
Comcast is recognized as a visionary corporation
for its work to tell the remarkable stories of people of all disabilities who
are empowered by their inclusive technologies.
Comcast NBCUniversal is recognized as a visionary
corporation for its advertising and marketing strategies that highlight people
with disabilities.
Marketplace Innovator of the Year, Product
Category: Google LLC
The Marketplace Innovator of the Year, Product
Category recognizes an innovative product(s) that is inclusively designed, to
be used for people of all abilities.
Google is recognized for the inclusive design of
its products, enabling their use by people of all abilities.
Employer of the Year:
Salesforce
The Employer of the Year recognizes exemplary
policies, strategies and initiatives that have resulted in measurable results
in the areas of disability inclusiveness in the workplace, marketplace and
supply chain.
Salesforce.com is named Employer of the Year due
to exemplary policies, strategies and initiatives that have resulted in
measurable results in the areas of disability inclusiveness in the workplace,
marketplace and supply chain.
ERG/BRG Executive Sponsor of the
Year: Alleace Gibbs, Northrop Grumman Corp.
The ERG/BRG Executive Sponsor of the Year Award recognizes
an Executive Sponsor of a company’s disability ERG/BRG who has had a measurable
impact on disability inclusion at the company and champions disability inclusion
across the enterprise.
Gibbs, vice president of communications, is named
ERG/BRG Executive Sponsor of the Year Award for her work as Executive Sponsor
of the company’s disability ERG/BRG. Her work has had a measurable impact on
disability inclusion at the company as she champions disability inclusion
across the enterprise.
Affiliate of the Year:
Disability:IN Wisconsin
The Affiliate of the Year honors a Disability:IN
Affiliate that has demonstrated exemplary efforts in promoting the vision,
mission and spirit of Disability:IN. This Affiliate helps their territory
understand, utilize, and benefit from the valuable resources that people with
disabilities present in the workplace, supply chain and marketplace.
This year, our Wisconsin affiliate has been named
Affiliate of the Year for demonstrating exemplary efforts in promoting the
vision, mission and spirit of Disability:IN. The Wisconsin team helps their
territory understand, utilize, and benefit from the valuable resources that
people with disabilities present in the workplace, supply chain and
marketplace.
View the Disability:IN Wisconsin video
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