MBN USA

October 14, 2021

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SMSDC announces the 2021 MBE Idol of the Year

Kara Elyse Henderson LLC, founder and creative director of Mindful Media LLC has earned the Southwest Minority Supplier Development Council's 2021 MBE Idol of the Year award.

The Council also recognized the hard work put in by finalists Phil Walker, managing partner at Career Partners International, and Spiros Arnakis, director of global markets – East at Zones LLC. The Council said their presentations were well-done and provided it with additional insight into their respective companies. 

This year, Dell Technologies Inc. extended to the Council's corporate sponsors and local corporate members the opportunity to host the virtual meeting with the winner of the SMSDC’s 2021 MBE Idol. 

The SMSDC also acknowledged and thanked corporate sponsors and local corporate members for hosting this year’s winner: The University of Texas, One Gas Inc. and Union Pacific Railroad.

CenterPoint Energy Inc. will include Henderson in its Supplier Forum to introduce to its Tier Is. Applied Materials Inc. will invite her to an executive mentoring discussion and introduce her at its SemiCom Industry Forum to help build its network. Intel Corp., Micron  Technology Inc. and others in the semiconductor industry will be in attendance. 

Toyota has extended an invitation to their upcoming Opportunity Exchange. And, the SMSDC awarded Henderson complimentary admission to the SMSDC’s 2022 virtual EXPO.

SMSDC  thanked the judges and SMSDC board members for their participation and commitment to this program, helping to make it all the more successful because of their involvement, feedback and support. They are:

• Debbie Trevino, mistress of ceremonies; president and CEO of Treco Services Inc.; SMSDC board; MBEIC chair; 2017 Idol of the Year. 
• Beatriz Fernandez, business development director at dataXport Inc.; SMSDC board; MBEIC co-chair; 2018 Idol of the Year
• Juan Pablo-Pimienta, vice president of Universal CHB; 2019 MBE Idol of the Year 
• Season Elliott, president of WisePies Pizza & Salad; 2020 MBE Idol of the Year  

SMSDC’s 2021 MBE Idol judges were :

• Angela Burnett, supervisor, material purchasing supply chain for ONE Gas. 

• Stephanie Burton, manager, supplier diversity purchasing supplier development, Toyota Motor North America Inc. 

• Vic Cleveland, manager, supplier diversity, CenterPoint Energy

• Carlos Dones, global supply chain operations, Applied Materials; SMSDC board member

• David Feldman, supply chain advisor – supplier diversity, Chevron Corp. corporate procurement; SMSDC board member

• Grace Hastings, supplier diversity manager, Oncor Electric Delivery Co. LLC

• Indria Hollingsworth, diversity, equity, inclusion, South Central Region, J.E. Dunn Construction Group 

• Dusty Nimmo, director, supply chain, Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co.; SMSDC board member

• Max Rutherford, vendor partner diversity director, GSD&M; SMSDC board member

• Jim Snell, global commodity manager, logistics procurement, Dell 

• Andress Stanley, global supplier diversity and innovation program manager, Dell

• Maalika Moore-Thomas, senior supplier diversity coordinator, functional recruiting coordinator, supply chain, ConocoPhillips