National Minority Supplier Development Council Honors Diversity Leaders

On Wednesday, May 18, the 2016 National Minority Supplier Development Council Leadership Awards will recognize the dynamic corporate executives, minority business owners, and NMSDC affiliate council presidents for outstanding leadership that has a positive impact on their companies and resonates throughout the NMSDC network.

[Related: Are Minorities Penalized for Promoting Diversity in the Workplace?]

The Leadership Awards will be a black-tie gala evening at the New York Hilton, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, starting at 6:30 PM.

The National Minority Supplier Development Council works to advance business opportunities for certified minority business enterprises and connects them to corporate members.

The NMSDC is responsible for matching more than 12,000 certified minority-owned businesses to a network of more than 1,750 corporate members who wish to purchase their products, services, and solutions.

In describing the impact of the Leadership Awards honorees, Joset Wright-Lacy, president of NMSDC states “leadership is not easy to define, but it is an essential element in achieving success and inspiring others to maximize their potential.

A leader establishes a vision, sets direction, and provides the guidance needed to reach a goal. Leadership is about passion in pursuit of that vision, in service of others, not oneself.”

This year’s awards gala will honor leaders Shaleta Dunn, Director of Diverse Talent & Supplier Programs for ManpowerGroup, with the Corporate Catalyst Award; Azra Khalfan, CEO of Signs & Lucite Products, with the MBE Catalyst Award;  I. Javette Hines, Senior Vice President, Supplier Diversity and Sustainability for Citigroup Inc., with The Corporate Trailblazer Award; Bonnie Nijst, President and CEO of Zeesman Communications, will be recognized with The MBE Trailblazer Award; George Ehrgott, Senior Manager, Strategic Sourcing, Sustainability and Supplier Diversity for Communications Test Design Inc., will receive the Corporate Clarion Award; and the MBE Clarion Award will go to John W. Rogers, CEO of Ariel Investments L.L.C.

The CPO of the Year Award will be presented to Farryn Melton, Senior Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Harriet R. Michel, NMSDC’s former president for 22 years, will receive The Robert M. Stuart Leadership Award, named for Robert M. Stuart, the founding chairman of the Board of the Directors of the National Minority Purchasing Council (later renamed NMSDC).

The corporate co-chair for the 2016 Leadership Awards is Toyota, and the MBE co-chair is GEP. MetLife is the VIP reception sponsor.