Per Scholas Awards Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin for Championing Diversity

Per Scholas, a national nonprofit committed to advancing economic mobility and increasing access to tech careers, awarded Mike Tomlin, the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL), its Diverse by Design North Star Award.

This award celebrates change makers who are leading the charge when it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), according to a press release.

The Diverse by Design North Star Award honors leaders who are transforming diversity in the technology sector and beyond. As one of five minority head coaches for the NFL, Coach Tomlin is a passionate advocate for DEIB. Through his role at the NFL, he actively promotes racial equity and intentional progress around challenges attached to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This year, Per Scholas and Diverse by Design awarded Coach Tomlin in acknowledgment for all of his work to advance DEIB.

“It is my distinct honor to award this year’s Diverse by Design North Star Award to Coach Mike Tomlin,” said Damien Howard, chief enterprise solutions officer at Per Scholas and co-founder of Diverse by Design.

“We’re working to transform the diversity landscape within tech and are inspired by leaders like Coach Mike – who is literally changing the playing field and driving transformation in major league sports. He embodies all that Diverse by Design and Per Scholas stand for.”

This year alone, Per Scholas will enroll more than 4,000 learners across 19 cities and partner with over 650 companies where Per Scholas graduates launch their tech careers. Powered by Per Scholas and ITSMF, Diverse by Design helps companies establish a pipeline of diverse entry, mid and executive-level candidates with skills tailored to their business needs.

“I am both honored and humbled to receive this award. I am a big believer in results – not just talk – especially when it comes to diversity in hiring,” said Coach Mike Tomlin.

“It is amazing that Per Scholas has been helping skill diverse professionals and launch careers in technology for more than 25 years. Their results in tech are a model for what’s possible across other industries – and gives me hope for bringing more equity in hiring to the NFL.”

“I am thrilled that Mike is being recognized with the Diverse by Design North Star Award,” said Shaun Alexander, NFL legend, community influencer, and Per Scholas ambassador.

“Beyond his team’s winning record, Mike is a powerful diversity champion at the NFL. He is not only vocal about where gaps exist, but also very purposeful and proactive in putting processes in place to give diverse applicants a fair chance in the NFL.”

2022 marks the second annual Diverse by Design North Star Award and Coach Tomlin joins fellow 2022 honorees Michael Buckham-White, global managing director, Deloitte Technology; Stephen DeStefani, SVP, Technology Diverse Segments, Representation and Inclusion, Wells Fargo; and Janet Pope, vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility, Capgemini Global Consulting Group. Inaugural recipients include Jay Alvather, president of TEKsystems; Maurice Jones, CEO of OneTen; and Dalila Wilson-Scott, executive vice president and chief diversity officer, Comcast Corporation.

To learn more about Per Scholas and its mission to advance economic equity through rigorous training for tech careers and to connect skilled talent to leading businesses, visit: https://perscholas.org/. To learn more about Diverse by Design please visit www.diversebydesign.org.