The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the preeminent global membership organization for Black current and former CEOs, senior executives, and board members of Fortune 1000 and equivalent companies, top-tier entrepreneurs, and global thought leaders, announced that it has awarded over $1.5 million in scholarships to 132 undergraduate and graduate students during its annual recognition gala and fundraising event on October 6, 2022 in Washington D.C.
Black executives, philanthropists and influential leaders came together in person, after a two-year hiatus, to celebrate The ELC’s larger mission of providing programmatic pillars which work to increase opportunities for Black scholars and professionals to succeed on their path to becoming high-powered business executives.
“It is our mission as members of The ELC to support these young people in their pursuit of higher education, leadership roles and future careers,” said ELC President and CEO Michael C. Hyter. “Philanthropic endeavors like these ensure that students know they are being supported in their journey and that we are growing, maintaining, and securing the talent pipeline that is needed for corporations to fulfill their DEI commitments to our community.”
This year’s scholars represent a diverse number of fields with 73 percent pursuing either a STEM or business-related degree. Approximately 61% of this year’s scholars are women and 61% hail from a long list of HBCUs and other prominent universities from across the country including: Columbia University, Emory University, Florida A&M University, Florida State University, Howard University, Loyola University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Texas A&M University, University of Miami, University of Notre Dame, University of Southern California, University of Texas at Austin
, Virginia State University, and many more.“We are grateful to have the opportunity to come back in person to celebrate with our scholars their academic achievements and through these contributions, their future success,” said ELC Board Chairman & CitiGroup CRA Regulatory Group Managing Director and Head Lloyd W. Brown, II. “Our partners’ commitment to the next generation of Black professionals through an intentional investment of their professional development will exponentially help facilitate The ELC’s ongoing efforts to expand the pipeline of future Black executive leaders. We truly value their support.”
As an ELC scholar, students are welcomed into a large network of opportunities, are given internship opportunities through the companies that help support The ELC Scholarship Program, and attend a four-day Scholars Symposium where they participate in virtual developmental workshops.
“The access to Black professionals across numerous fields, academic enrichment, and the ability to relieve part of my financial burden are the reasons why The ELC scholarship program is important to me. Knowing that I will have a network of executives and peers, who look like me, and with whom I can network and learn, encourages me to pursue my passions. I am excited to embark on this journey as an ELC Scholar,” said University of Miami Brunswick Scholar, Jaida Headley.
This year’s scholarships were made possible by: Bank of America, Bristol Myers Squibb, Brunswick Corporation, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HSBC USA, Johnson & Johnson, Linde, Lowe’s, Moody’s, Nationwide, Otsuka, Synchrony, The Coca Cola Foundation, and The Executive Leadership Council.
In addition to the scholars, The ELC presented honors to Marvin Ellison, chairman and CEO of Lowe’s, Brenda J. Lauderback; chair of the board of Denny’s board of directors and a member of the Sleep Number and Wolverine Worldwide corporate boards; Target Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell on behalf of Target; and the Honorable Ambassador Andrew Young, Jr., who received the prestigious 2022 Global Game Changer Award.
The 2022 ELC Annual Recognition Gala, presented by returning lead sponsor Johnson & Johnson, also recognizes notable business achievements for corporate organizations and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding efforts to pave the way to a successful enterprise that benefits and sheds light on their communities.
The Executive Leadership Council opens channels of opportunity for the development of Black executives to positively impact business and our communities. An independent non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in 1986, The ELC is the pre-eminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives in C-suites, on corporate boards, and in global enterprises. Comprising more than 800 current and former Black CEOs, senior executives and board directors at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies and entrepreneurs at top-tier firms, its members work to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline that empowers global Black leaders to make impactful contributions to the marketplace and the global communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.elcinfo.com. Engage during the event on social media: #ELCGALA on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.