US Business
Leadership Network Announces 2011 Annual Leadership
Award Winners
For Immediate
Release
October 26, 2011
Contact: Anita
Howard
Phone: 800-706-2710
anita@usbln.org
WASHINGTON, DC (October 26, 2011) - The US
Business Leadership Network (USBLN®) today announced
the winners of its 2011 Annual Leadership Awards,
which were presented to the recipients last week
during the USBLN® 2011 Annual Conference & Expo held
in Louisville, Kentucky. The awards recognized
leaders in seven categories - including Partner of
the Year, Affiliate of the Year, Lead Employer of
the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Supplier Diversity
Corporation of the Year, Employee Resource Group
(ERG) of the Year and Market Share Corporation of
the Year.
Additionally, John D. Kemp, Esq.,
President & CEO, Abilities! was awarded with the
USBLN® Founding Executive Director and Long Time
Friend Award for his outstanding support to the
organization. Stephen J. Szilagyi, Senior
Vice President, Distribution, Lowe's Companies, Inc.
was also recognized for his leadership in inclusive
employment practices and his service as the 2011
USBLN® Annual Conference Chair.
The purpose of the 2011 USBLN® Annual Leadership
Awards is to further the USBLN® mission of
identifying leading disability workplace, market
place and supply chain practices in use today. These
awards provide the metrics by which our Corporate
Partners, BLN affiliates, Volunteers and
Organizational Allies are recognized for their
demonstration of outstanding commitment to promoting
disability diversity across the enterprise. Award
recipients clearly embody the highest ethical
standards and values in our community.
Partner of the Year
The Council of State Administrators of Vocational
Rehabilitation/National Employment Team (NET) is
the Partner of the Year award recipient. CSAVR's
National Employment Team provides their business
partners with a single point of contact. Stephanie
Vinson and her team have supported the NCBLN in our
efforts to re-start this Affiliate in the past 18
months. The NET helps businesses to identify what
resources they need to support their current
workforce while providing access to the largest
applicant pool of people with disabilities in the
U.S. The CSAVR/NET most often serves as the "silent
partner" to many of the most successful disability
employment business models - based on the funding
that most often comes directly from VR to community
service providers. The NET and VR partner with BLN
Affiliates across the country and also provide
funding to support staff and operations in several
states including but not limited to: NC, FL, AL, TX,
CA, WA, WY, NC, CT and PA.
Affiliate of the Year
The Greater Kansas City Business Leadership
Network is the Affiliate of the Year award
recipient. The Greater Kansas City Business
Leadership Network (GKC-BLN) has made a large
footprint in the Greater Kansas City metropolitan
area through their focus on education, awareness and
enhanced employment opportunities for individuals
with disabilities. The GKC-BLN has partnered with
three state and government agencies (Kansas
Department of Social & Rehabilitation Services, the
Missouri Governor's Council on Disability and the
Department of Labor/ODEP "Add Us In" grant); local
and state Society for Human Resource Management
(SHRM) affiliates; local service providers; and
local Chambers of Commerce.
Lead Employer of the Year
AMC Entertainment, Inc is the Lead Employer
of the Year award recipient. AMC Entertainment is
the founding employer of The Greater Kansas City
Business Leadership Network, Inc. and is led by
AMC's Senior Vice President and Chief People
Officer, Keith Wiedenkeller. AMC theatres has
created a new national program - entitled FOCUS
(Furthering Opportunities, Cultivating Untapped
Strengths) - around hiring people with disabilities
at their theatres. Dozens of people have been hired
at AMC over the past year under the auspices of this
program, with the potential for hundreds more. The
AMC FOCUS program is starting to receive national
attention.
Volunteer of the Year
Roger McCullough, Manager, HR Information and
Technology Services, The Personnel Board of
Jefferson County, Alabama is the Volunteer of the
Year award recipient. In addition to actually
starting the Alabama BLN chapter, Roger has been
instrumental in carrying the ABLE Network message
that employing people with disabilities makes good
business sense. Roger's mission as the ABLE Network
chairperson has been two-fold; create a way for
people with disabilities to be recruited by
employers and help educate employers about
disability. He has done just that by serving on the
design, development, and testing team for the ABLE
Network website. The ABLE Website is a resource for
employers on disability and employment related
information and a one-of-a-kind recruiting site
where employers can recruit qualified applicants
with disabilities from Alabama's VR program. It is a
direct link to potential employees with disabilities
that is unique in that employers can recruit a
candidate for employment and receive placement
support from rehabilitation technologists and
vocational rehabilitation counselors to ensure
successful placements.
Supplier Diversity Corporation of the Year
IBM is the Supplier Diversity Corporation of
the Year award recipient. IBM's Minority Supplier
Development Program began in 1968 and is one of the
oldest if not the oldest supplier diversity program
in the country. IBM's commitment to supplier
diversity is an initiative pursued with vigilance
and zeal; it is part of IBM's heritage, business
plan, and future. The policy of the IBM Corporation
is to provide diverse businesses the opportunity to
participate in all areas of IBM's marketing,
procurement, and contracting activities. This policy
applies to all areas of expenditures, whether for
products or services.
Employee Resource Group (ERG) of the Year
Ernst & Young AccessAbilitiesTM is
the Employee Resource Group (ERG) of the Year award
recipient. Ernst & Young AccessAbilitiesTM
became a formal part of Ernst & Young's
inclusiveness efforts six years ago. Americas-wide,
members represent every rank, function and major
geographic area in the US and Canada. Many members
do not themselves have disabilities, but have
friends and family with disabilities or are involved
in related volunteer or professional associations.
Their mission is to help develop a workplace in
which people of all abilities can reach their full
potential. They have two goals: to create an
enabling environment and to build a
disabilities-inclusive culture. AccessAbilities
holds monthly conference calls to discuss
possibilities for improving Ernst & Young's support
of its people with disabilities. Participants are
drawn from across the US and Canada, representing
all ranks and business units. Diverse membership
provides a strong support base and allows the group
to benefit from a variety of perspectives.
Market Share Corporation of the Year
AT&T is the Market Share Corporation of the
Year award recipient. At AT&T accessibility is more
than a word. It is a company-wide holistic
commitment and pledge to diversity that enables AT&T
to create a better business environment and to be an
employer of choice, preferred business partner and
contributor to the community. That means creating,
providing and marketing accessible and usable
products and services to customers and employees at
work, school and in the community.
The 2011 Annual Leadership Awards capped off yet
another successful USBLN® Annual Conference.
About the US Business Leadership Network
(USBLN®)
The US Business Leadership Network (USBLN®) is
the national disability organization that serves as
the collective voice of over 60 Business Leadership
Network affiliates across North America,
representing over 5,000 employers. The USBLN®
promotes the business imperative of the preparation
and inclusion of people with disabilities in the
workplace, marketplace, and supply chain while
supporting the development and expansion of its BLN
affiliates. The USBLN® recognizes and supports best
practices in hiring and advancing employees with
disabilities, marketing to consumers with
disabilities, and encourages contracting with
vendors with disabilities through the development
and certification of disability-owned businesses.
www.usbln.org
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