For more details and updates about the Dinner and the evening’s award winners, visit the BIZ Dinner Page.
Once again, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce's (NGLCC) National Dinner was a huge success, hosting hundreds of members, allies and corporate partners at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
During the annual dinner, Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of NGLCC, urged the attendees to continue "vigorously defending our cause," noting that the NGLCC will do so in the face of attacks from fringe organizations.
"Our agenda has not changed since the beginning [of the NGLCC]—access to affordable health care for our families and our employees, fair tax treatment for our businesses and the benefits we offer, an America where we cannot loose our job or our contracts because of our sexual orientation or gender identity, and the ability to have our piece of the American dream. That is our agenda," declared Nelson.
The dinner is the NGLCC's forum for celebrating the vital work of allies and businesses that support the NGLCC, its affiliate chambers and the LGBT business community in the United States.
"We must all leave here tonight with a pledge that we will pursue equality for all Americans," said Chance Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of the NGLCC. "We must pledge to be the courage that everyone in this country needs. Never, never, ever forget that the relentless fight for equality is ongoing. What we've learned in the last few weeks is the promise of equality is worth the journey."
Life-long civil rights activist and NAACP board chairman, Julian Bond, received the NGLCC/American Airlines ExtrAA Mile Award for his efforts to advance LGBT equality despite tremendous odds.
"Civil rights are positive legal prerogatives. The right to equal treatment before the law. These are the rights shared by everyone. There is no one in the United States who does not or should not enjoy or share in enjoying these rights. Gay and lesbian rights are not special rights in any way. It isn't special to be free from discrimination. It is an ordinary universal entitlement of citizenship," Bond said.
John Evans, best known for co-founding the groundbreaking C-SPAN, as well as his charitable efforts surrounding AIDS awareness and research, received the award for Courage in Business.
Evans is a globally recognized expert in the telecommunications industry and on technological innovation, and is the current chair and CEO of the Evans Telecommunications Company—an investment and consulting firm in the cable television and telecommunications industries.
"We are reminded by tonight's event that individuals with passion and focus and ideas make a difference—sexual orientation is not and cannot be a hindrance to making a difference," Evans said.
The Twin Cities Quorum GLBTA Chamber of Commerce was awarded the 2009 Chamber of the Year. Quorum has won kudos for its National Coming Out Day event, Quorum University, and work with young professionals.
NGLCC corporate partner, PepsiCo, was given the award for Corporation of the Year. PepsiCo has set an example for effective supplier diversity programs with an active collaboration between its global procurement and supplier diversity teams and the company's LGBTA Employee Resource Group, EQUAL.
"I am proud to be a part of a company that realizes the importance of promoting and supporting diversity and inclusion," said Mitch Adamek, PepsiCo's chief procurement officer, who accepted the award on behalf of the corporation.
Two individuals from Merck & Co. received awards for Supplier Diversity Advocates of the Year—Jackie La Joie and Brent Friedman, who have worked tirelessly to find LGBT suppliers and stand up for the NGLCC at external events.
"We couldn't do what we do without taking the courageous step of getting [NGLCC] certified, so thank you to the LGBT businesses that have done that," La Joie said.
Joy Silver, president and CEO of the LGBT-friendly retirement communities, RainbowVision Properties, received the NGLCC/Wells Fargo Business Owner of the Year Award for her innovation, growth and personal service to the community.
"In these challenging times, the new success is surviving, so I accept this award for everyone who is surviving," Silver said.
This year's runners up for the NGLCC/Wells Fargo Business Owner of the Year Award were Bill Rodman, owner of Seattle-based aerospace engineering consulting firm, inVision Consultants, LLC, and Mia and Tracy Levesque, co-owners of the Philadelphia-based Web services company, YIKES.
In addition to the night's other honorees, the evening belonged to IBM, as the company received the first ever NGLCC Pinnacle Award. Given only under extraordinary circumstances, the NGLCC Pinnacle Award was created to honor exceptional and transformational leadership of a company, organization, or individual.
This year marked the first time this award was given, and recognized IBM for its tenth year of having LGBT suppliers as a part of the company's supplier diversity program, which is considered by the NGLCC as the catalyst and backbone of the Supplier Diversity Initiative at the chamber.
For more details and updates about the Dinner and the evening's award winners, visit the BIZ Dinner Page.
