Nominees Announced for 8th Annual Excellence in Workplace Diversity Awards

August 20, 2012

COLUMBIA, SC – August 20, 2012 – Nominees have been announced for the 8th Annual Excellence in Workplace Diversity Awards, recognizing businesses’ significant contributions to moving South Carolina forward in diversity initiatives. Several criteria are considered in choosing companies for the Excellence in Workplace Diversity Awards, including diversity initiatives, effectiveness and applicability/replicability.
 
Congratulations to this year’s nominees:

  • Columbia Metropolitan Airport – West Columbia
  • Greenville Hospital System – Greenville
  • Lockheed Martin Aeronautics – Greenville         
  • Midlands Technical College – Columbia
  • Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLC – Aiken
  • Smith Moore Leatherwood – Greenville
  • TD Bank – Greenville
  • U.S. Engine Valve – Westminster
  • Verizon Wireless – Greenville
  • WSI SRS – Aiken

The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce will recognize the state’s top companies (large, medium and small) in the field of diversity September 13 at the 8th Annual South Carolina Excellence in Workplace Diversity Awards Dinner at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Columbia.
 
“Businesses that make diversity a priority in their workplaces understand that employers and employees are happier and more successful when they implement sound diversity practices,” said Otis Rawl, president and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. “We look forward to honoring these businesses that are doing their part to create positive work environments for employees.”
 
The keynote speaker will be John Zubizarreta, Ph.D., professor of English and director of honors and faculty development at Columbia College. Zubizarreta will speak on Why Being Different Matters: Diversity and the Gift of Higher Education, featuring his own story as a Cuban-American growing up in Harlem, New York and how a remarkable chain of experiences and extraordinary mentors led him to where he is today.
 

About the SC Chamber
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s first state chamber Accredited with Distinction by the U.S. Chamber, is South Carolina’s largest statewide broad-based business and industry trade association representing more than 18,000 businesses and more than one million employees, with 90 percent of membership comprised of small businesses. As the unified voice for business and industry, the Chamber is a catalyst for increasing wealth and enhancing the state’s global competitiveness in order to improve the quality of life for all South Carolinians.