Six Upstate individuals and organizations recognized with the 16th Annual Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards
November 18, 2020
On Tuesday, November 17, 2020, the Greenville Chamber and Furman University’s Riley Institute recognized the 2020 recipients of the Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards. Celebrating 16 years, the Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards honor outstanding individuals and organizations throughout the Upstate community for achievement in promoting diversity and inclusion. The virtual awards program premiered at noon on November 17 on the Greenville Chamber’s Facebook Page.
The program was hosted by Juana Slade, Director of Diversity at AnMed Health and Fall 2004 Riley Fellow, and Kirby Mitchell, Managing Attorney at South Carolina Centers for Equal Justice and Spring 2006 Riley Fellow, and highlighted the accomplishments of the 2020 Upstate Diversity Leadership Award recipients including:
- K-12 School: William “Bill” T. Wylie Valued Lives Award for School Excellence – Tanglewood Middle School
- Outstanding High School Student – Parker Egbert, Emerald High School
- Outstanding College Student – Alyssa “Adare” Smith, Furman University
- Outstanding Nonprofit Organization – Institute for Child Success
- Outstanding Business – Milliken
- Calder D. Ehrmann Outstanding Individual – Sean Dogan, Long Branch Baptist Church
The Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards originated as part of a capstone project within an Upstate Class of the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative. This group of Riley Fellows shared a vision to create an annual event to honor outstanding individuals and organizations in the Upstate who are moving the diversity needle forward, embracing and empowering all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, cultural background, socio-economic status, or physical or mental disabilities. Since its inception in 2004, the annual event has been a collaboration between the Greenville Chamber, Furman University’s Riley Institute and other upstate chambers.
