Denver, Colorado
September 22-24, 2005
Les Hohman, GM
June R. Cohen, DuPont
Chevron Gay & Lesbian Employee Association
IBM
Citigroup
Out & Equal Trailblazer Award
This award recognizes an LGBT person who has made a significant
contribution to advancing workplace equality. This individual's
activities will have made a marked improvement in their own workplace
and/or have contributed to equality nationally.
Bobby Bass, Wells Fargo
Armed with a desire to impact change and
break down barriers, Bobby Bass has erased stereotypes, activated
awareness and encouraged acceptance in the workplace. His dedication
to blazing new trails has generated excitement about new possibilities
and proven the value of the GLBT community in the workforce.
Andrew
Freeman, Kimpton Hotels
Andrew Freeman launched Kimpton Hotels' highly succesful LGBT Community
Involvement Program in 2004. His leadership assured that the
plan involved all parts of the company: sales, marketing, operations,
and human resources — and resulted in Kimpton being the first
hotel group to score a 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's
Corporate Equality Index.
Leslie (Les) Hohman, GM PLUS
In less than five years, Leslie (Les)
Hohman took GM PLUS from a loosely-organized, mostly male social
and support group, and energized it into a dynamic and leading
agent for the advancement of LGBT workplace issues at the world's
largest automaker. She was instrumental in having GM PLUS recognized
as an official employee affinity group, she directed the push to
obtain domestic partnership benefits for GM (which also resulted
in the attainment of DP benefits at all of the "Big Three" domestic
automakers), and helped to convince GM's Vehicle Sales, Service
and Marketing Group to actively pursue the LGBT market by educating
them as to the size, affluence, and influence of that market.
John
Lind, Coors
John Lind has been with Coors Brewing Company for 20
years and is Co-Chair of the Company's Diversity Action and Advisory
Group as well as past president of the Coors Lesbian and Gay Employee
Resource Group. John's greatest gifts to this organization and
the community are his innate ability to make valuable human connections
and his genuine sense of accepting all people, where their diversity,
their experiences, thoughts, and personal styles are welcomed.
Richard
Lynn, Pfizer
Richard Lynn, a colleague at Pfizer Inc in New York
City has been instrumental in gaining a state of the art domestic
partner benefits program for all colleagues. He also established
the Out Pfizer Employee Network (OPEN), an extremely active LGBT
employee organization at Pfizer that serves as a model for other
employee LGBT groups.
Kelley Mobley, Chevron
Kelley Mobley took the lead and initiative
to introduce and encourage a full day educational program for every
single employee of the Chevron Refinery at El Segundo, CA. Her
efforts have led directly to all Refinery senior management and
supervisory management being exposed to education about sexual
orientation and gender identity in the workplace, as well as garnering
a commitment from management that all 900+ employees will be similarly
exposed, a process that has been going on since Fall, 2004 and
will culminate in 100% participation by 2006.
This award recognizes a non-LGBT person who has played a pivotal
role in championing equal treatment of LGBT employees on the job.
This individual will have shown a unique commitment to LGBT workplace
rights and will have used his or her talents to further that cause,
even at some risk.
June R. Cohen, DuPont
During her career in DuPont, June's passion, commitment and leadership
in the areas of diversity, work life and people treatment have
had significant impact in DuPont. June Cohen was also the first
management sponsor of the DuPont LGBT network. June retired from
DuPont in June 2004 after more than 31 years of distinguished service.
She is remembered for her outstanding leadership and contributions
to DuPont as well as her passion and pioneering spirit.
Robert Lumpkins,
Cargill
As executive sponsor of Cargill's LGBT employee resource
group, the Cargill
Rainbow Alliance, chief financial officer Bob Lumpkins is a champion
of workplace equality. Through his visible and vocal leadership
both within Cargill and in the broader Twin Cities community, Lumpkins
has supported risk-taking, increased visibility of LGBT issues,
and supported more Cargill employees around the globe.
Cynthia Neff,
IBM
Cynthia Neff is a Human Resources executive at IBM who acts
as a liaison and resource to the IBM GLBT Executive Taskforce.
Cynthia has worked with the taskforce at IBM since it was started
10 years ago by chairman at the time, Lou Gerstner.
Joyce Tucker,
Boeing
Joyce E. Tucker, vice president of Global Diversity and Employee
Rights for The Boeing Company, is responsible for developing and
monitoring Boeing's diversity, equal employment opportunity, and
affirmative action initiatives. As a former commissioner for the
United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she is a
nationally recognized expert in equal employment opportunity and
affirmation action compliance strategies in both the public and
private sectors.
Out & Equal Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender
Employee Group of the Year
This award recognizes a particular employee resource group that
has a proven track record of success in advocating for LGBT equal
rights in its own workplace and in the community at large.
Boeing
Employees Association of Gays, Lesbians, and Friends (BEAGLES)
BEAGLES
has been connecting people inside and outside of The Boeing Company
through a variety of events like their brown bag lunches and June
Heritage Month Celebrations. By sharing resources and enlisting
the help of the other affinity groups and diversity councils within
the company, it is clear that they are creating cultural change,
opening minds, and securing a bright future for all of Boeing's
LGBT employees.
Chevron Lesbian & Gay Employee Association
(CLGEA)
CLGEA has
played an integral role in helping Chevron create an LGBT-inclusive
workplace. Since it's founding in 1991, CLGEA has worked with Chevron
management to develop training, include sexual orientation in non-discrimination
policies, extend partnership benefits to same-sex domestic partners
and, most recently, endorse ENDA and add gender identity to the
company's employment policies.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender
Employee Resource Group at Microsoft (GLEAM)
GLEAM effectively worked with the company to initiate great change
over the past year in LGBT policies and issues that affect workplace
inclusion. GLEAM was instrumental in helping to change company
policy including gender identity or expression in the company's
EEO statement, obtaining approval to add health coverage for transgender
surgery to the company's healthcare policy, and most importantly
influencing the company's decision on turning a neutral support
of HB1515 and other anti discrimination legislation to future positive
support of HB1515 and anti discrimination legislation.
Out Pfizer
Employee Network (OPEN)
OPEN is an advocate within Pfizer Inc. headquarters
for LGBT rights, as well as serves as a collegial resource for
relevant information. OPEN works to ensure that LGBT colleagues
are welcome and valued at Pfizer, that corporate support is sought
for specific LGBT healthcare initiatives OPEN has identified, and
that Pfizer is represented at various LGBT events/initiatives to
foster community engagement and gain recognition for Pfizer as
an employer of choice for LGBT individuals.
Raytheon Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual,
Transgender and Allies Employee Resource Group (GLBTA)
Raytheon
GLBTA leaders, diversity leaders, and senior management have a
sound partnership; a relationship of the highest level of mutual
trust and respect. This bond between GLBTA and company leaders
has enabled Raytheon to catapult into the forefront of aerospace
and defense companies with regard to GLBT equity and inclusion
in the workplace.
This award recognizes any employer that has
made significant strides recently in advancing a fair and equitable
workplace for its LGBT employees, such as announcing domestic
partner benefits, including gender identity in their nondiscrimination
policy, or initiating a unique advertising campaign.
IBM
Diversity policies lie as close to IBM's core as they have
throughout their heritage. Today, they are building a workforce,
in keeping with the diverse global marketplace, to better serve
their customers and capture a greater share of the on demand opportunity.
Hewitt
Associates
Hewitt has contributed significantly to making the world
a better place to work for its LGBT associates by working at creating
an environment safe enough for anyone who wants to be out to do
so without any fear of repercussions to their career advancement.
The Affirmations exhibits have been a highly visible, high impact,
bold way of doing this.
Kodak
Kodak works to create a winning and inclusive culture through education,
policy, and practice. Kodak's "Worldwide Guidelines for
Employees Who Are Transitioning" are already making a difference
for employees who are transitioning in the workplace.
This award recognizes any
employer that has an historic and ongoing commitment to civil rights
for LGBT employees in their own workplace and beyond. This employer
has a history of continually raising the bar of workplace equality
for others to follow.
Citigroup
With over 300,000 employees doing business in more than
100 countries on more than 200,000,000 accounts, Citigroup exemplifies
the power of diversity and the impact a diverse workforce can have
on their clients and communities. At Citigroup, they have embedded
a culture of inclusion, innovation and merit, and work each day
to embrace the individuality of their colleagues and the millions
of people they serve, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender
identity or expression.
Kimpton Hotels
Kimpton Hotels has been a hospitality-industry leader
in LGBT equality for well over a decade. The San Francisco-based
company's progressive employment and outreach practices have been
recognized with achievements such as being included as one of the
ten best companies for gay and lesbian employees by The Advocate
and being the first hospitality company to receive a 100% score
on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index.
SC
Johnson
Since 1997, SC Johnson and Son, A Family Company, has supported
programs to heighten awareness of LGBT workplace issues and made
significant progress in a conservative environment. SC Johnson
has been successful because of the emphasis placed on diversity
as a strategic imperative for the company and full integration
of LGBT issues into our diversity strategy increases our ability
to attract and retain the best talent throughout all areas of the
company.
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo and Company is committed to building a
culture in which diversity is valued. Wells Fargo has been serving
the unique needs of the LGBT community for over 20 years by providing
financial products and exceptional personalized service to help
LGBT individuals succeed financially and has given more than $14
million to LGBT non-profit organizations nationwide.
The nominations
deadline was May 9, 2005.
