Icons of Access, Equity and Diversity Will Be Honored on October 13, 2022 at the Association’s 48th National Conference and Awards Ceremony (Virtual)

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 11, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The American Association for Access, Equity, and Diversity (AAAED), an organization of equal opportunity, diversity, and affirmative action professionals, announced the honorees for its 48th National Conference Awards Ceremony. The awards celebration will be held virtually on Thursday, October 13, 2022. The theme of the conference is: “Building an Infrastructure for Sustainable and Equitable Change.” The Awards program will be held virtually from 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET and it will be open to the press. “We are delighted to honor these outstanding icons who have devoted their careers or their missions to embrace the principles of access, diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Jerry Knighton, AAAED Conference Chair. The Awards honorees are Margaret Huang, Southern Poverty Law Center and SPLC Action Fund; ReNee S. Dunman, Esq., former president of the American Association for Affirmative Action (now AAAED); L2 Defense Inc., and Jackson Lewis PC.

Margaret Huang, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Poverty Law Center, and its
lobbying arm, the SPLC Action Fund, will receive the AAAED Cesar Estrada Chavez Award. The Cesar Estrada Chavez Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated leadership in support of workers' rights and humanitarian issues. Throughout her career, Ms. Huang has championed social justice and human dignity, advocating against discrimination and oppression in all forms. Huang, a Tennessee native, is a board member of the Progressive Multiplier Fund. She has previously served as the executive director of the Rights Working Group, director of the U.S. program at Global Rights, program director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, program manager at The Asia Foundation, and committee staff for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She received a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in foreign service from Georgetown University.

Previous recipients of the Cesar Chavez Award include Dr. Ricardo R. Fernandez (2021); Dr. Juan Sanchez Munoz (2020); Dr. Tomás D. Morales (2019); Dr. Rogelio Saenz (2018); Dr. Harvey Kesselman (2017); Dr. Havidán Rodríguez (2016); and Dr. Marie T. Mora (2015).

ReNee S. Dunman, Esq., former president of the American Association for Affirmative Action (AAAA), now the American Association for Access, Equity, and Diversity, will receive the AAAED Founders’ Award. Ms. Dunman has successfully blended her leadership and management skills with a comprehensive knowledge of employment law, which developed into a professional reputation respected by academe and industry throughout the nation. Her contributions to AAAED are marked by her service as a two-term President (2006-2010), Membership Chair (2003-05), and State Coordinator (2001-03), earning her two AAAED President's Awards. She is the author of the association’s survey report, “Collaborative Relationships between EEO/AA, Human Resources and Diversity Professionals”, published in 2012, and co-founder of the L.E.A.D. Fund where she served on the board for 4 years. She served as Assistant Vice President Emerita for Institutional Equity and Diversity at Old Dominion University for 25 years. Under her leadership, Old Dominion University was named the 2015 Best Large Organization in Diversity and Inclusion by the Hampton Roads Diversity and Inclusion Consortium. Ms. Dunman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master’s degree in Communications from Norfolk State University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

The first Founder’s Award was given in 2021 to Dr. Freddie Groomes-McLendon and Ida "Beth" Wilson, J.D., both former presidents of AAAA/AAAED.

L2 Defense Inc. will receive the Roosevelt Thomas Champion of Diversity Award. The Roosevelt Thomas Award is given to an organization or corporation for outstanding achievements in promoting diversity in the workforce. L2 Defense, Inc. provides advanced training, logistics, and engineering capabilities for the nation’s military and first responder communities. L2 strives to create an environment where their employees feel not just included but represented and have their voices heard. Various programs with L2, such as the DEI Working Group, Culture Corner, Affinity Groups, and Courageous Conversations have allowed employees to share their thoughts and opinions on matters such as policies, hard-to-talk-about topics, and hiring practices. This initiative has allowed the company to address some of the more difficult topics such as bias, racism, and privilege. In addition, the DEI Working Group works hard in creating a safe and encouraging environment for employees to make their opinions known and heard, and is composed of staff who volunteered to help in the development of initiatives regarding their DEI Strategy.

Prior recipients of the Roosevelt Thomas Award include Hilton (2021), PepsiCo (2020), Cummins, Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company (2019), The Coca-Cola Company (2018), Southern Company Gas (2018), and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2017).

This year’s President’s Award Honoree is Jackson Lewis PC. The President’s Award is presented to individuals or organizations in recognition of leadership and service to AAAED’s mission. Jackson Lewis proudly supports AAAED and its mission of access, equity, and diversity. More than ever, these principles guide how Jackson Lewis addresses challenges faced by the nation and our workplaces. It is in that spirit that Jackson Lewis has taken this partnership to another level. Their Affirmative Action Compliance and OFCCP Defense Practice Group’s diverse team of attorneys work with clients and partners alike to reimagine the future of the employer-employee relationship while continuing to offer comprehensive and practical solutions to affirmative action compliance. This past year, Jackson Lewis has served AAAED in a variety of ways. This includes: providing faculty for AAAED’s Professional Development Training Institute (PDTI) and participating on the AAAED Amicus Brief Team, which submitted a brief in the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and University of North Carolina cases before the US Supreme Court. A member of the firm also serves as counsel to the AAAED Board of Directors.

The AAAED 48th National Conference and Awards Ceremony are open to the press. For more information or to register for the Conference, go to: https://www.aaaed.org/aaaed/about.asp .

Shirley Wilcher AAAED
American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity
+1 240-893-9475
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