Best Companies for Latinas: Two Hispanic ERGs receive honors award

ERGs and Council Honors Awards

The 2015 ERG & Council Conference recognized the Top 25 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Diversity Councils at their 7th Annual ERG & Council Honors Award™ in Alexandria, Virginia.

Among the honorees, two Hispanic/Latino ERGs were award recipients, the Association of Latinos at MassMutual and Allies (ALMMA), named in 12^th place, and the Cleveland Clinic SALUD Hispanic/Latino Employee Resource Group, which ended in the 23^rd place of 538 participants.

The ERG & Council Honors Award™ is part of the annual ERG & Council Conference™ presented by diversity and inclusion training and consulting firm PRISM International, Inc. , and its practice group the Association of ERGs & Councils.

“ERGs and Diversity Councils are vital links for improving organizational results,” said Linda Stokes, President and CEO of PRISM. “They need opportunities to improve and grow by learning and sharing best practices, gaining important insights, knowledge and skills to increase their impact and effectiveness. They also need to be recognized and awarded for the contribution and results. This is the purpose behind the annual Conference and Honors Award,” concluded Stokes.

MassMutual Hispanic/Latino ERG ALMMA receives ERGs and Councils Honors Award 2015. Left to right: Linda Stokes, president and CEO, PRISM International Inc. and The Association of ERGs & Councils; Emmanuel Aguero, MassMutual ALMMA member; Sylena Echevarria, MassMutual ALMMA Chair; Angie Rios, MassMutual ALMMA vice chair; Marcela Aldaz-Matos, assistant vice president, MassMutual Diversity and Inclusion; Karen Lavariere-Sanchez, MassMutual ALMMA member; Emmanuel “Manny” Vera, MassMutual ALMMA member; Debbie Smith Rayford, executive director of The Association of ERGs & Councils. (PRNewsFoto/MassMutual)

MassMutual is recognized as a company that has demonstrated diversity and inclusion results in their workforce, workplace and marketplace and has emerged as one of the top Latino employers in the country.

“We are proud to see one of our employee resource groups, which are certainly successful internally, getting recognized by this prestigious industry organization, especially to be among so many impressive diversity and inclusion organizations and initiatives from a variety of industries,” said Lorie Valle-Yañez, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at MassMutual. “It is an honor to be named among the top organizations setting the standards in diversity and inclusion.”

Spanish for “health,” SALUD provides a network that supports the professional development of Hispanic/Latino employees, increases retention and talent acquisition, and works with senior management to address concerns, provide feedback and promote positive growth.

“Through our Resource Groups, Diversity Councils and other enterprise-wide employee networks, Cleveland Clinic proudly honors diversity in all its forms. By embracing our differences and similarities in race, gender, age, class, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, family life and diverse ideologies, we better understand human dimensions as we put ‘Patients First,’” said Le Joyce Naylor, Executive Director of Diversity and Inclusion at the Cleveland Clinic.

Award recipients included a diverse combination of corporations, governmental agencies and not for profits representing various sectors, geographies and organization sizes.

The 2015 ERG & Council Honors Award™ recipients (by rank) were:

1. Advancing Professionals Resource Council (APRC) – Northern Trust
2. Joint Diversity Executive Council (JDEC) – National Guard Bureau (NGB)
3. Diversity Advisory Council – American Airlines
4. Proud to Serve – U.S. Bank
5. Diversity Advisory Councils – TriHealth
6. Employee Resource Groups’ Council – General Motors
7. Flexible Work Employee Network (FWEN) – State Street Corporation
8. Diversity Council – Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center (JHBMC)
9. Proud LGBTA EBRG Louisville Chapter – PNC Bank
10. United Resource Group for Equality (URGE) – TriHealth
11. Customer Care Center Diversity and Inclusion Council – PNC Bank
12. Association of Latinos at MassMutual and Allies (ALMMA) – Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual
13. Diversity and Inclusion Team – Citizens Energy Group
14. Diversity & Inclusion Council – Carolinas HealthCare System
15. Diversity Councils – Comcast NBCUniversal
16. Big “I” Diversity Task Force – Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, Inc.
17. ClinicPride Employee Resource Group – Cleveland Clinic
18. Women of AT&T – AT&T
19. Corporate Diversity Council – NextEra Energy, Inc.
20. Joint Corporate Social Responsibility Council – MGM Resorts International
21. Women in Leadership Business Resource Council (WIL) -Northern Trust
22. Network of Empowered Women (NEW) – Progressive Insurance
23. SALUD – Cleveland Clinic
24. Business Resource Groups – Johnson Controls
25. USA Diversity & Inclusion Council – Siemens

“There was a record participation of 538 ERGs, BRGs and Councils this year. This is certainly the most competitive and exciting field to date,” stated Debbie Smith Rayford, Executive Director of the Association. “We are excited about the 26 percent increase in this year’s applications, attendance and sponsorship. It shows that more organizations are appreciating how critical diversity and inclusion initiatives are to their future development and survival,” said Smith Rayford.

Linda Stokes, President and CEO of PRISM and Debbie Smith Rayford, Executive Director of the Association of ERGs & Councils

The 2016 ERG & Council Honors Award application process opens in February, 2016. “Due to the tremendous interest and participation in the annual ERG & Council Conference, the 2016 conference will be held October 20th and 21st at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas,” said Stokes.

For more information about the ERG & Council Honors Award or the ERG & Council Conference, visit ERG & Council Conference.

View 2015 Conference & Honors Award Photos