GM Recognized as Company of the Year by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

DETROIT, Nov. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) selected General Motors as its Company of the Year for its efforts in advancing science, technology, mathematics, and engineering, or STEM, education in the Hispanic community, and enhancing the achievement of its Hispanic employees.  

The STAR Awards, presented annually by the Society, recognize individuals and corporations for dedication, commitment and efforts to support the growth and advancement of Hispanic students and professionals pursuing STEM careers.

Thousands of students and professional engineers were present in Indianapolis when GM was announced as the Company of the year during the STAR Awards presentation on November 2, 2013. GM Chief Diversity Officer Ken Barrett accepted the award and announced the donation of a Chevrolet Spark to be used in a yearlong Society fundraiser.

"When I look at this crowd, this tremendous gathering, I don't see Hispanic engineers. No, I see great engineers, driven engineers, the engineers that will build this nation's future," said Barrett.

Society CEO Pilar Montoya announced GM as the "Visionary Sponsor" and host of the 40^th anniversary conference from Nov. 5-9, 2014 in Detroit.

"As our city looks to the future, it is powerful to be able to say that the Motor City will host one of America's leading organizations," Barrett said.

GM is in the process of hiring more than 4,000 information technology professionals to work in four innovations centers near Atlanta, Phoenix, Detroit and Austin, Texas.

"Our company's future relies on our ability to recruit top engineering talent," said Jill Kanaby, human resource supervisor for GM Global Product Development "The conference allows us to connect and recruit talented young people that are on the path to success."  

GM and the GM Foundation have awarded more than $16 million through the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program, created in 2011 to celebrate students dedicated in the classroom and committed to making a positive impact in their communities. About 12 percent of the scholarships to date have gone to Latinos interested in pursuing automotive industry careers. 

For more information on diversity initiatives and events at General Motors, please visit www.GM.com/company/aboutGM/diversity.html or follow us on Twitter @GM_Diversity. To learn more about the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program please visit www.buickachievers.com.

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com  

CONTACT: Patricia L. Taylor Profero Patricia.Taylor@profero.com 917-473-0465

SOURCE General Motors