Nation's oldest non-profit developer of diverse talent for Corporate America turns 45
ST. LOUIS, June 25, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- INROADS, Inc., celebrated 45 years of developing diverse, skilled talent into business and STEM leaders at its annual Founder's Day, May 21 in Chicago. Hundreds of alumni, community and corporate leaders attended a new career and community leadership workshop for mid-career executives and an evening awards ceremony.
Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King's iconic, I Have a Dream speech, Frank C. Carr left a successful publishing career to found INROADS in 1970. INROADS has evolved from 25 undergraduate interns sponsored by 17 corporations to an organization of 27,000 alumni with professional and managerial positions at over 1,000 corporations, affecting over 155,000 professionals worldwide.
"Frank Carr was an innovator," said INROADS Board Chair, Jeffery S. Perry, Global Capital Transformation Operational Leader at Ernst & Young LLP. "Supported by Corporate Partners and Alumni, INROADS continues that spirit of innovation, extending the mission with solutions spanning the career continuum, from pre-college to the C-Suite."
Founder's Day recognized corporations and individuals that honor, support and advance INROADS' mission through exemplary leadership, advocacy, innovation and partnership. In addition to recognition of AT&T, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and General Electric, individual awards included:
- Legacy: Connie L. Lindsey, EVP and head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Global Diversity & Inclusion, Northern Trust, and Kevin D. Shanklin, executive director, Senior Government Initiatives, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
- Lifetime Achievement: Willard S. Evans, Jr., president, Evans Advisory Group and former president, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, and Luis (Lou) P. Nieto, Jr., president, Nieto Advisory, LLC
- Trendsetter: Travis Swoope, account executive, Small and Mid-market Solutions and Partners, Microsoft and, Salman Paya, senior consultant, The Hackett Group
- Entrepreneurial: Ava D. Youngblood, Founder & CEO, Youngblood Executive Search, Inc.
"Forty-five years ago, no one imagined how much science, technology, engineering and math would change business and globalization would diversify America," said INROADS President and CEO, Forest T. Harper. "Frank Carr's innovative vision uniquely positions INROADS to respond to the changing world of business now and in the future."
About INROADS
Founded in 1970, INROADS develops and places talented underserved youth in business and industry and prepares them for corporate and community leadership. With 35 offices throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, INROADS has been named one of America's Top 10 Internships for over 15 years. To learn more, visit http://www.INROADS.org.
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SOURCE INROADS Inc.
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