Southwest Airlines Announces Third Annual, Award-winning Diversity Summit To Be Held August 2

DALLAS, July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) today announces its third annual, award-winning Diversity Summit  will be held on August 2 in Dallas at the airline's headquarters. Themed "LUVing Employees, LUVing Communities," the summit will gather executives from North Texas Fortune 500 companies to join the conversation about Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, foster new opportunities, and explore best practices.

"Southwest is proud to host our third annual Diversity Summit to help increase awareness and show appreciation of cultural and lifestyle differences within the workforce," said Ellen Torbert, Southwest Airlines Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. "At Southwest, we pride ourselves on giving our Employees the Freedom to be themselves."

Attendees will hear from Diversity experts on topics such as dispelling misperceptions and stereotypes and learning best practices around fostering diversity and mutual understanding in the workplace. Additionally, Colleen Barrett, Southwest Airlines President Emeritus, will discuss how Southwest's Corporate Culture was built on the tenet that Employees should always treat each other with respect and dignity. To see a complete lineup of speakers, visit: http://www.blogsouthwest.com/files/southwest_airlines_diversity_summit_speakers_lineup.pdf

The Southwest Airlines Diversity and Inclusion Summit was created and is hosted by the airline's Diversity Council. The Council comprises Southwest Employees who meet every month to to execute the airline's strategic goals of optimizing the strength of its diverse workforce and maintaining an inclusive workplace. The 2010 Southwest Airlines Diversity and Inclusion Summit was recognized with a Diversity Communications Honor by PR News' Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.

If you are interested in attending the award-winning summit, please contact Kim Mayer at [email protected] by Friday, July 27, as seating is limited.

Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low-fare carriers — offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation's largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and has acquired AirTran Airways, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. Southwest serves 73 cities in 38 states and remains one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit http://www.southwest.com/citizenship to read the Southwest Airlines One Report™. Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,400 flights a day and has more than 46,000 Employees.

www.southwest.com

SOURCE Southwest Airlines