NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council (The Council) 40^th Anniversary Partnership Awards Gala on December 6 at the New York Marriott Marquis honored outstanding minority entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies: Johnson & Johnson, Con Edison and Ernst & Young for outstanding accomplishments in creating business collaborations.

The Council presented the "National Corporation of the Year Award" to Johnson & Johnson. Con Edison received the "Regional Corporation of the Year Award." Theresa Harrison, director of supplier diversity, Ernst & Young, LLP earned the "Advocate of the Year Award." The Council presented The Chairperson's Award to Emmett Walker, president and CEO of Walker International Transportation and chair of The Council's MBEIC.

For distinguished business and community service, The Council presented the prestigious Supplier of the Year Awards to multicultural businesses: Impacto Latin News for Class 1; Architectural Flooring Resource, Inc for Class 2; Eclaro International for Class 3 and Pride Technologies, LLC for Class 4.

"The Council's 40^th Anniversary Partnership Awards Gala was an inspiring, glamorous evening celebrating the success stories of supplier diversity. Through the impact of our corporate members and Council-certified MBEs, The Council is considered the leading supplier diversity organization in the New York and New Jersey region," said Pauline Gebon, chairperson of The Council and vice president, supplier diversity at Adecco Group North America.  "The work of minority business development is a Herculean job, one that is done through partnership and teamwork." 

The 40^th year celebration commenced with a VIP reception sponsored by JPMorgan Chase. At the gala, Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr, senior pastor, First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, NJ and former Secretary of State for New Jersey, delivered an inspirational invocation. Theresa Harrison, director of supplier diversity, Ernst & Young, LLP was corporate co-chair and Noorali Sonawalla, founder and CEO, Sunrise Systems, was MBE co-chair.  Council board member I. Javette Hines, senior vice president of supplier diversity and sustainability at Citi, sang a rousing rendition of the National Anthem. Joset Wright-Lacy, president and CEO, National Minority Supplier Development Council, brought greetings from the National office applauding the work done by the Council over the past 40 years. The evening's emcees were Howard Cross, formerly of New York Giants, currently a Giants Radio reporter and real estate executive and Doug Melville, chief diversity officer at TBWA Worldwide.

The Partnership Awards gold sponsors were: Avis Budget Group, BNY Mellon, Con Edison, PepsiCo and Major League Baseball. For information on 2014 Council events, please contact The Council at 212.502.5663 or www.nynjcouncilgala.com.

The Council, an award-winning National Minority Supplier Development Council affiliate, has approximately 200 corporations that are members and 1,300 certified African American, Asian American, Hispanic American and Native American minority businesses. Jurisdiction spans New York State through Trenton, New Jersey.

SOURCE New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council