Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards 2008

Media gallery
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Damaris Taylor, Ken Peterson, Vice President of Human Resources and Diversity with BI-LO. Damaris was awarded the Outstanding Achivement by a High School Student.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Damaris Taylor, Ken Peterson, Vice President of Human Resources and Diversity with BI-LO. Damaris was awarded the Outstanding Achivement by a High School Student.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Damaris Taylor, Ken Peterson, Vice President of Human Resources and Diversity with BI-LO. Damaris was awarded the Outstanding Achivement by a High School Student.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge; Larry Kraemer, Walgreens; Leon Wiles, Vice-Chancellor for Student and Diversity Affairs, USC Upstate; Angie Mackey, Walgreens. Walgreens received the award for Oustanding Business
(l-r) Diane Eldridge; Larry Kraemer, Walgreens; Leon Wiles, Vice-Chancellor for Student and Diversity Affairs, USC Upstate; Angie Mackey, Walgreens. Walgreens received the award for Oustanding Business
(l-r) Diane Eldridge; Larry Kraemer, Walgreens; Leon Wiles, Vice-Chancellor for Student and Diversity Affairs, USC Upstate; Angie Mackey, Walgreens. Walgreens received the award for Oustanding Business
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Pastor Deb Richardson-Moore, Max Metcalf, Assistant Manager, Community Relations for BMW Manufacturing Company. The Triune Mercy Center received the award for Oustanding Non-Profit Organization.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Pastor Deb Richardson-Moore, Max Metcalf, Assistant Manager, Community Relations for BMW Manufacturing Company. The Triune Mercy Center received the award for Oustanding Non-Profit Organization.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Pastor Deb Richardson-Moore, Max Metcalf, Assistant Manager, Community Relations for BMW Manufacturing Company. The Triune Mercy Center received the award for Oustanding Non-Profit Organization.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge; Brian Rogers, Wachovia's Market President in Greenville; Lillian Garcia. The Hispanic-American Women's Association, known as AHAM, received the Outstanding Contribution to International Diversity in the Upstate.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge; Brian Rogers, Wachovia's Market President in Greenville; Lillian Garcia. The Hispanic-American Women's Association, known as AHAM, received the Outstanding Contribution to International Diversity in the Upstate.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge; Brian Rogers, Wachovia's Market President in Greenville; Lillian Garcia. The Hispanic-American Women's Association, known as AHAM, received the Outstanding Contribution to International Diversity in the Upstate.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Juan Johnson, Harry Shucker, Calder Ehrmann. Harry Shucker received the Calder D. Ehrmann Outstanding Individual Award.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Juan Johnson, Harry Shucker, Calder Ehrmann. Harry Shucker received the Calder D. Ehrmann Outstanding Individual Award.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Juan Johnson, Harry Shucker, Calder Ehrmann. Harry Shucker received the Calder D. Ehrmann Outstanding Individual Award.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Ladarius Thompson, Herb Johnson, Director of Community Relations for Michelin North America. Ladarius received the award for Outstanding College Student.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Ladarius Thompson, Herb Johnson, Director of Community Relations for Michelin North America. Ladarius received the award for Outstanding College Student.
(l-r) Diane Eldridge, Ladarius Thompson, Herb Johnson, Director of Community Relations for Michelin North America. Ladarius received the award for Outstanding College Student.
The Awards!
The Awards!
The Awards!
(l-r) Arlene Cheatham, Maliaka Wiles, Harold Cheatham
(l-r) Arlene Cheatham, Maliaka Wiles, Harold Cheatham
(l-r) Arlene Cheatham, Maliaka Wiles, Harold Cheatham
(l-r) Phyllis Martin, Herb Johnson
(l-r) Phyllis Martin, Herb Johnson
(l-r) Phyllis Martin, Herb Johnson
Tom Kazee and Secretary Riley
Tom Kazee and Secretary Riley
Tom Kazee and Secretary Riley
(l-r) Danny Joyner, Dan Joyner
(l-r) Danny Joyner, Dan Joyner
(l-r) Danny Joyner, Dan Joyner
The dinner was attended by over 550 community members
The dinner was attended by over 550 community members
The dinner was attended by over 550 community members
(l-r) Julie Miller, Diane Eldridge
(l-r) Julie Miller, Diane Eldridge
(l-r) Julie Miller, Diane Eldridge
Deb Richardson-Moore and Vince Moore
Deb Richardson-Moore and Vince Moore
Deb Richardson-Moore and Vince Moore
John Simpkins and Bill Berg
John Simpkins and Bill Berg
John Simpkins and Bill Berg
Ben Haskew, President of the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce
Ben Haskew, President of the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce
Ben Haskew, President of the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce
Baxter Wynn, Minister of Pastoral Care and Community Relations at First Baptist Greenville
Baxter Wynn, Minister of Pastoral Care and Community Relations at First Baptist Greenville
Baxter Wynn, Minister of Pastoral Care and Community Relations at First Baptist Greenville
John Simpkins was the guest speaker
John Simpkins was the guest speaker
John Simpkins was the guest speaker


Tuesday, May 6, 2008 

The Riley Institute at Furman presented the fourth annual Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards Dinner, hosted by the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce and in cooperation with the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce and the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at the Carolina First Center (formerly the Palmetto Expo Center).

This year’s special guest speaker was John L. S. Simpkins, who is an Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Diversity Initiatives at the Charleston School of Law in Charleston, SC. He also is Of Counsel with Wyche Burgess Freeman andParham, in Greenville, S.C. Professor Simpkins has observed or served as a consultant in constitution-building processes in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda. He has studied in the law faculties of the University of Cape Town and the University of Hong Kong in addition to lecturing at the National Advocacy Center, the University of South Carolina School of Law, the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas, and the University of Otago in New Zealand.

Professor Simpkins received an A.B. in Government from Harvard College and a J.D. and LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Duke University School of Law. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. For his extended biography, click here and to read his speech, click here.

Awards were presented to recognize three individuals and three organizations for their outstanding achievement in promoting diversity in the Upstate.

 2008 Award Winners:

  • Calder D. Ehrmann Outstanding Individual: Harry Shucker, retired Vice President, Furman University (award sponsored by Juan Johnson Consulting and Facilitating)
  • Outstanding High School Student: Damaris Taylor, Greenville High School Academy (award sponsored by Bi-Lo)
  • Outstanding College Student: Ladarius Thompson, University of South Carolina Upstate (award sponsored by Michelin North America)
  • Outstanding Non-Profit Organization: Triune Mercy Center (award sponsored by the BMW Manufacturing Co.)
  • Outstanding Business: Walgreens Distribution Center in Anderson, SC (award sponsored by the University of South Carolina Upstate)
  • Outstanding Contribution to International Diversity: The Hispanic-American Women’s Association (AHAM) (award sponsored by Wachovia Bank)