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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The Riley Institute at Furman presented the fifth annual Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards Dinner on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 at the Civic Center of Anderson. Hosted by the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce and offered in cooperation with the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the dinner honored businesses and individuals for their outstanding efforts in promoting diversity in the Upstate.

This year’s special guest speaker was Charles David Moody, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of C.D. Moody Construction Company, Inc. Moody received his B.S. in Psychology from Morehouse College in 1978. In 1981, he earned his Bachelor of Architecture and five-year professional degree from Howard University, and returned to Ann Arbor to work as an architect/field engineer for Bechtel Power Corporation. In 1983, Moody relocated to Atlanta and in 1986, he completed his first project at Dobbins Air Force Base. At that point, Mr. Moody decided to establish his own firm. For his complete biography, click here.

Awards were presented to recognize three individuals and three organizations for their outstanding achievement in promoting diversity in the Upstate. Additionally, for the first time, Honorable Mentions were awarded in the category of Calder D. Ehrmann Outstanding Individual, Outstanding High School Student and Outstanding Contribution to International Diversity (included below).

2009 Award Winners:

  • Calder D. Ehrmann Outstanding Individual: S.T. Peden, President, Minority Economic Development Institute, Inc. (award sponsored by Juan Johnson Consulting and Facilitating)
  • Honorable Mention in this category was awarded to Ron Carpenter, Senior Pastor of Redemption World Outreach and Altheia Richardson, Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Executive Director of the Gantt Intercultural Center at Clemson University
  • Outstanding High School Student: Taylor Fitch, Belton Honea Path High School (award sponsored by BI-LO, LLC)
  • Honorable Mention Outstanding High School Student:  Raven Magwood, Greenville Technical Charter High School
  • Outstanding College Student: Danielle Tait, Furman University (award sponsored by Michelin North America)
  • Outstanding Non-Profit Organization: Bridges to a Brighter Future (award sponsored by BMW Manufacturing Co.)
  • Outstanding Business: Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center (award sponsored by the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce)
  • Outstanding Contribution to International Diversity: Alliance for Collaboration with the Hispanic Community (award sponsored by Wachovia Bank)
  • Honorable Mention Outstanding Contribution to International Diversity:  The International Ambassadors Program at Clemson University