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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Riley Institute at Furman presented the seventh annual Upstate Diversity Leadership Awards Dinner on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at the Carolina First Center in Greenville. Presented by Spartanburg Regional, the event was hosted by the Riley Institute at Furman, the Greenville Chamber of Commerce, the Anderson Chamber of Commerce, and the Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce. Over 500 Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI) alumni and other community members were in attendance.

This year’s keynote speaker was Joyce E. Tucker, vice president of Global Diversity & Employee Rights for The Boeing Company. Joyce is a nationally recognized expert with more than 30 years of experience in equal employment opportunity and affirmative action in both the public and private sectors. She was appointed by Former President George H. W. Bush as Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where she served from 1990 to 1996. At Boeing, Joyce leads the team responsible for designing and monitoring programs to ensure that Boeing is diverse, inclusive and leverages the talents of all of its employees. Prior to her role as a Commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Joyce, a lawyer, served in the Cabinet of Illinois Governor Jim Thompson, and became the first director of the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

Joyce currently serves on the board of directors for the Chicago Center for Cultural Connections (formerly NCCJ Chicago & Northern Illinois Region) and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boys and Girls Club of Chicago. A native of Illinois, Tucker received her Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School and is a member of the Illinois Bar.

Tucker’s speech reflected on the value of diversity in the workplace and provided several examples of Boeing’s commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout its worldwide operations.

Awards were presented to recognize three individuals, three organizations, and one K-12 school for their outstanding achievement in promoting diversity in the Upstate.

2011 Award Winners:

  • Calder D. Ehrmann Outstanding Individual: Judith Prince, Vice Chancellor, University of South Carolina Upstate (award sponsored by Juan Johnson Consulting and Facilitating)
  • Outstanding High School Student: Carla Littlejohn, a senior at Greenville Technical Charter High School and chairperson of City of Greenville Youth Commission (award sponsored by BI-LO, LLC)
  • Outstanding College StudentJackeline Galvez, Clemson University (award sponsored by Michelin North America)
  • Outstanding Non-Profit Organization: MLK Dream Weekend (accepted by Rev. Curtis Johnson; award sponsored by BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC)
  • Outstanding Business: Erwin Penland (accepted by Joe Erwin; award sponsored by the Hughes Agency, LLC)
  • Outstanding Contribution to International Diversity: Chirinjev Peterson, Greenville Technical College
  • K-12 School: William “Bill” T. Wylie Valued Lives Award for School Excellence in Diversity: Fairforest Elementary School, Spartanburg