Commission on Economic Inclusion announces best-in-class awards; results of annual diversity survey show gains

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Cleveland, OH - The Commission on Economic Inclusion, a coalition of Northeast Ohio employers committed to making the region's diversity a source of economic strength, announced its 2008 "Best in Class" member organizations for their progress in building and maintaining diverse and inclusive organizations at its Annual Meeting held May 13 at Corporate College East in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. Other highlights of the Annual Meeting include:

  • Keynote address by Alexander M. (Sandy) Cutler, chairman and CEO of Eaton Corporation and a founding co-chair of the Commission
  • Results of the 2008 Greater Cleveland Employers Survey on Diversity™, which showed progress in all four areas measured: board, senior management, workforce and supplier diversity
  • Review of 2008 accomplishments
  • Announcement of the newly named Commission co-chairs

Best-in-Class winners

The employers honored were selected based on results of the 2008 Greater Cleveland Employers Survey on Diversity™, and follow-up interviews by the Commission staff. Two organizations—one nonprofit/government organization and one for-profit company—were selected in each of four categories. The winners are:

Board Diversity: Kaiser Permanente and KeyCorp; Senior Management Diversity: Cuyahoga Community College and Eaton Corporation; Workforce Diversity: The MetroHealth System and Time Warner Cable of Northeast Ohio; and Supplier Diversity: Cleveland Clinic and KeyCorp.

Keynote speaker: Alexander (Sandy) Cutler

Cutler, who, with former Congressman Louis Stokes, founded the Commission in December 2000, observed that, at the time, “there was a tremendous outpouring of interest in coming together to address one of the most important economic development items on our agenda. It became apparent that we had the right people (and they) have not let go of this important issue.”

He said the Commission’s growth from the inaugural 28 member organizations to more than 100 current members; the ongoing commitment of member CEOs to advancing diversity and inclusion within their organizations and the region; the increases in board, senior management and workforce diversity; and the growth in spending with Northeast Ohio minority-owned companies are examples of how the region’s business community is responding to “the enormous magnitude of this challenge.” He urged the business community to “take an additional step up” to ensure that progress in all aspects of organizational diversity continues, despite challenges of the economy.

Survey highlights

Northeast Ohio is the only region in the country to accumulate and report economic inclusion data in an annual survey. For 2008, 96 employers (55 percent for profit, 34 percent nonprofit and 11 percent government organizations) representing about 177,000 employees in the region and more than 1.9 million employees nationwide, completed the Employers Survey on Diversity™, now in its eighth year. Survey highlights comparing 2008 data to 2007 include:

  • Board diversity increased from 16.9 percent to 18.8 percent.
  • Senior management diversity increased from 11.9 percent to 12.1 percent.
  • Workforce diversity increased from 23 percent to 24 percent.
  • Supplier diversity data indicated an increase in the amount spent with Northeast Ohio minority-owned enterprises (MBEs) from $181 million in 2007 to $285 million in 2008 (from 9.4 percent to 11.1 percent of total purchases).

Other 2008 highlights

  • Establishment of quarterly metrics
  • Creation of the “CEO 5 x 3 Agenda” to provide Commission member-CEOs with specific action steps to drive and maintain positive inclusion momentum within their organizations
  • More resources created for Commission members
  • More support for minority business growth
  • Increased marketing of Commission services and publicity about success stories.

New leadership

The Commission also announced that Lyle Ganske, partner-in-charge, Cleveland office of Jones Day, and Kenneth Hardy, president and CEO of Bonnie Speed Logistics™, have been named as the Commission’s new co-chairs effective immediately. They succeed Connor and Hall, who have led the Commission since 2004.

About the Commission

The Commission on Economic Inclusion is a program of the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP). Its mission is "to significantly improve the level of inclusion-the meaningful involvement of minority businesses and individuals-in the economic engines that drive Northeast Ohio." The GCP mobilizes private-sector leadership, expertise and resources to create jobs and wealth and improve the economic vitality of the region. www.commission-inclusion.com .

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