Commission on Economic Inclusion announces Best-in-Class winners

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Annual diversity survey results show gains

Cleveland, Ohio—The Commission on Economic Inclusion, a coalition of more than 100 Northeast Ohio employers committed to making the region's diversity a source of economic strength, honored its 2009 "Best in Class" member organizations for their progress in building and maintaining diverse and inclusive organizations at its Annual Meeting held May 12 at Corporate College East in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. The organization also announced results of its 2009 Employers Survey on Diversity™, which showed progress in board, senior management and supplier diversity, while workforce diversity numbers remained constant.

Other Annual Meeting highlights:

  • Review of the Commission's 2009 accomplishments
  • Keynote address by retired Congressman Louis Stokes, senior counsel, Squire, Sanders & Dempsey L.L.P. and a founding co-chair of the Commission

Best-in-Class winners
The employers honored were selected based on results of the 2009 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: Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and Eaton Corporation; Workforce Diversity: The MetroHealth System and Time Warner Cable of Northeast Ohio; and Supplier Diversity: Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and Turner.

“Our Best-in-Class winners are pacesetters because of the exemplary progress they have made toward achieving their diversity and inclusion goals,“ said Commission Co-chair Lyle G. Ganske, partner-in-charge, Cleveland Office, Jones Day. “We applaud them and all Commission members whose efforts have led to positive changes in these metrics.”

Survey highlights
Northeast Ohio is the only region in the country to accumulate and report economic inclusion data through an annual survey. For 2009, 98 employers (50 for-profit companies and 48 nonprofit/government organizations) representing about 140,000 employees in the region and nearly 400,000 total employees, completed the Employers Survey on Diversity™, now in its ninth year. Survey highlights comparing 2009 data to 2008 (among employers that participated both years) include:

  • Board diversity increased from 18.1 percent to 19.6 percent
  • Senior management diversity increased from 12.9 percent to 13.3 percent
  • Workforce diversity remained constant at 25 percent
  • Supplier diversity data indicated an increase in the amount spent with Northeast Ohio minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs). In 2009, the year-to-year respondents reported spending $126 million or 7.2 percent of total purchases with MBEs compared to $121 million in 2008, which was 6.7 percent of that year’s purchases.

“We’re pleased to report encouraging news about the increasing support of Northeast Ohio’s minority-owned businesses by Commission-member organizations that occurred despite last year’s economic challenges,” said Andrew Jackson, senior vice president of the Greater Cleveland Partnership and executive director of the Commission. “Going forward, the challenge is to achieve more progress and at a quicker pace. The Commission is working closely with members to identify, recommend, support, and drive positive results around economic inclusion.”

More 2009 Commission highlights:

  • Welcomed 13 new members to the Commission, bringing the membership total to 108
  • Met annual goal for board diversity and exceeded goal for supplier diversity spend on three-year regional inclusion goals
  • Completed 20 major business deals for Minority Business Accelerator clients, generated $63+ million in revenue growth for the Accelerator’s MBEs and created or supported 400 FTE jobs
  • Secured a total of $ 250,000 in lines of credit for three Minority Business Accelerator2.5+ clients
  • Hosted Access to Capital Roundtable with 39 business leaders to formulate a plan to create a $5 million working loan fund in 2010
  • Held first successful CEO briefing attended by 44 CEOs and their senior diversity professionals, leading to the CEO 5 X 3 Agenda for Economic Inclusion. The agenda provides CEO action items to help improve organizational performance
  • Executed third Bonding Prep program attended by representatives from 20 minority-owned businesses
  • Hosted inaugural Diversity Professionals Group conference on cultural competence attended by 185 senior diversity professionals.

“In 2009, we also worked to strengthen collaborations with organizations engaged in increasing diversity and inclusion in the region’s business community,” notes Commission Co-chair Kenneth Hardy, president and CEO of Bonnie Speed Logistics™. “Specifically, we are working with Northern Ohio Minority Supplier Diversity Council (NOMSDC) on MBE certification through our new Certification Enablement Committee co-chair and NOMSDC board chair, Tom Hopkins (senior vice president of human resources for The Sherwin-Williams Co.).

“We also are collaborating with the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (NOHCC) on Hispanic business development for the Minority Business Accelerator 2.5+.” In addition, Mr. Hardy noted that NOHCC Board Chair Carlos Fuentes, who is the staff of Team NEO, has joined the Commission’s Board of Advisors.”

Keynote speaker: Retired Congressman Louis Stokes
The Commission’s founding co-chair, retired Congressman Louis Stokes, commended the Commission’s leadership and volunteers who are continuing the work begun in December 2000 with his fellow co-chair, Alexander M. Cutler, chairman and CEO of Eaton Corporation. But he also noted that while the Commission’s survey results show steady improvement, work remains.

“We can be thankful for this 10-year effort towards parity and inclusion in our community to create a level playing field,” Mr. Stokes said. “I think we have made significant progress, but I also think we have a long way to go. I commend all of you who are engaged in this process. I see an urgency about the Commission’s work. I think we can be even more creative and aggressive." Click here to read the full text of his remarks.

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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