Civic Leaders Honored For Diversity
by Thelma Sardin
On Aug. 23, Melinda Kelly, executive director, Chatham Business Association (CBA), Jerry Reinsdorf, Esq., chairman of the Chicago White Sox and owner of the Chicago Bulls and former State Rep. Paul Williams were honored during Barnes & Thornburg LLPs 2nd Annual Celebration of Diversity. The dinner and awards program was held at the Union League Club of Chicago.
The Celebration of Diversity brought together legal and business leaders who are steadfast in making the Chicago legal and business community the most diverse in the country.
The event is the brainchild of Barnes & Thornberg partner, Richard Boykin. Boykin recently told the Chicago Citizen how the idea was conceived for the dinner. We decided to do it as a way to honor trailblazers in Chicago. As a law firm we take interest in making sure that we not only state that diversity is important but we do it in a tangible way of identifying people like Melinda Kelly, Jerry Reinsdorf [and] Paul Williams who have made significant contributions to diversity, he said.
The honorees are selected by a committee consisting of Boykin, his assistant and a representative from the firms marketing department. We come up with a list of names we think have done some tremendous things and we weigh that list to determine who we are going to go for, he said.
The dinners sponsors included: The American Dietetic Association, Best Buy, Chicago Westside Branch NAACP, Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, Crown Imports LLC, Northstar Lottery Group and the Office of Congressman Danny Davis.
James Ryan, executive vice president, Crown Imports LLC explained his companys involvement in the firms celebration.
"...Crown Imports was thrilled to be able to join with Barnes and Thornburg and other companies and organizations to sponsor the 2nd Annual Celebration of Diversity dinner. We are proud to be able to honor individuals like Melinda Kelly, Jerry Reinsdorf and the Honorable Paul Williams, who have worked so hard to make Chicago a better place for all of us to live, work, and raise our families. The message delivered at this event was powerful... Diversity is part of our culture and must continue to be part of our future..."
Jack Stonebraker, Community Relationship Program Manager, Best Buy also weighed in on the mega retailers participation.
We are proud to be able to partner with all of the organizations and individuals that support the Celebration of Diversity dinner to recognize the outstanding achievements of 3 leaders that have dedicated themselves to embrace the unique needs of the diverse communities we serve and are committed to taking the small steps to make a difference!!
Williams was instrumental in creating legislation that expanded the Cook County judicial circuits which opened doors for more minority judges in Cook County. An attorney by profession, Williams is proud to have been honored for implementing diversity throughout his career. During the time Williams sponsored the legislation, he said there were only 22 black judges in Cook County and now there are more than 200. He has worked tirelessly for more diversity in the legal field which included paving the way for more Black lawyers.
Williams added that during his career, he has always worked to be mindful of diversity.
In anything, I do I [try] to make sure there are opportunities for all people, she said.
Reinsdorf has encouraged diversity throughout his entire career. He was active in the development of the Diverse Business Partners program (DBP) in 1998. Subsequently, Major League Baseball and its clubs have purchased hundreds of millions of dollars in goods and services from minority and women-owned businesses. The White Sox annually rank among baseballs leaders in the DBP.
Reinsdorf is honored to be recognized for diversity in his career but says it is something everyone should strive for.
It is a tremendous honor, but as I often say, I dont understand why we should be honored for doing whats in our own selfish best interest. Whether its the Chicago White Sox or Chicago Bulls, we want our front office, vendors, staff, players, customers and fans to be as diverse as possible. Its just good business. The larger the pool of candidates in any field, the better the people you are going to identify and hire. Ultimately, you will become an even better and stronger organization as a result, he said.
Kelly is humbled and honored to be recognized by Barnes and Thornburg. In her role with the CBA, she works to ensure the social, political and economic growth within Chatham, and its surrounding communities.
The Celebration of Diversity dinner provided me the opportunity to be honored for the collective efforts of my fellow community and corporate trailblazing partners as we embrace the same mission of ensuring economic equality for those we have the privilege of serving and/or representing, she said.
According to Kelly, diversity plays an important part in the workforce and economy. She said minorities will soon be the majority in the country but have not been allowed to make their proportional contribution to the U.S. Economy. It is imperative that minority businesses be successful so that we [U.S.] can preserve our position in this increasingly competitive global market. Kelly added that a strategy must be in place that ensures minorities are successful not only in the City of Chicago but globally. It is equally important that minorities are successful in increasing their economic participation in the economy to maintain our national competitive edge in the face of increasingly fierce competition from rival economies, she said.
On Friday, Sep. 16, the CBA will host its 39th Annual Awards Gala. The organization will be celebrating its many years of community service. The occasion will be held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Mayor Rahm Emanuel will serve as Honorary Chair and Mr. Michael Henry, External Affairs Manager for ComEd will serve as 2011 Gala Chair. Tickets can be purchased via the CBA website at CBAWorks.org or by calling 773.994.5006.
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