BATON ROUGE, La. (October 6, 2020) — The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) today announced recipients of its Diversity Star Award at its annual Diversity in Business event sponsored by Coca-Cola UNITED. The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge received the award for the small business category, and ExxonMobil Baton Rouge received the award for the large business category.
BRAC created the Diversity Star Award with a goal of highlighting exceptional business practices taking place in the Capital Region that leverage the value of diversity in organizations. The award seeks to honor and recognize regional businesses that have championed diversity and inclusion at their businesses or in the community.
“2020 has been a year of reflection for many businesses as they were driven to review their policies and face the inherent biases they have in their processes,” said Eric Dexter, chair of BRAC’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and director of business development for Civil Solutions Consulting Group. “While we encourage businesses to continue internal reflection, it was refreshing to read through the Diversity Star nominations and see local organizations already taking steps to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace and community. We could not be more thrilled to recognize both the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and ExxonMobil Baton Rouge for the work they are doing in their organizations. The Capital Region is stronger because of innovative and intentional businesses like these.”
The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge was selected for its dedication to hiring, partnering with, and assisting a diverse group of individuals in terms of gender, race, age, sexual orientation, culture and nationality. The organization strives to reflect the community in which it serves and operates under a core value of “Arts Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Sustainability.”
“At the Arts Council, we recognize that being equity-minded requires ongoing effort and action. This includes welcoming critical feedback, assessing where we can strengthen community relationships, and equipping our team with the resources needed to be the best advocates possible for the artists and organizations we serve,” said Sharbreon Plummer, director of advocacy and artist services at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. “We are honored to be recognized by BRAC as an organization that strives to represent and support the multitude of diverse voices and experiences throughout our community. If you are invested in fostering access and inclusion within arts and culture, the Arts Council would love to hear from you.”
ExxonMobil Baton Rouge was selected for its exceptional diversity and inclusion practices within the company and larger community. Specific practices include its premier talent recruitment and development program, also known as the North Baton Rouge Industrial Training Initiative, its supplier diversity program, its employee-led resource groups, and its dedication to minimizing career mobility barriers for women and minority communities along with many other initiatives.
“This year has been a stark reminder to all of us that we need to continue making progress on eliminating social disparities and to embrace diversity as a point of unity and strength for our nation,” said Gloria Moncada, refinery manager of ExxonMobil Baton Rouge. “ExxonMobil believes that inclusion and diversity fuels innovation and creates better answers. We are honored to receive the Diversity Star Award and are committed to continuing to play our part to champion inclusion and diversity both within and outside our facilities.”
About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) leads economic development in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area, working to grow jobs and wealth and to improve the business climate and competitiveness in the region. Today, BRAC investors include more than 1,400 small businesses, midsize firms, large industry and entrepreneurial startups, as well as individuals and organizations that support business and economic development. In this capacity, BRAC serves as the voice of the business community, providing knowledge, access, services and advocacy. More information is available at brac.org.
###