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Dell’s Online Library For African-American Political History 8th Place In September 2006, Dell launched the first virtual and most comprehensive library on the political history and legislative legacy of African Americans in shaping the nation’s democracy. What a great idea! It was unveiled during the Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF). Called Avoice, or African American Voices in Congress, www.avoiceonline.org, the library is the product of a collaborative partnership among CBCF, The University of Texas at Austin, Howard University and Dell. The online educational portal provides a central source of information about historical and contemporary African American policy issues important to many Americans, and of particular interest to researchers, educators and students. “Avoice represents the official history of the Congressional Black Caucus and much more,” said U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek, D-Fla., chair of the CBCF. “We believe that Avoice will promote civic engagement among youth through its rich content and interactive learning tools. In doing so, the Avoice site will benefit all Americans.” “Dell’s sponsorship of this milestone project reflects our commitment to diversity and is a unique opportunity to help educate the public about the contributions of African Americans to our nation’s history,” said Dell CEO Kevin Rollins, who introduced the new site during the event. “We are privileged to be a part of Avoice and will continue to support it with technology that can enrich the site content.” Today, African Americans represent 13.4 percent of the U.S. population; 60 percent of black citizens age 18 and older voted in the 2004 presidential election, up 3 percent from the previous election. African Americans had the highest turnout rate of any minority group in 2004.
MGM MIRAGE’s Aligning Diversity to Drive Performance 9th Place The purpose of this initiative is to maximize strategic partnerships with diverse groups and organizations to drive business to MGM MIRAGE properties. In an effort to align diversity to drive business performance, MGM MIRAGE created a dedicated sales position to develop relationships with meeting and convention planners for multicultural and emerging markets. In 2006, Dzidra Junior was appointed national diversity sales man-
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ager. Additionally, marketing and advertising programs specifically targeting diverse consumers were created and the company increased participation in relevant multicultural trade shows. In 2006, the corporate diversity department developed a pilot program for the National Urban League Conference. MGM MIRAGE sponsored the Women of Power Luncheon at the organization’s national conference. A marketing incentive was created offering a special rate during a two-night stay at one of the company’s properties. The production cost for the collateral material was approximately $2,000. A tracking code was associated with the incentive to track the redemption of the incentive, and after the three-month pilot period, the estimated revenue for the property was $45,740. The program was clearly a success and totally consistent with the company’s business objectives. The program was so successful, MGM MIRAGE Corporate Diversity plans to expand the pilot program and work with all its properties to support their business objectives. Members of the corporate diversity department are already meeting with property diversity councils to discuss how this can be implemented.
Credit Suisse’s Keys to Leadership—Unlocking Potential Program 10th Place The Keys to Leadership program was initiated to attract, retain and develop a more diverse pipeline of future leaders at Credit Suisse. The bank is active in over 50 countries and employs about 42,000 people from over 100 nationalities. In its first year, the program specifically targeted mid-level females and minority managers. One innovative aspect of the program is that participants conduct an executive interview with a senior manager in order to study leadership perspectives and discover shared values within the organization. One key result is that the program has created a strong network and support group for the participants that has lasted well beyond the duration of the formal program. To date, 107 people have successfully completed the program, and the results appear to be quite impressive. In 2005, 20 percent of the female participants were promoted. The following year that number increased to 35 percent. The program has also improved retention. Over the twoyear period the program has been in existence, 94 percent of participants are still with the bank, compared to 86 percent of the comparative population. What’s more, there has been a marked improvement in the performance of the participants, new relationships have been forged and networks formed which continue to enhance teamwork.