Two Awards Name CarMax ‘Top Place to Work’ For the fifth consecutive year, Richmond-based CarMax has been named one of Fortune magazine’s 100 best companies to work for, with a rank of 31. CarMax also received the 2009 Gallup Great Workplace Award, which honors companies that have demonstrated they are among the most productive workforces in the world.This is the second consecutive year CarMax has been honored with this award by the Gallup Organization. “We are honored once again to receive the Gallup Great Workplace Award,” said Tom Folliard, president and chief executive officer of CarMax.“Building a world class company begins with investing in our associates and striving for continuous improvement.” “The winners of this award have established a new standard for engaging people,” said Tom Rath, who leads Gallup’s Workplace and Leadership Consulting practice.“When compared to the millions of workgroups we have studied around the world, the awardees have worked tirelessly to create an environment that values people.” The Gallup Great Workplace Award recognizes the best-performing workforces in the world.Applicants' results are compared across a workplace research database composed of millions of work teams in more than 150 countries. A panel of workplace experts reviews each organization's portfolio to select the winners.
Jefferson Hotel Wins Five Stars for Ninth Year Richmond’s Jefferson Hotel was one of only 44 hotels in North America rated five stars in the 2009 Mobile Travel Guide. “This award is a testament to the outstanding service our talented team provides to our guests,” says Joseph Longo, The Jefferson’s Managing Director. “We will continue to consistently provide one of the best hotel values available.” The Jefferson was built in 1895 and has 262 rooms and suites, 26,000 square feet of function space and is home to TJ’s Restaurant. It is a member of Preferred Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and Historic Hotels of America.
Spring 2009
University of Richmond & VMSDC to Provide Leadership Training for Minority Executives The Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council (VMSDC)has designed, along with the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business, an innovative leadership development program exclusively for chief executive officers of certified minority businesses to assist as these business leaders grow their businesses and stave off the effects of the financial markets. Leadership skills, business expansion and customer service will be at the forefront of the offerings. This initiative has secured founding sponsors that include three major Central Virginia-based corporations, Altria Group, Dominion Resources and MeadWestvaco. This spring, after a rigorous application process,VMSDC will select the first 20 executives. In June, the selected executives will arrive on the University of Richmond campus for a three-day intensive session, followed by a second three-day session scheduled for mid-September. “As always we’re committed to education and training,” said Connie Smith,VMSDC chair and who also heads supplier diversity development for the Altria family of companies. “This program will provide the right information at the right time to suppliers that are ready to evolve to the next level.We’re excited to provide this program through the University of Richmond.” Robins School faculty with expertise in strategic management, finance, marketing and
entrepreneurship will collaborate with staff from the school’s Executive Education division to design a curriculum tailored specifically to VMSDC’s membership. “The Robins School is honored to have been chosen for this important work,” said Dean Jorge Haddock.
University of Richmond Continues ‘Best Value’ Streak USA Today/Princeton Review, and SmartMoney have added to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s praise of the University of Richmond [see news WORKMAGAZINE winter ’09]—ranking it as one of the nation’s best values in higher education. “Of all the positive attention the University of Richmond receives, recognition of our affordability is especially welcome,” said President Edward L. Ayers. “We are eager for students and their families to discover what a great value we offer, particularly considering our small class size, close interaction with faculty, and personal attention to students.” The USA Today-Princeton Review article included the University of Richmond on its list of 100 “best value” colleges based on 30 statistical criteria of academics, costs and financial aid. To identify “best value,” it also utilized surveys of administrators and students at more than 650 public and private college campuses about professors’ accessibility, class sizes, student-faculty ratios and percent of classes taught by teaching assistants.
The Virginia Business Opportunity Fair Returns Presented by the VirBest selling ginia Minority Supplier Development Council author of (VMSDC), on May 4-5, Without Excuses the Virginia Business and Opportunity Fair will offer two days of busi- national speaker ness opportunities inJoe Watson cluding the annual will provide Diversity Golf Tourney to be held at the Dothe keynote. minion Club. The conference kick-off—the Minority Business the keynote of the conference. The conferEnterprise Input Committee (MBEIC) Recep- ence offers networking, workshops and an aftion—sponsored by Altria will be held at Altria’s ternoon tradeshow with Fortune 500 Research and Technology Center in Richmond. corporations, higher education institutions, Best selling author of Without Excuses federal, state and local government agencies and national speaker Joe Watson will provide and financial institutions. www.workmagazine.biz
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