Champions of Diversity Award FY'08 - 4th Quarter Award Recipients

Campus Services
Caroline Rasmussen - Supervisor, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA
Caroline Rasmussen has truly been through it all and has come out a stronger person. Three years ago Caroline persevered despite a skiing accident that resulted in paralysis. After relearning functional living skills including combing her hair, eating, and writing, Caroline returned to work for Sodexo at St. Ambrose University. Customer satisfaction is a high priority for Caroline, and she strives to exceed expectations for students, faculty and staff. When Caroline learned that her client's child needed special food to be transported from Des Moines, IA, which is about 175 miles away, she initiated contact with the produce provider to make a delivery three times per week. In addition, Caroline took the time to meet with three students who have Celiac Disease to find out how she could help with menu planning, and purchases their favorite foods at the local grocery store. Caroline recruits employees through a number of agencies such as Central High School Co-Op Program, the local correctional facility, vocational rehab agencies, and the Handicap Development Center and then works with employees to help them fulfill their potential. She also speaks with Occupational and Physical therapists to educate them about the challenges people with disabilities have when going back to work. Her doors are open to everyone both on a personal and professional level. Because of everything that Caroline does, St. Ambrose University has received many outstanding compliments from students, parents, staff, and clients on how Caroline goes above and beyond to meet their needs, and most recently Sodexo was honored with by the Iowa Commission of Persons with Disabilities with their Large Employer of the Year Award.

Corporate Offices
Shondra Jenkins, Sr. Manager, Community Relations, Corporate Communications and STOP Hunger Team (Rhonda Dolan, STOP Hunger Project Manager, Leisha Harrelson, Sr. Administrative Assistant), Gaithersburg, MD
Shondra Jenkins leads the STOP Hunger Team for the United States which includes Leisha Harrelson and Rhonda Dolan. Through Shondra's leadership of over 100 STOP Hunger Champions, this virtual team gives back to the community through fund raisers and education about the prevalence of hunger in America. Shondra has proactively built relationships within the Corporate Communications team by organizing various department volunteer opportunities at local food banks, as well as coordinating many food drives at HQ. She engages a diverse population from frontline employees to the CEO through Sodexo Servathon activities which involves over 30,000 employees annually. In the community, Shondra serves on the Board of Directors for Manna and has successfully recruited other executives to the Manna board. She believes the success of Sodexo's STOP Hunger program lies in open and regular communication both within her team and company-wide. The Sodexo Foundation has granted $10,000,000 to date to over 650 hunger-related organizations including providing scholarships to college students in partnership with United Negro College Fund, Hispanic College Fund and Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund. Another way our team positively impacts the local communities where we do business is through Feeding Our Future, our free summer lunch program. This summer, Feeding Our Future provided 342,000 lunches for low-income children in 20 cities across the United States serving children in kindergarten through 12th grade. Shondra states, “It's a privilege to have a job where I can have such a positive impact on a diverse population and be able to give employees resources and tools that they need to go out into their community in order to make a difference.” For more information, log onto SodexoNet > STOP Hunger.

Corporate Services
Creative Services Team (Deidra Agbro, Sr. Graphic Artist; Tracy Astrachan, Graphic Artist; Marriam Baloch, Sr. Business Development Analyst; Evan Bennett, Graphic Artist; Jennifer Difonzo, Proofreader; Christie Drake, Graphic Artist; Karey Herriman, Sr. Administrative Assistant; Erin Himmelmann, Graphic Artist; Josephine Jackson, Sr. Manager, Marketing and Design; Stephanie Quehl, Analyst, Business Development; Tiffany Williams, Analyst, Business Development; and led by robin goldberg, Director), Gaithersburg, MD
Corporate Services Creative Services Team is being recognized for the diversity leadership they demonstrated in observance of Alzheimer's Awareness Month. The team researched local patient facilities in the area and discovered that these facilities had a real need for personal care items (toiletries, snacks, hygiene items, etc). They quickly mobilized, working together to identify ways that they could best support the needs of these facilities and their patients. The team raised $600 through a fundraiser at our Headquarters café, filled several boxes with toiletries, and provided information in order to raise awareness. A portion of the funds were donated to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America for use in research and education in memory of family members of Corporate Services staff. The remaining funds were used to purchase additional personal care items, stuffed animals and holiday treats for those in the Alzheimer's wing of the Asbury Methodist Senior Care Facility in Gaithersburg. The Creative Services team visited the center to personally deliver the supplies and meet with residents. The Corporate Services leadership team salutes the Creative Services team for their diversity leadership and their selfless dedication to making everyday a better day for those in need in our local communities.

Education Facilities
Tim Lee and Management Team - Tim Lee, GM; Billy Cummings, Director of Maintenance; Gregory Bremby, Ops Manager; Don Seale, Director of Grounds; Tina Wipff, HR Manager; Larry Siron, Safety Training Manager; Paul Stapp, Director of Technology, Victor Torres, Custodial Night Director- Lubbock ISD Facilities, Lubbock, TX
Tim and the Management team at Lubbock ISD Facilities have pushed the envelope on diversity and inclusion. The philosophy behind their success is to “manage with position of authority versus power.” This allowed them to empower others in the unit to get involved and reach for their full potential. Designed with their diverse staff of over 320 in mind, Tim and this team created the SAIL (Sodexo Associates in Leadership) to focus every individual on leadership and teamwork. It recognizes that each employee brings leadership attributes worthy of recognition, and this empowers the staff to consider what they and others bring to the table. This puts in motion the “wheel of ownership” where people gain understanding, have buy-in and then offer their input. The program has three levels; Sailor, Captain, and Admiral. Each level has a specific lapel pin and is attained by nominations from staff, co-workers, all the way up to the Superintendent of the Schools. Award recipients are recognized in front of their team members, and are featured in their monthly newsletter. The SAIL program has had a huge impact on morale, teamwork, engagement, retention, and overall success. Because of Tim and the team's initiative and support, 17 employees were promoted this past year, and there has been a 4% increase of women and a 4% increase of African Americans on their management team. They will continue to encourage the SAIL program, promote TOPS and leadership training, advance training in management and foster inclusion for everyone.

Healthcare Services
St. Joseph Hospitality Services Team, Paul O'Connor, General Manager; Richard Labrecque, Environmental Services Director; David Dicicco, Retail Operations Manager; Michael Coy, Food Service Operations Manager; Elizabeth Whalen, Clinical Nutrition Manager; St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua, NH
This team provides added value to St. Joseph Hospital by serving on the Cultural Diversity committee and collaborate with the Hospital marketing department to plan for and bring Federal Heritage Month celebrations to life. The highlight was a modified FHM celebration in December where the hospital celebrated Holidays around the world where Sodexo prepared 13 different cultural dishes representing the majority of cultures at SJH. The dining hall was also decorated with each of the previous years Diversity props and left over recipe cards in a very extravagant display that wowed guests. Each management team member is a Network Group Member, and Paul O'Connor participates in each Network Group. They develop their pipeline through the use of programs like Sed de Saber. The EVS portion of the team has been a true asset to faculty and the community by offering translation services. The team remains active in the community, contributing to Stop Hunger through My Brothers Table, Nashua Soup Kitchen and delivers gifts and food to over 90 families in need during the holiday season.

School Services
Michelle Feliciano - General Manager, Old Bridge Township, Matawan, NJ
Despite Michelle's hectic schedule, she seeks out activities that are beneficial for her team members and the community. She's involved with the clothing drive and the annual breast cancer walk. Michelle has implemented a comprehensive training plan, training EEO and diversity awareness throughout the year to ensure respect and fair treatment for each employee. Michelle recently applied for and received a grant from the State of New Jersey which she is using to offer an American Sign Language class to enhance the communication with employees who are hearing impaired. The grant has also allowed her to offer computer skills training so that her employees can develop professionally. Michelle has a proven track record for positive labor relations, and has not had a single grievance in the eight years that she's been with the account. Michelle seeks out challenges and then takes necessary measures to overcome them.

View our previous Champions of Diversity award recipients:
1st Quarter 2008 | 2nd Quarter 2008 | 3rd Quarter 2008 | 4th Quarter 2008