Champions of Diversity Award FY'10 - 4th Quarter Award Recipients

Campus
Kerwin Higashi, VP, Operations, Redmond, WA
Kerwin continually demonstrates his devotion to clients, customers, and Sodexo employees. He takes a keen interest in his team members and their growth, and believes that this is the only way to succeed. Kerwin has participated in both the Spirit of Mentoring - IMPACT and Peer2Peer programs as a Mentor. As Chair of the Northwest Metropolitan Business Group, he developed relationships cross-divisionally and helped grow Sodexo's market share in the Northwest. Kerwin remains actively involved in Stop Hunger and co-chairs the Vertical Integrated Partnership (VIP), a coalition of farmers, food processors, food distributors and other food service companies, that work together to help stop hunger in the Pacific Northwest. This past year alone, VIP raised funds equating to over $60,000, and will donate over 1 million pounds of food in the Pacific Northwest. Kerwin is Co-Executive sponsor of the Pacific Asian Network Group (PANG) for Sodexo Hawaii and serves as a National PANG Leader. He takes an active role in the Cross Market Diversity Council “CMDC”, serving as Lead for the Business Partner Committee in the West. By creating rich relationships, Kerwin successfully partners within the organization and the community.

Corporate Staff
Louise Salinski, Sr. Manager, Help Desk, Delaware, MD
Louise seized the opportunity and effectively partners to drive diversity & inclusion throughout the organization. She is a Mentor and Coach for many, and encourages individuals to embrace their differences as an opportunity for mutual learning and growth. Her work with WiNG provides a forum for Louise to contribute while making inroads for the organization. This past year, Louise successfully lead the re-launch of WiNG's Mentoring Circles program and has set the stage for this program to sustain well into the future. She was instrumental in launching WiNG chapters in the New England area, and took a leadership role to execute the Northeast Region Cross Network Summit. Louise's passion for inclusion and networking inspired her to host monthly calls that keep her internal cross-divisional customers informed of new projects and changes within Sodexo. Louise has helped to foster an inclusive culture through her efforts, has witnessed her team's growth as they have gotten involved, and she has gained self-awareness and affirmation of her value as a key contributor.

Corporate
Alice Hippe, Executive Chef II, National Academy of Science, Washington, DC
Alice knew that Soccer and the World Cup were common interests of the client and her team, so she used the World Cup tournament this summer to showcase Sodexo's Team Spirit and commitment to Diversity & Inclusion. When the quarter finals began, she set up score boards and brackets which displayed the various cultures represented within the sporting events, and decorated the unit with the flags of the different nations. With real time scores, she kept employees and customers up to date throughout the day. Customers were encouraged to stop by to see how their team was doing, and sparked a camaraderie and respect for Alice and between team members. To further promote Team Spirit, Alice offered special sandwiches on the grilling station for each of the teams that made it to the finals. On Friday, July 9, 2010, Alice's team and the client celebrated World Cup Fever and everyone was invited to wear their favorite soccer shirts and hats. They even raffled off a world cup soccer ball to the customers. The World Cup event was a real turning point at Alice's unit which taught her that respecting the cultures of those she comes into contact with can help break down silos.

Hospitals
Stacey Spencer, RD, MBA, CHESP, Operations Manager III, Detroit, MI
Stacey believes that diversity is what makes Sodexo a strong organization. She enthusiastically volunteers to support Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, such as Spirit of Mentoring IMPACT Launch Sessions and the Diversity Business & Leadership Summits As Chair of the African American Leadership Forum (AALF) Chapter in Detroit, MI, she hosts events that offer networking and professional development opportunities for employees. In her community, Stacey works as a literacy coach, teaching adults from all “walks of life” how to read and write. She partners with local colleges to help students matriculate, and has offered no cost internships that provide the opportunity for students to shadow Sodexo managers. She finds value in each person, and her efforts have resulted in team and service spirit amongst her staff as they learn about one another and their various cultures. It is through Stacey's leadership that her team has greater understanding of one another; they communicate better, and ultimately have a genuine desire to spend more time together.

Schools
Chuck Thomas, District Manager, Oklahoma City, OK
Chuck believes in employee development, and helping individuals fulfill their potential. With that in mind, Chuck has significantly contributed through his active leadership in both the Cross Market Diversity Council “CMDC” and the Employee Network Groups. As a lead for the CMDC, Human Capital Committee, Chuck has been instrumental in the creation of a supervisory training program for individuals who are considering a transition into management. This program, recently piloted in Oklahoma and Atlanta, consists of both hands on and web based curriculum. Plans are in place for a nationwide rollout. Clearly, Chuck is an advocate and role model of lifelong learning, and demonstrates this through his continuing participation as both a Mentee and Mentor in each of the Spirit of Mentoring programs, including IMPACT, BRIDGE, and Peer2Peer. By connecting newly hired managers with more experienced, top performers in his District, Chuck is leveraging mentoring as a part of the on-boarding process. Chuck identifies innovative ways to drive Diversity & Inclusion. For example, to draw sufficient numbers of employees to engage in Network Groups in the OK area, he created a Cross Network Group structure that allows individuals to come together for mutual sharing and support. Chuck is also a member of WiNG's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure planning team. By taking initiative and remaining committed, Chuck is helping to advance our diversity and inclusion strategy.  

View our previous Champions of Diversity award recipients: 
1st Quarter 2010 | 2nd Quarter 2010 | 3rd Quarter 2010 | 4th Quarter 2010 
1st Quarter 2009 | 2nd Quarter 2009 | 3rd Quarter 2009 | 4th Quarter 2009
1st Quarter 2008 | 2nd Quarter 2008 | 3rd Quarter 2008 | 4th Quarter 2008