Sodexo's Reg Gilliam Honored by Washington Government Relations Group with President's Award for Leadership & Excellence

Gaithersburg, Md., July 14, 2011 - Reginald "Reg" Gilliam, senior vice president for government affairs, for Sodexo was honored by the Washington Government Relations Group (WGRG), the nation's oldest organization for African American government relations professionals, with the President's Award for Leadership & Excellence at its Second Annual Tin Cup Awards Dinner held at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, DC. He received his award along with several other distinguished private sector government relations professionals. Also honored at this year's event were Senate Majority Leaders Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and civil rights icon, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). Gilliam was accompanied to the event by his former boss, retired Congressman Louis Stokes (D-Ohio), and was introduced by former Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater, now partner at the Patton Boggs law firm.

Reg Gilliam is Sodexo's senior leader responsible for federal, state, and local government affairs efforts. He joined the company in 2002, bringing years of legislative, government, and policy experience as Legislative Counsel for Sen. John Glenn (Ohio) and Chief of Staff for Congressman Stokes. He also served as Director of Commercial Transportation for the State of New York. In 1980, he was nominated by former President Jimmy Carter and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as Vice Chairman and Commissioner of the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission.

Before joining Sodexo, Mr. Gilliam also served for nine years as Senior Managing Director for Hill and Knowlton Worldwide, representing public and private sector domestic and international clients, including major U.S. cities, foreign nations, Fortune 500 corporations and not-for-profit entities in higher education and other areas.

Mr. Gilliam has served on the Board of Trustees at Williams College, Lincoln University (PA), his alma mater, and the University of the District of Columbia. He is a former college professor and the author of three books. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and holds a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Harvard Black Law Student Association, of which he is a co-founder and charter member.

The Washington Government Relations Group (WGRG) is a non-partisan, independent, volunteer association founded to enrich the careers and leadership abilities of African-American government relations professionals. WGRG members represent corporations, financial institutions, law firms, trade associations and non-profit organizations on a broad range of policy areas in the state, federal, and international arenas.

About Sodexo

Sodexo in North America
Sodexo, Inc. (www.sodexoUSA.com), leading Quality of Daily Life Solutions company in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, delivers On Site Service Solutions in Corporate, Education, Health Care, Government, and Remote Site segments, as well as Motivation Solutions such as Esteem Pass. Sodexo, Inc., headquartered in Gaithersburg, Md., funds all administrative costs for the Sodexo Foundation (www.SodexoFoundation.org), an independent charitable organization that, since its founding in 1999, has made more than $15 million in grants to fight hunger in America. Visit the corporate blog at www.sodexoUSA.com/blog.

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Daily Life Solutions
Quality of Life plays an important role in the progress of individuals and the performance of organizations. Based on this conviction, Sodexo is the strategic partner for companies and institutions that place a premium on performance and well-being, as it has since Pierre Bellon founded the company in 1966. Sharing the same passion for service, Sodexo's 380,000 employees, in 80 countries design, manage and deliver an unrivaled range of On-site Service Solutions and Motivation Solutions. Sodexo has created a new form of service business that contributes to the economic, social and environmental development of the communities, regions and countries in which it operates and to the fulfillment of its employees.

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