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Corporate Development

Committee Members

Kenneth Gardner – IAC

Sylvia Daniels – Henry Ford Health

System

Marcia Hunter – FCA US

Esther Williams – DTE Energy

Pollyette Lenear – General Motors

Le'Cathy Burston – Great Lakes WBC

Teresa LeFevre – Comerica Bank

Ronalda Minnis – Duke Realty

Randall Jones - Delphi

Kristen Kremer – CSM Group

Michele Howell - AON

Message from Leadership………………….2-3

Excellence in Supplier Diversity Recognition

Program……………………………………………….4

New Members……………………………………..5

Member News……………………………………..6

Event ReCap……………………………….…………7

Annual Corporate Connections……………..8

WBENC National Conference………………..9

Upcoming Events………………………….……….10

Thank you……………………………………………..12

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Dear Corporate Members:

The Great Lakes Women’s Business Council is pleased to launch the inaugural issue of the Corporate Focus. This quarterly publication will focus on all issues of importance to our corporate members. Our goal is to support our supplier diversity professionals and corporate members in meeting their sourcing and corporate goals.

With almost 90 corporate members with diverse needs, this is not always easy. We are engaged in a constant process of evaluation and improvement. This is an initiative of the Corporate Development Committee and Le’Cathy Burston, Director of Membership and Corporate Development. I would like to thank them for their leadership and guidance to ensure that our corporate members receive the greatest value from membership in the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council. Please enjoy our inaugural issue and feel free to provide feedback on what is most valuable to you and what more we can provide. Sincerely, Michelle Richards Executive Director, Great Lakes WBC

MESSAGE FROM LEADERSHIP

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On behalf of the Great Lakes Corporate Development Committee (CDC), I would

like to express sincere appreciation for your support as a corporate member of

the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council serving Michigan and Indiana.

As a supplier diversity professional, we all share the importance in strengthening

relationships with companies that are owned, operated and controlled by

minorities and women. The CDC was developed to provide a voice for the

corporate members and to better understand their needs.

We welcome your input as we create this new platform of exchange and connection.

Kenneth Gardner

Supplier Diversity Manager, International Automotive Components (IAC)

Chairman, Corporate Development Committee

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Excellence in Supplier Diversity Recognition Program We are pleased to announce the Excellence in Supplier Diversity Recognition Program. This

purpose of the program is to recognize Great Lakes Women’s Business Council’s corporate

members with effective supplier diversity programs. Applicants may be recognized in one of

three categories. They include: “Emerging”, “Advanced” and “Best in Class”. There is no limit to

the number of corporate members that will be given in each of the above recognitions.

Additionally, applicants will indicate if their companies are regional or national/global in scope.

Regional companies will be evaluated on an adjusted scale that considers size.

Completed applications are due on July 17, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EST. All applicants will be

notified by August 14, 2015. Awards will be presented at the Great Lakes Women’s Business

Conference Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, September 30, 2015.

For more details and to submit an application, contact excellenceawards@greatlakeswbc.org

Inaugural Excellence in Supplier Diversity Award Winners

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NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS

New WBE Members:

Advanced-Cable, LLC

Aegis Sales & Engineering, Inc.

Ashley Evans Inc.

B and B Grease Trap and Drain Cleaners, Inc.

BLT Logistic, LLC

Blue Fusion

BLUE STARS INC

CBS Service LLC

Central Michigan Staffing, INC

Corporate 52 Marketing Group, LLC

Crown Industrial Services, Inc.

EIS Fibercoating, Inc.

Energy Design Service Systems

epromptus.inc

Focused Results, LLC

George Instrument Company

Indiana Virtual Professionals

Infinity Consulting Services INC.

Inspire the World: Training & Development Network, Inc.

Jesco Industries Inc.

Learning Designs Inc.

MCM Staffing, LLC

Metro Industrial Supply

MOORE ACCOUNTING, LLC

New Eagle Consulting, LLC

Premikati, Inc.

Q5 Division, LLC

Raven Executive & Security Services, Inc.

S&T Cleaning

Schlossberg Legal, PLLC

Simplicity LLC

Stance, LLC

The 543 Group, Inc.

The Bradley Company, Inc.

The Diez Group,LLC

The Gadget Girl, LLC

Torch Steel Sales LLC

TPS INDUSTRIAL SERVICES LLC

Trent Design

Trillium Teamologies, Inc.

Truck City of Gary, Inc.

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Congratulations to Erica White regarding her promotion as the

Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at Blue Cross Blue Shield of

Michigan (BCBSM). Erica became involved with the Great Lakes

Women’s Business Council two years ago, soon after joining

BCBSM as Supplier Diversity Administrator. She is an active

member of the Corporate Development Committee team and

supports women business enterprises and the vison of Great Lakes Women’s Business Council.

Erica’ tenacity and perseverance will be missed but her example as a dedicated

supplier diversity professional will leave footsteps of guidance for others to

follow. We recently recognized Erica at the 14th Annual Great Lakes Women’s

Business Conference as the Corporate Champion of the Year.

We thank Erica for her continued and sincere support and wish her much success in the future.

Please join us in congratulating Erica White on her promotion.

Charles Hendrix is the newly appointed Manager, Purchasing Supplier Diversity -

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, North America, Inc. (TEMA).

Assigned to this role in January of 2015, this marks Hendrix’s second term of

continuing to build TEMA’s supplier diversity processes, including the sourcing and

development of minority business enterprises (MBEs) and women business

enterprises (WBEs). He previously held this positon from 1997-2000.

Since beginning his career with Toyota in 1996, Hendrix has held several managerial

positions within TEMA’s Purchasing division including Project Management, Education

& Development, Systems and Strategy, as well as the procurement of component parts

within the Chassis department. He also served as Corporate Diversity Manager where he was

responsible for advancing TEMA’s overall diversity initiatives.

MEMBERS ON THE MOVE

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We would like to welcome the following supplier diversity professionals:

New to Cummin’s Corporate Diversity Procurement team, Lisa Hardin, the Diversity

Procurement Program Manager. She will participate with engaging WBEs with the Great

Lakes Women’s Business Council. She has also taken a role with the Certification Review

Committee that meets in Indianapolis, IN.

Jon Weber is now the Supplier Diversity Liaison for Dana Holding (Fort Wayne, IN) assisting

Mercedes Ferguson with the inclusion of diverse suppliers in Indiana.

Courtney Quenneville, Supplier Diversity Specialist for Continental Automotive Systems.

She was previously the Corporate Purchasing / Supplier Diversity Coordinator at Flex-N-

Gate.

Shannon Barlow Flex-N-Gate Supplier Diversity Coordinator/MRO Buyer.

We welcome you to share announcements for future newsletters. Email to

corporation@greatlakeswbc.org.

Webinar – “The Winning Foundation for a Supplier Diversity program”

Presented by the CDC supplier diversity experts Thank you to everyone who joined us for an informative discussion on different strategies to accomplish

supplier diversity initiatives. A special thanks to our Presenter and Corporate Development Committee

Chair Kenneth Gardner. This was the first of many opportunities for you as corporate members to

engage one another on supplier diversity topics.

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Maximizing Your Certification webinar As a corporate member, we welcome your involvement as an expert speaker for the monthly

“Maximizing Your Certification” webinar. The webinar includes corporate and WBE speakers and gives

best practices on getting the most out of the WBE certification. To view the latest recording featuring

Courtney Morales (MCM Staffing) and Fernando Ronderos (Tenneco), visit

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/1338056540229328897

Annual Corporate Connections Thank you to our speakers and everyone who attended the Annual Corporate Connections in

Indianapolis sponsored by Toyota USA.

Certified women business owners were educated on

maximizing their certification and had the opportunity to build

relationships with numerous corporations in attendance.

Congratulations to our honorees Diana Caldwell- Pearl

Pathways, Susan Tipton-Chicago Steel Construction and

Toyota!

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2015 WBENC National Conference &

Business Fair

Once again, the Great Lakes Women’s Business

Council was represented well by our WBE and

corporate members at the 2015 WBENC National

Conference & Business Fair. Everyone had a great

time making new connections, strengthening

existing ones and learning new strategies for

business growth.

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AUGUST

General Motor’s Sixth Annual Supplier Connections Matchmaker | August 5, 2015 |

gmsc@theharmongroup.com / 313-244-2669

SEPTEMBER

16th Annual FCA US Matchmaker Event – September 17, 2015

Great Lakes Women’s Business Conference – September 29-30, 2015

NOVEMBER

Toyota Opportunity Exchange – November 9-10, 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS

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SAVE THE DATE!

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A special thank you to our 90 corporate members. Your support and

time is sincerely appreciated. Please support this newsletter with information to

share with other Great Lakes WBC corporate members. The newsletter and

corporate webinar will both be offered quarterly so we may empower one another

with diversity tools and resources. Please contact me with any at

lburston@greatlakeswbc.org or my direct line at 734-838-3852.

Le'Cathy Burston Director of Membership & Corporate Development, Great Lakes Women’s Business Council