INDIANAPOLIS – April 27, 2023 – This morning, Mayor Joe Hogsett, the Office of Minority and Women Business Development, EmployIndy, and over 75 local employers gathered at the 22nd Annual Mayor’s Celebration of Diversity Awards to recognize employers who demonstrate inclusivity in the workplace and are dedicated to supporting diverse individuals and continuing progress in our community. This year’s event took place in-person at Ivy Tech Community College, with over 425 in attendance to hear local leaders share insights, success stories, and best practices for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.

This event places a special emphasis on the importance of supporting youth employment in Marion County as proceeds go to support Project Indy, an initiative developed by Mayor Joe Hogsett in 2016 and housed within EmployIndy. Through Project Indy’s virtual platform that utilizes text messaging to recruit and onboard job seekers, nearly 15,000 young adults in Marion County have been connected to work experiences that build their employability skills and allow them to explore new career fields.

“Now more than ever, we must recognize the Indianapolis organizations that bring people together, honor our full community, and value diverse perspectives,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “And just as we have every year since 2016, this event will benefit ProjectIndy – the City’s youth employability initiative, benefiting thousands of young adults since it was launched.”

In recognizing employers who have made exceptional efforts to demonstrate diversity, equity, and inclusivity in their workplaces, six awards were given with unique focuses including celebrating the impact of youth apprenticeships, good wages and employee support, excelling in youth employment, diversity in leadership, and a focus on workplace culture.

“We’re honored to play a pivotal role in recognizing employers who have invested in equitable practices around hiring, leadership, quality jobs and culture,” said Marie Mackintosh, president & CEO of EmployIndy. “Our collaborative work with these employers will only grow larger as EmployIndy remains committed to ensuring sustainable and scalable interventions that systemically address some of the root causes for equity gaps in educational attainment, in good and promising jobs, and for our city’s youth.”

Two new awards were added to this year’s event; the Choice Employer award and the Dr. Mechelle Polter Youth Apprenticeship Employer of the Year, with the latter carrying special significance due to the recent unexpected loss of Dr. Mechelle Polter, Senior Director of EmployIndy’s Talent Bound program. This award honors her passion and tireless effort to empower youth and young adults to make informed decisions about their future and serves to recognize employers who carry on her legacy through their dedication to advancing youth apprenticeships in our community. This year’s award recipients are as follows:

• “Dr. Mechelle Polter Youth Apprenticeship Employer of the Year” was awarded to Ascension St. Vincent for their dedication to providing high school students with a positive trajectory to actively pursue a career by providing valuable, paid apprenticeship opportunities that complement their traditional coursework.

• “Choice Employer” was awarded to Indianapolis Airport Authority for offering all full-time employees a good wage of $18 an hour and benefits and embodies the traits of “Choice Employer,” by creating a work environment that focuses on supporting Career Pathways, Culture and Diversity, and Employee Resources.

• “Excellence in Youth Employment” was awarded to TeenWorks for their commitment to offering youth and young adults in Indianapolis the opportunity for that first job and embraces a culture that promotes the personal growth of those individuals through mentoring and advancement

• “Diversity in Workforce” was awarded to Morales Group, Inc Staffing who, in the past year, successfully implemented best practices to support workforce diversity.

• “Diversity in Leadership” was awarded to Indianapolis Public Schools who cultivated an atmosphere of growth, particularly when considering upper-level diversity as well as actively supporting a diverse organizational culture.

• “Sam H. Jones ‘Best of the Best’” was awarded to Eli Lilly and Company for exemplary performance in all aspects of diversity.

Individuals who are interested in supporting youth employment in Marion County through Project Indy can donate online at www.employindy.org/mcod-donate. More information about Project Indy can be found at projectindy.net.

Indianapolis – June 2, 2022 – Today, Mayor Joe Hogsett, the Office of Minority and Women Business Development, EmployIndy, and over 30 local employers gathered at the 21st Annual Mayor’s Celebration of Diversity Awards to celebrate local employers who have excelled in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion. This year’s event took place in-person at Ivy Tech Community College with over 250 in attendance to hear local leaders share insights, success stories, and best practices for fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace. 

This event places a special emphasis on the importance of supporting youth employment in Marion County as proceeds go to support Project Indy, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s youth jobs initiative. Project Indy is a location-based job search platform that has connected over 13,000 of Indianapolis’ young people, since its launch in 2016, to employment opportunities near them. 

“It is critical that we both celebrate our community’s commitment to diversity and encourage its continued growth,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “We commend the businesses and nonprofits already leading the way, and invite all Marion County employers to join us in working toward a diverse and prosperous Indianapolis.”

Attendees had the privilege of hearing and learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion in action from the following Indianapolis advocates:

• Mayor Joe Hogsett, City of Indianapolis
• Angela Carr Klitzsch, EmployIndy and Good Wages Initiative
• Alexis Rogers, WISH-TV
• Pastor John E. Girton, Jr., Martin University
• Alan Bacon and Malina Simone Jeffers, GANGGANG
• David Fredricks, Office of Minority and Women Business Development

“Today we are proud to recognize the many employers and community partners who place high priority on diversity and inclusion through their corporate practices, as well as their support of Project Indy and partnership with the Good Wages Initiative,” said Angela Carr Klitzsch, president & CEO of EmployIndy. “Through initiatives like Project Indy and the Good Wages Initiative, everyone benefits when businesses invest in people through equitable access to sustainable employment and good jobs.”

In recognizing employers who have made exceptional efforts to demonstrate diversity, equity, and inclusivity in their workplaces, four awards were given with unique focuses on honoring leadership, hiring practices, and focus on culture. This year’s award recipients are as follows:

• “Sam H. Jones ‘Best of the Best’” was awarded to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for their exemplary performance in all aspects of diversity. 
• “Diversity in Leadership” was awarded to Powers & Sons Construction Co. for their work in cultivating an atmosphere of growth, particularly when considering upper-level diversity as well as actively supporting a diverse organizational culture.
• “Diversity in Workforce” was awarded to Latinas Welding Guild Inc for their work in the past year to successfully implement best practices to support workforce diversity. 
• “Excellence in Youth Employment” was awarded to Crew Carwash for their commitment to offering youth and young adults in Indianapolis the opportunity for that first job and embracing a culture that promotes the personal growth of those individuals through mentoring and advancement.

Featured at this year’s event, the Good Wages Initiative is an EmployIndy led effort that certifies, celebrates, and showcases Marion County employers that have voluntarily committed to providing full-time employees both a wage of at least $18/hour and access to employer-sponsored health insurance benefits. As a part of EmployIndy’s Choice Employer’s program, the Good Wages Initiative is designed to help businesses become an employer of choice for job seekers and attract new consumers through job quality practices including good wages, culture and diversity, career pathways, and employee support. 

Employers who are interested in becoming an employer of choice through the Good Wages Initiative can find out more by visiting employindy.org/goodwages. Those who are interested in supporting youth employment in Marion County through Project Indy can donate online at www.employindy.org/mcod-donate. More information about Project Indy can be found at projectindy.net.

The following excerpt was submitted by Jeermal Sylvester, a member of EmployIndy's DEIB Affinity Group.

I have been impacted in a great way by being a proud member of the Affinity Group. In the beginning I really didn’t have a clue of what it was or what I would be expected to do. In a very short time I learned the purpose as well as why I was selected to be a part of this amazing group of people. Over the last few months we have had tough conversations and intentionally challenged the status quo as pertains to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. One thing for sure and two things for certain, the members of the Affinity Group care deeply about the EI culture and have demonstrated that we are determined to help the organization, as a whole, get to the place where we can become an Anti-racist organization.

…the members of the Affinity Group care deeply about the EI culture and have demonstrated that we are determined to help the organization, as a whole, get to the place where we can become an Anti-racist organization.

When we first started, I posed a question to the group and that was, “are we working for change or conformity”? I can say that we are moving the needle and creating CHANGE both organizationally and individually.