18th Annual Mayor’s Celebration of Diversity

On Thursday, April 11, 2019, nearly 900 attendees joined Mayor Joe Hogsett, GIPC, and EmployIndy to celebrate and honor the efforts of the organizations listed below as they strive to make Indianapolis a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

For the third year in a row, this luncheon served as a fundraiser for Project Indy, Mayor Hogsett’s summer youth employment initiative. So, how did we do? With the help of our generous Title Sponsor, Verizon, and nearly 80 organizations from around Marion County, we raised over $130,000! That’s $130,000 to help teens secure summer jobs and gain skills they need to thrive in the workforce.

In addition to the awards ceremony, this year’s event featured highlights from Project Indy and a special performance about diversity by the Young Actors Theatre.

This award is presented to an organization that leads with vision to develop and support diversity strategies that result in diversity at the top of the organization.

Awarded to Child Advocates, Inc.

Child Advocates engages community volunteers and staff to protect children who are victims of child abuse, acting as their voices in court and ensuring safe homes. Child Advocates is committed to working with, understanding, and honoring the diversity of the children they represent and their families. Child Advocates strives to make a commitment to all forms of diversity apparent in their hiring practices, recruitment, training, outreach, and every day actions on behalf of the people they serve.

This award is presented to an organization that strives for diversity in the workplace.

Awarded to The International Center

The International Center collaborates to build a stronger Indiana, provide business opportunities on the world stage for Indiana enterprises, and help attract international talent and investment. Their efforts support local economies, expand diplomatic interests, and celebrate cultural diversity in our communities. Over half of The International Center’s employees are from countries outside the United States, and by the very nature of their work they place a high value on workforce diversity.

Also called the Youth Employer of the Year Award, this award is presented to an organization that understands the importance of providing work experiences for young people and “walks the walk” by making youth employment a priority.

Awarded to Crew Carwash

Crew Carwash attends many high school job fairs to help the youth of our communities be aware of the employment opportunities we offer, and the growth that can come with it. Crew Carwash is a first job for many youth in Indy, and they provide opportunities for associates to grow into management roles. Many of Crew’s top leaders and General Managers started as their first high school job and grew with promotions. Last year Crew Carwash hired 94 youth/young adults in Indianapolis.

Named in honor of the Indianapolis Urban League’s first president, a tireless advocate for peace, justice, and racial understanding, this award recognizes exemplary performance in all aspects of diversity.

Awarded to Anthem, Inc.

Anthem’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is an intrinsic aspect of its culture, where different perspectives and experiences are valued and leveraged to enhance operations. As a core value of Anthem, diversity enables innovative thinking and collaboration and unifies employees behind its mission—to improve lives and communities, and make healthcare simpler. Anthem’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy has a strong focus on increasing representation of women and minorities in senior management roles and on developing an inclusive workplace culture that offers opportunities to underrepresented groups, including people with disabilities, veterans and members of the LGBTQ community.