Diversity Event Brings Several Fortune 500 CEOs to Washington

Our Women and Diversity Leadership Summit & Gala recognizes the most progressive companies for diversity and women today. Join us at the Omni Shoreham this Thursday, October 24th, from 8-3 p.m. and 7-9:30 p.m.

Leaders from Abbott Laboratories; BellSouth; Duke Energy; IBM; JPMorganChase; Motorola; Shell Oil; The Calvert Group; The Coca-Cola Company; Verizon, Reaffirm Commitment to Women and Minorities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Shane McLaughlin 202 463-3780 shane@tpag.com

Washington, DC Diversity is America's strength, say leaders from 10 prestigious companies coming to the Women and Diversity Leadership Summit & Gala on Thursday October 24, 2002. The event will be at the Omni Shoreham Hotel's Regency Room, 2500 Calvert St., NW Washington D.C., from 7-9:30 p.m.

This celebration recognizes dynamic organizations for making diversity central to their mission, workforce, and markets. The following company leaders will accept Corporate Leadership Awards for Diversity on behalf of their companies in a dinner ceremony:

Diversity Team, Abbott Laboratories: Sharon Larkin, VP of Diversity & HR
F. Duane Ackerman, Chairman & CEO, BellSouth
Barbara Krumsiek, President & CEO, Calvert Group
Mike Zafirovski, President and Chief Operating Officer, Motorola
Douglas N. Daft, Chairman & CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
Steve Miller, Chairman & CEO, Shell Oil
Ted Childs, VP, Workforce Diversity & Benchmarking, IBM
Bruce Gordon, President, Retail Markets Group, Verizon Communications
Corporate leaders may be available for interviews in a special reception on Thursday, Oct. 24th, in the Ambassador Room of the Omni Shoreham Hotel from 6-7:30 p.m. The dinner and awards ceremony follows in the Regency Room. Attending media must RSVP by contacting Shane McLaughlin, 202 463-3780, shane@tpag.com.

The Gala honoring these companies is the culmination of two days of events hosted by Diversity Best Practices (DBP) and the Business Women's Network (BWN), two Washington-based organizations providing professional resources and benchmarking services for women and minorities in organizations of all size and type.

The Corporate Leadership Awards for Diversity are based on the following criteria:

Embracing diversity as an integral part of recruiting, retention, and corporate mission
Creating truly progressive diversity initiatives in all areas and functions of business
Making exceptional commitments to community and philanthropic activities relating to diversity
Championing diversity leadership in all levels of an organization
Planning the expansion of diversity as a business imperative.
Said Edie Fraser, President and CEO of DBP and BWN, "We are recognizing champions of diversity. These companies have launched progressive diversity initiatives with internal councils and networks for diversity. These organizations embrace succession planning and mentoring for the professional development of all employees. They collectively prioritize diversity as the future of business and essence of our country."

Other distinguished attendees of the Women and Diversity Leadership Summit & Gala include Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman and Chief Executive of Carlson Companies, Betsy Bernard, President-Elect of AT&T, and Miriam Muley, Executive Director of the Center of Expertise on Diversity and Growth Markets at General Motors.

Global Day

The events begin Wednesday Oct. 23 with Global Day, which also takes place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Global day brings together delegates from the U.S. and around the world to discuss news and issues facing entrepreneurs in international industries. Some of Global Day's events, which take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., include:

Panel discussion of trends affecting the global marketplace
Panel discussion on technology and entrepreneurship
Presentation on financing global businesses
Discussion of women's health issues
Roundtable discussion on fostering international growth
Presentation on tapping consumer markets globally
Special training session in export businesses to assist companies seeking to expand their market base

Business Women's Network Summit

The Business Women's Network Summit kicks off at 6 p.m. Oct. 23 in a special reception at the Omni Shoreham Hotel's Blue Room hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairwoman of the National Women's Business Council and Chairwoman and CEO of Carlson Companies, will remark on some of the issues facing women in business today.

Sessions for the Business Women's Network Summit continue at the Omni Shoreham on Thursday, Oct. 24. The opening keynote will be delivered by Betsy Bernard, President-Elect, AT&T Corporation, from 8:15-8:35 a.m. Throughout the day, women from the corporate and entrepreneurial world will address challenges facing women in business leadership.

Featured afternoon events and breakout sessions will address the following themes:

The future for working women
Access to capital for women
Today's leading women in business
The power of communication

The afternoon's keynote address will be delivered by Fred J. Kleisner, Chairman and Chief Executive officer, Wyndham International. The afternoon's events conclude at 3 p.m.

Attending CEOs will attend a special CEO roundtable from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Omni Shoreham. Once this roundtable has concluded, participants and special guests will gather for a reception in the Ambassador Room from 6-7:00 p.m. Attending media must RSVP by contacting Shane McLaughlin at 202 463-3780, shane@tpag.com.

The evening's events, which feature an awards ceremony honoring the diversity initiatives of some of the world's most dynamic companies, will be hosted by Diversity Best Practices. These events begin with a special reception at the Omni Shoreham at 7 p.m., at which most of the CEO honorees will be present.

The Omni Shoreham Hotel is located at 2500 Calvert St., NW, Washington D.C. 202 234-0700. For More Information: Visit www.bwni.com/2002summitgala, send email to shane@tpag.com, or call 202 463-3780.

About BWN and DBP: The Business Women's Network (BWN) and Diversity Best Practices (DBP) are Washington-based organizations providing resources, publications, and benchmarking services for women and minorities in business of all size and sector. BWN is an information network for millions of professional women around the globe, from first-time entrepreneurs to board members of Fortune 500 companies. DBP is a leading management resource service that assists diversity leaders and professionals in the development of their fully integrated diversity programs. Both are owned by iVillage, the premier women's media company. iVillage.com is the most visited women's Web site with 16 million monthly visitors.

Business Women's Network/Diversity Best Practices
1990 M St. NW, 7th Fl
Washington, DC 20036
202/463-3780
202/833-1808 (fax)
www.bwni.com | www.ewowfacts.com | www.diversitybestpractices.com | www.ivillage.com