Purdue Fort Wayne to host second annual Welcoming Fort Wayne Diversity Awards

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—The accomplishments of outstanding immigrant and refugee persons and groups or organizations that have shown a clear commitment to multiculturalism will be honored at the second annual Welcoming Fort Wayne Diversity Awards, on Thursday, September 19, at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

The awards will be presented for the following categories:

• Positive Role Model: An individual modeling success and advocating for inclusion. Helps others to be driven, to focus, to achieve goals and strive for success.
• Community Organization: An organization that commits a significant portion of its activities to immigrants and refugees.
• Entrepreneur of Excellence: An individual or collective who has created a business that is either serving as a model or a valuable resource for other immigrants/refugees in the community.
• Diverse Employer of the Year: An organization/company employing a diverse workforce with an understanding of marketplace demographics and the need for growing intercultural professional relationships.
• Lifetime Achiever: An individual who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to inclusive relationship-building through activities or endeavors that intentionally enhance equality, diversity, and inclusion. 
• Emerging Leader: A young professional with demonstrable vision, passion, and dedication to improving the lives of immigrant/refugee families in the community.
• Social Justice: An individual who fosters diversity and social justice education, competency, and/or action in the community.
• Storyteller: An individual or organization whose work in the media highlights the diversity and positive impacts of immigrants and refugees in our community.

Nominations for the award recipients are open until July 31 and can be made here.

Doors will open at 8:30 a.m. and light breakfast fare will be served. The awards ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. The event is free and open to the public; reservations can be made here.

For additional information, contact Susan Alderman at 260-481-6165 (office), 260-489-5349 (cell), or [email protected].

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