NALC Above and Beyond Awardees 2008
Executive Sponsor Awardees
Rick Moran
Rick Moran is the Cisco Vice President responsible for enabling small businesses around the world to recognize and apply the power and potential of Cisco’s technologies and its resources to serve their needs. He is also the Executive Sponsor of the GLBT & Advocates Employee Resource Group, and a member of Cisco’s Global Inclusion and Diversity Council.
Rick joined Cisco in 2003 as Vice President of Unified Communications and during his 25 plus years in marketing and selling technology has held posts in various European locations, as well as Bahrain and Canada.
Moran is driven by an understanding and appreciation of the challenges faced by Cisco’s GLBT employees. Thus, as Executive Sponsor, he has focused the GLBT & Advocate group’s efforts on leadership, mentoring, and development, helped the group find its voice, made its activities relevant to the business, spearheaded significant changes in company policies, and raised the group’s stature as a true “go to” resource within Cisco. Key to his success is the credibility, trust, and dedicated partnership that he has built by delivering appropriate business advice.
Rick is a graduate of the University of Guelph in Canada where he earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Economics and Politics.
Robert Stern
Robert A. Stern, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, is responsible for Sodexo’s Law Department, Government and Corporate Affairs. He is also a founding Board member of the Sodexo Foundation and since its inception, Bob has served on Sodexo’s Diversity Leadership Council which is chaired by our Chief Executive Officer.
Bob epitomizes what it means to be an Executive Sponsor/Champion and embodies Sodexo’s mission “to improve the quality of daily life for people.” He has championed diversity and inclusion even prior to our official journey, and has demonstrated his commitment through his interactions with his own team, all six of Sodexo’s Employee Network Groups, and really with everyone he comes into contact with.
He serves as a key leader and driver for our Work/Life Effectiveness initiatives and mentoring programs. Bob officially served as an Executive Sponsor for PRIDE, People Respecting Individuality, Diversity and Equality, our GLBT and Allies Network Group, and immediately upon transition of leadership for PRIDE volunteered to serve as Executive Sponsor for SOAR, Sodexo Organization for disAbilities Resources Network Group. Bob also serves as Executive Sponsor for Sodexo’s Work/Life Effectiveness Steering Committee.
Leadership Awardees
Dr. Anant Vailaya
An undergraduate of IIT, Delhi, Anant received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Yale University. He joined Merck in 1997 and worked as a senior scientist in Process R&D for 7 years before transitioning to Acute Care Hospital Sales in a bold move to round out career opportunities. Serving as the President between 2005 and 2007, Anant spearheaded the transformation of Merck’s Asia Pacific Network (APN) into a valued business partner to Merck and a platform for developing future leaders. His tenure was truly an impressive exhibition of leadership. A role model and valued mentor to hundreds of employees, Anant rallied and expanded APN’s membership, influenced senior leaders, and led his team to catalyze 10 successful partnerships with business units, thus firmly establishing APN’s stature as a premier employee resource group (ERG) at Merck. Anant’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed. At the second annual One Merck Diversity and Inclusion Awards ceremony held late last year, Anant received the award for Integrates and Collaborates from Merck’s CEO, Mr. Dick Clark – a proud moment for all grassroots champions of diversity management. In early 2008, Ms. Deborah Dagit, Chief Diversity Officer, presented The Crusader of the Year award to Anant at the APN annual meeting in recognition of his contribution to diversity and inclusion at Merck.
Jolecia Marigny
Jolecia is currently the Director of Safety & Environmental Services for Entergy’s Corporate Safety & Environment Group located in New Orleans. In this role, Jolecia leads the corporate safety, health and environmental audit program for over 2,000 facilities owned and operated by Entergy. As part of Entergy’s renewed five-year environmental strategy, Jolecia is also responsible for broadening the company’s environmental stewardship efforts among its employees and local communities.
Since joining Entergy in December 1991, Jolecia has held assignments of increasing responsibility in plant operations and corporate environmental support. For example, she held a three-year assignment in operations at one of Entergy’s largest power plants leading a staff of five to assure facility compliance with multimedia environmental regulations. Jolecia was also Director of Environmental Affairs for Entergy’s unregulated power development business formerly located in Houston, Texas. In that assignment, she was responsible for leading environmental support for power plant acquisitions and development activities in North America. To achieve project success, Jolecia teamed with internal and external stakeholders nationwide, interfaced with various partners, regulatory agencies and the public to ensure Entergy’s standards for environmental excellence were met. She also represented Entergy at public hearings and at industry advisory committee meetings. Jolecia has also served on numerous internal teams to improve Entergy’s environmental position.
Prior to joining Entergy, Jolecia was a hydrogeologist with CH2M Hill and Montgomery Watson, two national environmental consulting firms. As a consultant, Jolecia performed remedial investigations and site assessments for public and private sector clients across the U.S.
Currently, Jolecia serves on the board of three New Orleans-area non-profit organizations – Raintree Children & Family Services, the YMCA Educational Services and A Studio in the Woods. Jolecia holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Howard University and a master’s degree in Geology from Louisiana State University. In 2001 she was selected by Entergy to pursue an Executive MBA from Texas A&M University that was completed in May 2003.
Kim Smith
Kim’s focus on diversity started 24 years ago while teaching high school calculus. In her role as teacher, she invited speakers from different cultures so students could learn how everyone lived globally.
Six years later, Kim took a business analyst position at Texas Instruments and implemented a new manufacturing system at all of TI’s worldwide sites.
A few years later, she accepted a position in one of TI’s wafer fabrication facilities. With very few women working in this area, they formed the first women’s diversity initiative in KFAB. This initiative was one of the first to get a Mother’s Room installed outside the fab and to promote flexible work hours.
As she moved into the Information Technology world at TI, her hunger for diversity continued. She led the Spring Creek Women’s Initiative and developed programs focused on leadership, professional development and mentoring. Today, Kim is the Chair of the TI Diversity Network and oversees the company’s diversity initiatives.
Outside TI, Kim speaks to classrooms about the importance of math and science, volunteers at the Women’s Crisis Shelter, is a Big Sisters participant, volunteers with United Way of Dallas, and is a board member of the Texans Activity Center Clubs.
