November 13, 2007 — Cincinnati, OH — Toyota announced today three new members to its North American Diversity Advisory Board during its 18th annual Opportunity Exchange (OE) minority business conference and trade fair.
As one of the largest minority business events in the country, OE is designed to provide minority business enterprises (MBEs) across the nation with the opportunity to network and develop relationships with approximately 300 of Toyota Tier I suppliers. Since 1990, OE has generated more than $100 million in new contracts. Nearly 800 MBEs were expected to attended today's event where Bob Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, was the keynote speaker.
The Advisory Board, formed nearly six years ago, provides outside perspective and guidance to Toyota and establishes clear goals for the company's efforts and commitment to nurturing inclusion and diversity in the workplace.
New Advisory Board members include Phyllis Campbell, President and CEO of the Seattle Foundation; Gilbert Casellas, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility for Dell Inc.; and James Lowry, Senior Advisor for the Boston Consulting Group.
The Advisory Board's chair will continue to be held by current member and former Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, one of the nation's most recognized thought leaders in strategic corporate diversity. The eight-member advisory board also includes retired Federal Appellate Judge Nathaniel Jones; former Congressman and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp; former Congresswoman Susan Molinari; and former Transportation and Energy Secretary Federico Peña.
“Toyota believes that diversity and inclusion are essential to our long-term success,” said Dian Ogilvie, Senior Vice President of Toyota Motor North America. “Our Diversity Advisory Board's invaluable guidance, service and dedication for the past half decade have led to a number of significant achievements for our company. The Board is imperative to our efforts, helping move us forward in the right direction.”
The Advisory Board meets regularly with senior management several times a year and provides objective advice and guidance to the highest levels of Toyota's North American management with respect to the content, implementation and further development of Toyota's 21st Century Diversity Strategy.
Irene Hirano and Sara Martinez Tucker, who have been with the Advisory Board since its inception, have stepped down to pursue other interests in their respective fields.
“It was an honor to work with Irene and Sara who brought their expertise and insight to the Advisory Board,” said Chair Herman. “Their ideas and commitment helped develop a strong foundation for the Board and they will both be missed by all. We are however gaining three members who are highly respected and whose contributions will make an immediate impact.”
The eight members of the Advisory Board represent a cross section of American expertise in business, law, labor and government. The members include:
Alexis Herman, Chair
Alexis Herman became the first African American to lead the Labor Department when President Clinton named her Secretary of Labor in 1997. Currently, Herman serves as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of New Ventures, Inc., and lends her expertise as a board member for several corporate and nonprofit organizations. She is the Chairwoman of The Coca-Cola Company's Diversity Task Force and an On-Line Columnist for Monster.com.
Phyllis Campbell
Phyllis Campbell is the President and CEO of the Seattle Foundation. She previously served as President of U.S. Bank of Washington from 1993 to 2001.
Campbell has received many prestigious awards for her community service work, including the Woman Who Makes A Difference Award from the International Women's Forum, and in 2006, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from City Year.
Gilbert Casellas
Gilbert Casellas is Vice President, Corporate Responsibility for Dell Inc. where he oversees the company's global diversity, sustainability and corporate philanthropy functions. He previously served as Chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, General Counsel of the U.S. Department of the Air Force, and Co-Chairman of the U.S. Census Monitoring Board.
Nathaniel Jones
Nathaniel Jones serves as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Blank Rome LLP, a Philadelphia-based law firm with more than 500 attorneys. Previously he served 23 years as judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit after being appointed by President Carter in 1979. Prior to that, he served ten years as general counsel to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and five years as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Jack Kemp
Former Congressman and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Jack Kemp is the Founder and Chairman of Kemp Partners, a strategic consulting firm. He was co-director of Empower America, a public policy and advocacy organization he co-founded in 1993. Kemp served as the representative for Western New York for 18 years in the House of Representatives, where he was chairman of the House Republican Leadership Conference. In 1996, Kemp was Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole's vice presidential running mate.
James Lowry
James Lowry is a senior advisor for the Boston Consulting Group in their Chicago office and leads the firm's workforce diversity, ethnic marketing, and minority business-development consulting efforts. He's been a host of two nationally syndicated TV programs: Inside Bedford Stuyvesant and Minority Business Report. Additionally, he's an adjunct professor at the J.L. Kellogg School of Management; and chairman of the board of The City of Chicago Library system and was recently inducted into the Minority Business Hall of Fame.
Susan Molinari
Former Congresswoman Susan Molinari is president and CEO of the Washington Group, a government relations and lobbying firm, and serves as a frequent television political analyst. She represented New York in the House of Representatives from 1990 to 1997, where she was elected to the Republican majority leadership. In 1996, she delivered the keynote address at the Republican National Convention.
Federico Peña
Federico Peña served as both Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Energy under President Clinton. He's now an investment banker for Vestar Capital Partners in Denver. Peña worked as a lawyer for Hispanic groups before he was elected to the Colorado General Assembly in 1979. From 1983 to 1991, Peña served as Denver's first Hispanic mayor.
