Kent State University has been nominated for the Northern Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council’s 2013 Corporation of the Year award. Kent State, the only state organization nominated in the category, is up against Eaton, FirstEnergy Corporation, KeyBank and Rockwell Automation.

The Northern Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council will celebrate its 15th and final annual Awards Gala at LaCentre Conference and Banquet Facility in Westlake where the recipient of the 2013 Corporation of the Year award will be announced. The evening will be co-hosted by Angelica Campos from WJW- FOX 8 and Marcus Walter from WKYC-TV3 with entertainment by Saborit Latin Jazz.

Other award categories include Corporate Pacesetter, Corporate Economic Impact, MBE to MB Commerce and the MBE Supplier of the Year awards. Last year, Rockwell Automation won all four Corporate Awards.

The Northern Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council puts out the call for nominations, and Kent State was anonymously nominated by one of its minority suppliers. Once nominated, Kent State was required to provide a response regarding its performance in the supplier diversity space.

“We responded with rigorous data that substantiated our valiant supplier diversity efforts over the year with the hopes that our due diligence and due care will lead to a win in this category,” says Veronica Cook-Euell, Kent State’s supplier diversity program manager.

Qualifications for the Corporation of the Year award include active participation in the Northern Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council through committees or board participation, demonstration of leadership in the council’s programs and events, increase in minority spending from previous fiscal years, significant impact on a company’s minority supplier development program and more.

“This is a recognition I believe Kent State certainly deserves,” says Cook-Euell.

For more information about Kent State’s supplier diversity program, visit www.kent.edu/procurement/diversity.