ACI-NA Honors 2014 Inclusion Champion Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2014

 

ATLANTA — Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) today announced the recipients of the 2014 ACI-NA Inclusion Champion Awards, which recognize exceptional achievement in promoting and sustaining diversity throughout the airport industry’s workforce.  The 2014 Inclusion Champion Award winners are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, and Host International, Inc. (HMSHost).

“ACI-NA is proud to recognize the recipients of the 2014 Inclusion Champion Awards, and we are honored to count them among our airport and associate memberships,” said ACI-NA President and CEO Kevin M. Burke.  “All three of this year’s recipients truly demonstrate clear leadership in advancing workplace diversity.”

As the Large Hub 2014 Inclusion Champion Award winner, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) has a proud and storied tradition of M/F/S/DBE participation in construction, concessions, and professional services dating back to 1968. Over the past 14 years, ATL has pursued a $6.2 billion capital improvement program, with more than $4 billion in direct construction costs.  Of that $4 billion, more than $1.5 billion has gone directly to M/F/S/DBE firms.  Most notably, the chief engineering consultant for ATL’s $1.2 billion fifth runway was a male minority, and the lead design firm for the airports $1.4 billion International Terminal is minority- and female-owned.  The airport provides technical assistance and training programs through the Greater Atlanta Economic Alliance (GAEA), a 501(c)(3) which was established from ATL’s capital improvement program.  ATL also has managed the world’s largest airport concessions offering during the past five years, valued at more than $3 billion. The concessions program boasts a 57 percent ACDBE participation, and ATL ACDBEs generate revenues in excess of $121 million each year.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) participated in several initiatives to increase diversity in employment and business participation. As a result, women and minority employees increased 47 percent and 42 percent, respectively. Currently, women make up 33 percent of the workforce, and minorities account for 49 percent.  CLE’s efforts to attract youth to aviation careers through the NextG Program include more than 50 internships, 12 college scholarships, and many professional development trainings. Nearly 70 percent of NextG participants are female and minority youth. The Cleveland Airport System University (CAS U) provides leadership development opportunities to CLE’s workforce. CAS U and expansive recruitment efforts supported an increase in women and minorities on CLE’s senior management team by 167 percent and 48 percent, respectively. Efforts to expand women and minorities in business opportunities resulted in participation on airport construction projects at 25 percent and airport concessions contracts at 44 percent. This success is a result of more than 50 outreach events, including CLE’s annual Synergy event reaching 1,200 women and minority entrepreneurs and the launch of the Small Business Element and the Mentor/Protégé Programs.

Recognized as the Associate Member 2014 Inclusion Champion Award winner, HMSHost currently has more than 100 diverse partners in 50 airports across the country that generate $390M in revenues, representing 21 percent of HMSHost contracts.  HMSHost is committed to diversity within its workforce by hiring, rewarding, and developing talented women, minorities, and older workers. The company has hired 31,500 employees over the past two years, with 63 percent of these new hires being members of a minority group and 61 percent being women.  HMSHost has also instituted career development programs targeted to aspiring female and minority leaders, such as its Operations Leadership Development Program to ensure that high-potential women and minorities are provided development and training to take on higher levels of professional visibility and greater responsibilities. HMSHost’s newest professional development initiatives, the Emerging Leaders and Corporate Mentor Programs, ensure that its full workforce can make exceptional contributions and have access to the latest and best career development intellectual capital.

 

About ACI-NA

Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) represents local, regional, and state governing bodies that own and operate commercial airports in the United States and Canada. ACI-NA member airports enplane more than 95 percent of the domestic and virtually all the international airline passenger and cargo traffic in North America. Approximately 380 aviation-related businesses are also members of ACI-NA, providing goods and services to airports. Collectively, U.S. airports support more than 11.5 million jobs and account for $1.4 trillion in economic activity – or more than seven percent of the total U.S. GDP. Canadian airports support 405,000 jobs and contribute C$35 billion to Canada’s GDP. Learn more at www.airportscouncil.org.