Champions of Diversity Award FY'09 - 3rd Quarter Award Recipients

Campus Services
Carla Carlson, District Manager, North Central, IA
Carla remains committed to our diversity journey as evidenced by her 24 years with Sodexo. She has a proven track record of incorporating Diversity & Inclusion in every aspect of her day-to-day functions. She remains a central figure in her region, being sought after for her leadership, coaching and training. Since the Campus Diversity Council formed in 2004, Carla has served as a Council member, and today serves as the Diversity Competency committee lead for the Cross-Market Diversity Council. Carla actively participates and endorses Spirit of Mentoring, our Network Groups, and drives participation in diversity related learning labs. As a champion, Carla leverages her cultural competence as she builds strong relationships with her teams, clients and customers. She remains active in her community through her Church where she works with new immigrants and their children to help them acclimate to living in the United States. Carla recognizes the business case for Diversity and Inclusion as an enabler for a stronger Sodexo which is accomplished through our employees, managers and partnerships with our clients. Carla fosters an environment where everyone feels valued and respected.


Corporate Services
Robert Sentie, Area General Manager, & Atul Jain, Executive Chef, Novartis, NJ
Robert and Atul demonstrate how we can advance diversity and inclusion through Federal Heritage Month celebrations. They created a memorable Black History Month Celebration at Novartis Pharmaceuticals featuring Delilah Winder, Food Network star and celebrated cookbook author who was recognized by Oprah for “Best Mac n Cheese”. Robert and Atul collaborated with Novartis' Chief Diversity Officer and their management team to coordinate and execute a three day celebration, remaining heavily involved in program design throughout. Ms. Winder hosted a "Guest Chef" series and promoted cultural awareness via her culinary demonstrations - which included preparation of over 300 pounds of chicken and almost 150 pounds of macaroni! The Guest Chef feature was a huge success as evidenced by the strong presence of Novartis' senior management throughout all three days. Robert and Atul show how we continue to brand Sodexo as the Diversity and Inclusion leader in the marketplace through the value-add experiences we create with and for our clients.


Education Facilities
Rodolfo Rodriguez, Housekeeping Supervisor, Episcopal High School, VA
Rodolfo, a long-standing member of the Sodexo family, has been a strong leader at Episcopal High School. He seeks to understand and deliver according to the needs of this school's faculty, staff, and student body. Rodolfo strives to consistently exceed expectations as he and his team members provide professional services. He promotes recognition for his diverse and cohesive team through recognition such as Housekeeper Day, Employee of the Month, and team lunches. Rodolfo supports personal and professional development for his team and encourages their participation in training opportunities. The team sees Roldolfo as their “go to person” and reaches out to him when they need guidance or support. Through collaboration and at the same time respecting differences that make each of us unique, Rodolfo role models how we can create and maintain an inclusive environment.


Healthcare Services
Griff Thomas, General Manager, Memorial University Medical Center, GA
Griff plays an integral role as true business partner at Memorial University Medical Center. As a straight ally and because he believes that everyone has the right to work in an inclusive and accepting environment, Griff volunteered to lead the newly formed Gay and Lesbian affinity group at the Hospital. His willingness to step up in this way has positively impacted our clients and customers; for example one of Memorial's Directors who is a gay man shared with hospital leadership how moved he was that someone who is straight would support the gay and lesbian community in the way that Griff has. To improve morale during financially constraining times resulting in some layoffs for the hospital workforce, Griff sought out a local art college to paint a mural in the hallway to brighten spirits. He established classes where his team of “Health Unit Coordinators” advertise promotional opportunities and jobs. Griff raised a concern that not all candidates can easily post to positions online, and worked with HR to accept paper applications. In addition, he is working with the hospital to increase computer literacy for his employees, and is in the process of providing computers in break rooms. Through his strong contributions and as a key player, Griff has taken our partnership at Memorial University to the next level.


School Services
Colleen Tardella, Manager, St. Charles - CUSD #303. IL
Colleen's commitment to support the local community in fighting hunger makes her a true Champion of Diversity. Colleen works closely with the Lazarus House, a homeless shelter in the St. Charles area in Illinois that feeds the homeless, assists in job training and placement, and provides shelter for homeless and battered women. She supports the organization through fundraisers, cooking and serving meals, and engaging others to assist in the process. In addition, she provides assistance in packing food for third-world countries and works the Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. Colleen demonstrates Sodexo's core values as she serves as a role model and creates an inclusive environment at work for her team and clients.

View our previous Champions of Diversity award recipients:
1st Quarter 2009 | 2nd Quarter 2009 | 3rd Quarter 2009
1st Quarter 2008 | 2nd Quarter 2008 | 3rd Quarter 2008 | 4th Quarter 2008