Thurgood Marshall College Fund Honors Booz Allen with its 2008 Corporate Leadership Award
Firm recognized for its dedication to diversity, to historically black colleges and universities, and to community reinvestment.
Booz Allen Hamilton’s longtime commitment to diversity has been recognized through the most prestigious award bestowed by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
The 2008 Corporate Leadership Award was presented October 27, 2008, to Booz Allen Chairman and CEO Dr. Ralph Shrader, who accepted it on behalf of the firm. Booz Allen was chosen for the honor from among Thurgood Marshall’s approximately 1,000 corporate and government partners for its dedication to diversity, to historically black colleges and universities, and to community reinvestment, according to Dwayne Ashley, the college fund’s president and CEO.
Ashley also credits Booz Allen with helping the fund grow from its original mission – granting scholarships – to an organization that now offers leadership-training and a wide range of other assistance to students, faculty and professional staff at 47 public historically black colleges and universities.
Booz Allen provides pro bono advice to a variety of non-profit organizations, and has worked with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund for nine years. During that time, says Ashley, Booz Allen has helped guide the college fund on a path that has led to a 700 percent increase in contributions from corporations, government and other sources.
“If we had not had Booz Allen providing the strategic advice to us on our growth and development, I don’t think we’d be as successful as we are today,” says Ashley. “They helped us to really hone in with sound marketing and benchmarking data on other organizations. We didn’t have the staff or resources to do that research.”
That kind of advice, says Ashley, “is what really sets them apart as an organization that is committed to community development.”
Booz Allen also provides direct cash contributions to the college fund and, as Ashley notes, recruits Thurgood Marshall Scholars to work for the firm. “That’s what really puts the rubber to the road – when you practice diversity rather than just talk about it,” he says.
In accepting the honor at the college fund’s 21st Annual Awards Dinner in New York, Dr. Shrader said he had recently had lunch with four of the Thurgood Marshall Scholars who now work for Booz Allen.
“It gave me the chance to look back through their eyes on their college experience – and to look forward at their dreams,” he said. “I felt a kinship with them across the decades because a scholarship gave me the gift of a college education.”
Dr. Shrader thanked the Thurgood Marshall College Fund “for giving these deserving students – and companies like ours – the gift of the future.”
Meet Thurgood Marshall Scholars and Booz Allen consultants Kendra Simmons and Christine King.
story posted November 10, 2008
