AT&T, Genesis Networks and John K. Lopez honored

LAS VEGAS, April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The Telecommunications Industry Group (TIG) announced its DiversityNXT Award winners at its annual DiversityNXT conference, held for the first time at International CTIA Wireless 2009(R).  Recognizing achievement in supplier diversity in the Next Generation of telecommunications, TIG honored AT&T, Genesis Networks and John K. Lopez.

About the awards and winners:

DiversityNXT Gen Corporation Award - AT&T

The DiversityNXT Gen Corporation Award is awarded to a corporation that has been innovative in the way it has used a diverse supplier in its supply chain to provide a solution to a business problem or opportunity in the next generation technologies of the telecommunications industry.  

AT&T is known as a pioneer and a national leader in developing and implementing supplier diversity best practices. Its commitment to supplier diversity is evident in the benchmark best-spending results achieved – among the highest in the nation.  In 2008, AT&T celebrated its 40th anniversary of Supplier Diversity Programs, which began in 1968 with the creation of AT&T's Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program. In addition to the MBE Program, the launch of AT&T's Women Business Enterprise (WBE) Program in 1980 and its Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Program in 1993 have better enabled AT&T to provide the best products and services to its customers by expanding contracting opportunities for diverse businesses across its enterprise. AT&T has mentored several diversity suppliers to support non-traditional areas of the company's business, and has also helped diverse businesses break into other industries, like advertising and contract manufacturing. Supplier diversity is a critical initiative of AT&T's business strategy and a key component of the company's plan to deliver the best products and services to its customers.

Tim Harden, President of Procurement and Fleet Operations, received the award for the AT&T.

DiversityNXT Solution Supplier Award - Genesis Networks

The DiversityNXT Solution Supplier Award is awarded to a minority-, woman- or disabled veteran-owned business that has delivered innovative solutions to their customers using next generation telecom technologies. 

Genesis Networks was established in 2001 as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) company with headquarters based in San Antonio, Texas.  Since that time, they have become a nationwide business solutions provider of telecommunications equipment for major service providers and manufacturers of next generation equipment. Genesis Networks employs more than 100 telecommunication industry professionals with offices in Dallas, Texas; Lubbock, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; Atlanta, Georgia; and Raanana, Israel.

Genesis offers a variety of solutions to meet their customers' business needs which include Staff Augmentation, Custom Software Development, Web Development, Engineering, Furnishing, and Installation (EF&I) services and Value Added Reseller (VAR) services.  To support their VAR services and other offerings, Genesis Networks also owns and operates a TL 9000 certified state of the art Network Integration Center in Memphis, Tennessee, where they provide scalable network deployments for many of their major customers.  Revenues in 2008 exceeded $50M.

James Goodman, CEO, and Jesse Torres, President of Telecom Services, received the award for Genesis Networks.
 
DiversityNXT Trailblazer Award - John K. Lopez, Chairman of the Association for Service Disabled Veterans

The DiversityNXT Trailblazer Award is awarded to an individual who is a long-term diversity pioneer in our industry.  The DiversityNXT 2009 Trailblazer had a significant impact on the business community in the telecommunications industry by opening up opportunities for service-disabled veteran business owners through legislative initiatives.  These initiatives ensured that a percentage of public monies would be used to contract with service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.  By ensuring that millions of dollars of subcontracting opportunities were opened up to bid by service-disabled veterans, diverse businesses in the telecommunications industry became solid contributors to the U.S. economy.
 
John K. Lopez is a Disabled in Military Service Veteran from the Korean Conflict and a Member of the United States Marine Corps.  He was founding Co-Chairman of the National Task Force on Veteran's Enterprise of Washington D.C. and has been Chairman since 1985 of the Association for Service Disabled Veterans (ASDV).  The Association for Service Disabled Veterans (ASDV) is the non-profit organization that pioneered the concept of "ENTREPRENEURSHIP" as a valid goal in the rehabilitation of disabled in service and prisoner of war military veterans (SDVE). The Association for Service Disabled Veterans initiated pioneering legislation in both California and the Federal Government that requires that 3% of procurement dollars be directed to service disabled veteran enterprises.

Mr. Lopez received the award in person.

2009 Sponsors of DiversityNXT:

The Platinum sponsors are Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Cisco, Fujistu and Verizon. Gold sponsors are Brocade and CommScope, Inc. Silver sponsors are Agilent Technologies and Motorola. Bronze sponsors are CTDI, Embarq, Nortel, Sprint and Tellabs. Additional TIG members include: Comcast, Ericsson, Purcell, Qwest, Samsung, Sanmina, SAS and Windstream.  Media sponsors are GlobalEXEC Women and MBN-USA Magazine.

About TIG:

The Telecommunications Industry Group (TIG) is group of telecommunication industry professionals committed to developing and implementing initiatives that generate sustainable business development for certified diversity suppliers; enhance the professional development of its members; and position supplier diversity as a strategic business initiative.  For a list of TIG members and general information, please visit www.diversitynxt.org.

SOURCE  Telecommunications Industry Group

Jeffrey Espiritu of the Telecommunications Industry Group, +1-847-632-5371,
diversitynxt@diversitynxt.org