New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council Has 40th Anniversary Partnership Awards on December 6

New York, NY, November 23, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council (The Council) will hold its milestone 40th Anniversary Partnership Awards Gala, an elegant black-tie celebration, on Friday, December 6 at the New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

For the last 40 years, The Council has been on the frontline in advocating partnerships between New York and New Jersey African-American, Asian -American, Hispanic American and Native-American Council-certified MBEs and its Fortune 500, institutional and government corporate members. There has been thousands of success stories initiated through The Council’s MBE-corporate partnerships. These strategic alliances have positively affected families and communities through job creation, education, home ownership and consumer buying power.

The Partnership Awards Gala will present awards to both corporate and minority businesses. For outstanding achievement in their industries, The Council will bestow the prestigious Supplier of the Year Awards to the following multicultural businesses: Impacto Latin News for Class 1; Architectural Flooring Resource, Inc for Class 2; Eclaro International for Class 3 and Pride Technologies, LLC for Class 4. At the gala, The Council will announce the influential national corporation, regional corporation and corporate advocate awards for corporate members that have made outstanding accomplishments in supplier diversity.

“For 40 years, The Council has been instrumental in helping thousands of New York and New Jersey minority companies grow their business,” said Pauline Gebon, chairperson of The Council and vice president, supplier diversity at Adecco North America. “The Council’s 40th anniversary is a remarkable tribute to the long term positive impact of The Council’s collaborations between our certified minority businesses and our corporate members.”

The Partnership Awards Gala will feature an inspirational invocation by Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey and the former Secretary of State for New Jersey. The evening’s emcee will be the multitalented Howard Cross, formerly of the New York Giants, who is now both a Giants Radio reporter and a noted real estate executive. Theresa Harrison, director of supplier diversity, Ernst & Young, LLP is the corporate co-chair and Noorali Sonawalla, founder and CEO, Sunrise Systems, is the MBE co-chair. The gold sponsors are: Avis Budget Group, BNY Mellon, Con Edison and PepsiCo. Registration for Partnership Awards Gala is available at www.nynjcouncilgala.com. For more information, contact The Council at 212.502.5663.

The Council, an award-winning National Minority Supplier Development Council affiliate, has approximately 200 corporations that are members and 1,300 certified minority businesses. Jurisdiction spans New York State through Trenton, New Jersey.