SDG&E Honored with Supplier Diversity Awards

On Friday, May 2, the San Diego Regional Minority Supplier Development Council (MSDC) held its 7^th Annual Awards Ceremony, culminating the Supplier Diversity Achievement Week.  The Awards Ceremony was held to celebrate and honor the achievements of companies and individuals who have made significant contributions in supplier diversity in San Diego.  San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) received a great deal of recognition for its efforts and was honored with two awards:

• The President’s Award: This award recognizes individuals/corporations that have demonstrated exemplary leadership through their accomplishments in supplier diversity.  This was the final award of the evening and clearly the grand prize.
• Finalist - Corporation of the Year: The finalist was the second-prize category in this area. The first-place award was given to AT&T, in recognition of the company’s diversity spend of more than $10 billion.

MSDC president and CEO Ron Garnett, California Public Utilities Commissioner Timothy Simon and several other representatives from the businesses and the minority community, were present at the awards ceremony. SDG&E was represented by the Supplier Diversity team as well as representatives from SDG&E’s Human Resources, Community Affairs, Electric Procurement, and Fleet Services departments.

Jessie Knight Delivers Keynote Speech

Earlier in the week, SDG&E Chairman and CEO Jessie J. Knight, Jr., delivered the keynote speech that kicked off Supplier Diversity Achievement Week event. Knight addressed the topic of “Leveraging Opportunity through Innovation and New Technologies,” focusing on SDG&E’s 2011 Diverse Business Enterprise results, and opportunities for the businesses in attendance to get involved in smart grid and renewable energy innovations.

“At San Diego Gas & Electric, diversity is a core value and one that guides our behavior as an ethical, forward-looking, responsible partner in the community,” said Knight. “By making diversity integral to our supplier base, we’ve helped create the healthy atmosphere of competition that gives rise to innovation, adding value to our company in the process.”