2008 Symon Awards

Wednesday, October 14, 2008

Holiday Inn City Centre

11:30 am-1:00 pm

Join the Sioux Falls Business Leadership Network and other area businesses for the seventh annual Symon Awards on Wednesnday, October 14.  The Symon Awards recognizes Sioux Falls area employers for their achievements in developing and promoting a diverse workforce that includes people with disabilities.  The Symon Awards also recognizes an outstanding employee with a disability whose selection attests to the strength and talents employees with disabilities bring to our business community.  The Symon Awards provides you and your organization the opportunity to learn about innovative strategies for attracting and retaining quality employees in a competitive labor market.    

Keynote Presenter:

Deb Russell
Manager of Outreach and Employee Services
Walgreens Corporation

Ms. Russell is an expert on workforce development and public and private relationships.  She will be sharing Walgreens ground breaking program for recruitment of people with disabilities at their distribution center in Anderson, South Carolina.  More than forty percent of the centers 800 employees have a disability.  The South Carolina facility opened in April 2007 and productivity is up twenty percent compare with other Walgreens distribution centers.  

Walgreens also developed Walgreensoutreach.com which provides information to help potential employees understand what work will be like at the distribution center.  The site incorporates audio messages, photos, video and large print text option to depict jobs and worklife at Anderson.  The site is also designed to be accessible to blind and low vision individuals who use screen reader technology.  Under the jobs section, videos show employees performing various jobs, and the text describes what the workers are doing.  The site also includes information about Walgreens partnership with 13 local disability agencies and addresses concerns such as transporation, housing and the impact of gainful employment on Medicaid, SSI or SSDI benefits.

To learn more about Walgreens innovative initiative to hire people with disabilities please check out these videos: 

http://healthcorner.walgreens.com/anderson/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec3gR6HkoDE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2BCAIfQzh0&feature=related

Awards:

The Sioux Falls Business Leadership Network will be recognizing this year's recipients of the 2008 Symon Awards.  Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• Business Achievement Award-Is presented to a business(es) that are addressing disability in the workplace with customers, employees, accommodations, and job recruitment.
• Outstanding Employee Award-Is presented to an employee(s) with a disability, whose achievements have made a significant contribution to the business community and whose selection would encourage the employment of other persons with disabilities.

Who should attend:

• Employers, large and small
• Executives
• HR/recruiting specialists
• Diversity managers
• Rehabilitation Professionals
• Job Developers
• People with disabilities
• Disabilities Leaders

Investment:

Gold Package:                                                                                                $1000

• One Coporate VIP Table (eight seats) to Symon Awards
• Recognition on all Event Marketing Materials
• Recognition as a Sponsor at Symon Awards

Silver Package:                                                                                              $ 500

• One Corporate Table (eight seats) to Symon Awards
• Recognition on select event materials

Seat Sales:

• $35.00 for BLN Members
• $45.00 for non members

Sponsors:

• Citi
• City of Sioux Falls
• Home Federal Bank
• HSBC
• South Dakota Division of Rehabilitation Services

2008 Symon Awards Nomination Form

The purpose of the Sioux Falls Business Leadership Network's Symon Awards is to promote and recognize outstanding businesses and employee(s) with a disability in the Sioux Falls Area who have demonstrated positive employment practices and serves as  role models to citizens with disabilities.

Nomination Deadline: October 1, 2008

Note: Self-nominations are welcomed.

Please include the following information in your nomination(s):

• Name of Nominee, Nominator
• Title/organization (Nominator, Nominee)
• Phone Number (Nominator, Nominee)
• Email (Nominator, Nominee)

Award Categories:

• Outstanding Employee Award-Is presented to an employee(s) with a disability, who attests to the strengths and talents employees with disabilities contribute to the business community and whose selection would encourage the employment of other persons with disabilities.
• Business Achievement Award-Is presented to a business(es) that address disability in the workplace with customers, employees, accommodations, and job recruitment.

Please keep your nomination to 200 words or less and include examples of what make the nominee achievements outstanding.  Some examples you could talk about are:

• How the nominee meets the needs of employees and customers with disabilities?
• How the nominee's actions inspired others in your organization and in the community?
• How the nominee made a commitment to promote positive awareness among its employees?
• How the nominee made a commitment to hire job seekers with disabilities or aid employees with disabilities to further their career?

All Nominees will be recognized at the 2008 Symon Awards on October 14, 2008.

Please send your nomination(s) by email to the Sioux Falls Business Leadership Network: sf-bln@alliancecom.net.