fbpx

SFBW Makes a Strong Stand at the Diversity & Inclusion Awards

At a critical time, SFBW and its partners and sponsors came out in force for the magazine’s first Diversity and Inclusion Awards in what is planned to be an annual event. Held, appropriately enough, in Wilton Manors at the Venue, the awards were announced by Jennifer Starkey, vice president of diversity and inclusion at TD Bank, the presenting sponsor, and SFBW managing director Kim Sarni, while former LMG chairman Gary Press made a stirring statement about the need for love and acceptance.

Press movingly recounted the ways in which his brother faced discrimination and ostracism for being gay and his struggles as he endured the debilitating effects of AIDS and suffered an untimely, tragic death. He spoke of how heartlessness can become casual and automatic and how dreams get dashed when society refuses to see the value in every one of us. In his program letter, he described his “wakeup call to how cruel and prejudiced people can be, my wakeup call to the callousness of those who consider themselves ‘good people’ when they dismiss the value and humanity of others. Words and actions matter, and so does being seen.”

During his remarks, he described his experiences with his brother as “a brick in the face” and “an incredible awakening” to “the horrors of prejudice” based not only on sexual orientation, but also on race and religion. And he made it plain that SFBW and Lifestyle Media Group brook no intolerance: “I don’t tolerate any sort of prejudice in my life,” he said, to robust applause. “In the companies I’ve built over the last 25, 30 years, there is no place for anybody who is not tolerant.” He recalled turning away job applicants when their professional masks slipped, and their prejudices were revealed. “There is no path to success in our organizations for intolerant people,” he said. “That’s the way we do business.”

Sponsors represented a range of sectors, from health care to banking to education to tourism to professional services to businesses large and small, and included Florida Blue (gold); Minuteman Press (silver); Memorial Hospital, physician Shimo Bay, Visit Lauderdale and the World AIDS Museum (diamond); and AutoNation, Broward College, Culture Accelerators and Marsh McLennan Agency (sapphire).

The fact that such a vibrant sampling of South Florida industries and entities nominated their personnel and signed on to make the event happen proved a powerful statement. “To culminate in something like this makes me feel so honored.” Press said. “So many people here tonight receiving these awards shines a very bright light on diversity and inclusion in South Florida.”

Photo by Eduardo Schneider

You May Also Like

2023 Prestigious Women Awards Honoree: Jennifer Saint Louis

Dr. Jennifer Saint Louis serves as the Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & Innovation at Broward College. In this role, she provides leadership for community-wide relationships aligning with the college’s Social Enterprise Plan. Providing operational oversight for municipal, agency, and employer partnerships, using a data-driven approach, her division expands and strengthens county-wide collaboration following

2023 Prestigious Women Awards Honoree: Julie Williamson-Bresset

Julie Williamson-Bresset has been blessed to have a 25+ year career in Finance/ Wealth Managment, all in the South Florida market. As a fifth-generation Floridian, Williamson-Bresset cares deeply about the community and uses both time and resources to invest in helping in every area. As a mother of four incredible kiddos, four cats, three dogs,

2023 Prestigious Women Awards Honoree: Denise Rubin

In a notoriously competitive South Florida real estate market, Denise Rubin stands out as a top producer in history and has amassed a room full of awards, including 32 “BEST” awards from the Builders Association of South Florida and seven-time Best Real Estate Professional of the Year. Rubin breaks records in the real estate industry,

2023 Prestigious Women Awards Honoree: Laurie Spector

A top-ranked real estate advisor affiliated with COMPASS in South Florida, Laurie Spector has been recognized as a RealTrends America’s Best Real Estate Professional. She is a member of the invitation-only Master Brokers Forum, the COMPASS Club, the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, as well as the Neighborhood Choice Realtor in Rio Vista. Laurie is

Other Posts

2023 Prestigious Women Awards Honoree: Susan Colton

Susan Colton taught in public school classrooms and served as a highly respected, nationally recognized principal for thirty-two years. She is a speaker, trainer, and facilitator specializing in building positive relationships with diverse communities and putting students “at the top of the organizational chart.” She also served as Director of Leadership Development for Broward County

2023 Prestigious Women Awards Honoree: Paige Pavlik Garrido

Paige Pavlik Garrido is the Assistant Director of Executive Education at FAU’s College of Business. Paige leads the Corporate Training Division, where she works with Florida’s leading organizations to help identify workforce skills deficiencies, build a curriculum to address the organization’s particular needs and deliver customized professional development training to raise organizational productivity and innovation.

2023 Prestigious Women Awards Honoree: Christine Barney

In 1989, Christine Barney moved to Miami and never looked back. Falling in love with the city’s entrepreneurial spirit, Barney joined Bruce Rubin Associates and became a partner within three years of the newly named Rubin, Barney & Birger. She continued to scale the agency, attract the best talent, and keep clients and staff for

2023 Prestigious Women Awards Honoree: Jessica Levy

As President and Founder of Levy Public Relations, Jessica Levy has positioned the firm as a highly recognized PR and marketing agency in South Florida and New York. Levy has a strong work ethic that has been instilled by an entrepreneurial family. She takes great pride in making sure her clients are offered the best