Leadership in diversity and support of diversity and inclusion initiatives were celebrated as part of the 18th annual Fisher College of Business Diversity Awards.

As it has for nearly two decades, the event honored individuals and businesses that have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to diversity and inclusion at their organizations and at Fisher. Award recipients included:

• Individual Business Diversity Award: Joseph Boettcher (BS ’12), business and integration arch associate manager at Accenture
• Corporate Business Diversity Award: JPMorgan Chase

Boettcher (BS ’12) was lauded for his work with the LGBTQ+ community. In his nomination of Boettcher, Jaret Waters, a Fisher student and president of Out in Business, wrote: “Joe has consistently gone out of his way to serve as a support system to our organization. In his role with Accenture, he is not required to work with student organizations, but his passion for the empowerment of the LGBTQ+ community has led him to work extensively with us.”

“Beyond Accenture's incredible efforts in the D&I sphere, Joe is an exemplar of the abilities of an individual to create impact because I can say with certainty that our organization would not be nearly as developed as it is today without him.”

Three nominations for each award were received. Audra Fry, of L Brands, and Stephanie Hightower (BA ’81), of the Columbus Urban League, were nominated for the individual award, while Accenture and Target were nominated for the corporate award. The award winners were selected by Fisher’s Diversity Committee, which is chaired by Steffanie Wilk, associate dean for diversity and inclusion.

At the corporate level, JPMorgan Chase and the Chase Foundation were recognized for two recent major diversity initiatives at Fisher: the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council (OMSDC) and the Pathways for Women in Supply Chain program. The OMSDC is an executive program for 20-25 middle-market, minority-owned firms that provides executive training and development to leaders of these firms, highlighting aspects of operational excellence and leadership behaviors. Aspects of the program are subsidized by Chase.

The Pathways program provides $2,500 scholarships for first- and second-year female students in the undergraduate business program who are interested in supply chain. The students visit each sponsoring company to learn about their business and roles/opportunities in supply chain. In addition, companies provide individuals in supply chain to mentor the students. The program is an important part of Fisher's leadership in supply chain management and addresses diversity issues in the field. In all, the program has supported 32 students over three academic years.

“These award winners and all of this year’s nominees exemplify an outstanding commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion at the respective organizations and industries,” said David Harrison, senior director of Fisher’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion Student Services (OD&ISS), which presented the Diversity Awards.

“We are extremely grateful for all they have done and continue to do for our students and programs at Fisher, and we look forward to continuing our mission to advance and elevate diversity and inclusion here at the college and in the business world.”