CEO Karla Malacon Surprised with Leadership Award in Celebration of Her Visionary Leadership
Seattle, WA – November 8, 2024 – The Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council (NWMMSDC) had the honor of hosting a night of celebration, inspiration, and connection on Friday, November 8, 2024, at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle, Washington. The 2024 Leadership & Advocacy Awards honored leaders, organizations, and businesses that have made exceptional contributions to advancing supplier diversity across our region, supporting a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable economy.
Celebrating Outstanding Achievements in Supplier Diversity
The event started off with a warm welcome from Brooklyn Dicent, Chief Happiness Officer of The Happiness Consulting Company followed by remarks from Karla Malacon, President & CEO of NWMMSDC, Joshua Canady, NWMMSDC’s board chairperson and Group Program Manager in Supplier Diversity at Microsoft, and Kate Kleyman, NWMMSDC’s board vice chairperson and Senior Program Manager at McKinstry. Selected by the Northwest Mountain MSDC and the board’s Executive Committee, a total of 13 awards were presented, including two surprise awards for the honorees.
Celebrating excellence in commitment to supplier diversity, the following advocacy awards were issued:
- Robert L. Ryan Award: Stacie Harwood, Senior Program Manager of Supplier Diversity at T-Mobile, was recognized for her dedication to minority business success.
- John A. Gilmore Award: Jacob Davidson, Director of New Business Development at RLA Engineers, was honored for his advocacy for fellow MBEs and Corporate Members.
- Phyllis Gutiérrez Kenney Award: Yolonda Brooks, Statewide Outreach and Community Engagement Specialist at Washington State Department of Transportation, was recognized for her commitment to advancing minority business opportunities within public agencies.
Recognizing Suppliers of the Year Across Multiple Revenue Classes
Additionally, the Supplier of the Year Awards for 2023 were presented in four categories, honoring businesses that have excelled in performance, innovation, and community impact:
- Class I: SM Diversity, LLC
- Class II: Logic Intelligence
- Class III: In Time Tec
- Class IV: Apollo Sheet Metal (accepted in absentia)
Corporate Leadership Recognition
The evening seemingly concluded with the Leadership Awards, celebrating organizations that have shown exemplary leadership in supplier diversity.
- Public Agency of the Year: Washington Department of Enterprise Services was recognized for its outstanding leadership in promoting and supporting minority business enterprises.
- Regional Corporation of the Year: Branch, Richards & Co., P.S. was honored for its exemplary leadership in supporting the NWMMSDC’s mission and development of minority businesses.
- National Corporation of the Year: Microsoft Corporation was celebrated for its significant contributions to advancing minority business opportunities nationwide.
Fernando Martinez Awarded for 15 years of exemplary NWMMSDC Leadership
In honor of Fernando Martinez’s 15 years of commendable leadership and dedication to the Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council, NWMMSDC’s CEO and President, Karla Malacon, presented the President’s Award to a surprised and speechless Martinez.
Karla Malacon Awarded for Leadership Excellence
Finally, after feeling as though this year’s awards ceremony wouldn’t be complete without recognizing Karla Malacon’s exemplary leadership, the NWMMSDC team executed a surprise they had been hiding from Karla for over a month. Huda Al-Musawi, Manager of Operations at the NWMMSDC, who had just been on stage for what everyone thought was the final award presentation, remained on stage and took the microphone to announce an unplanned surprise, followed by a heartfelt video message from Karla’s team, highlighting her contributions and leadership.
After the video, a surprised Karla—who is nearly impossible to surprise— was called to the stage to receive the Leadership Award in recognition of her exceptional leadership and tireless work in advancing the Council‘s mission.
A Night of Gratitude and Community
The NWMMSDC 2024 Leadership and Awards was more than just a celebration of achievements—it was a reminder of the power of collaboration, the importance of supplier diversity, and the shared responsibility of everyone in the room to help advance the cause of economic equity and inclusion.
As the evening drew to a close, guests continued their celebrations with music, networking, exploring MoPop’s exhibitions, and a shared sense of pride in the collective accomplishments achieved in the name of supplier diversity.
The NWMMSDC extends its heartfelt gratitude to the event’s sponsors, including T-Mobile U.S. Inc., the event’s title sponsor, as well as Trio Group, Mike Nakamura Photography, PromoShop, The French Bakery, and Little Rae’s Bakery for their invaluable support.
About the NWMMSDC
The Northwest Mountain MSDC is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering minority-owned businesses by certifying, developing, and connecting Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) with major corporations and public agencies across the Northwest Mountain region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming). The Council is dedicated to advancing supplier diversity and creating opportunities that empower minority-owned businesses to thrive.
For more information about NWMMSDC and its programs, visit www.nwmmsdc.org.
For inquiries and media requests, please reach out to our Marketing and Communications Manager Chiara Brinkmann atcbrinkmann@nwmmsdc.org.
Photos by Mike Nakamura, Nikhil Promod, and the NWMMSDC.
