March 18, 2019
Washington, DC – The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, in collaboration with its partners in the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC), has named the fourth annual cohort of Best-of-the-Best list of corporations in America committed to diversity and inclusion across all communities. The presentation of those honored with the Best-of-the-Best designation will be made at the fourth annual Best-of-the-Best Awards Gala held on April 10, 2019, at the historic Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. Bank of America, a Best-of-the-Best corporation, returned for the fourth consecutive year as the evening’s presenting sponsor.
“The Best-of-the-Best designation honors corporations for their commitment to America’s diverse employees and business owners, which includes LGBT people, people of color, women, and people with disabilities,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson. “This designation is highly competitive and is bestowed only to corporations that we see constantly striving to strengthen and celebrate diversity. These corporations being honored are true leaders in ongoing global commitments to create a better future for all diverse communities in business.”
Special honorees at the 2019 Best-of-the-Best gala, recognized for their visibility and leadership on issues facing diverse communities, will include: Representative Nydia Velazquez, Chair of House Small Business Committee; U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar; Grammy nominated performer and advocate Deborah Cox; and Schuyler Bailar, the first openly transgender NCAA Division I swimmer. Additional honorees and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Washington Post columnist & MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart will return as Master of Ceremonies.
NGLCC formed the National Business Inclusion Consortium in 2011, and its members represent a total of over $9 trillion in annual economic strength along with significant contributions to the marketplace and workplace. Only companies achieving industry-leading results across all diverse segments are eligible to receive the prestigious Best-of-the-Best designation from the NBIC, whose members include the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC); U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC); Disability: IN (formerly USBLN); U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC); U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAAC); Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC); and WEConnect International.
The 2019 Best-of-the-Best Corporations for Inclusion are:
- Accenture
- ADP, LLC
- Altria Group Inc.
- American Airlines, Inc.
- AT&T
- Bank of America
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Capital One
- Chevron
- Corning Incorporated
- Cummins Inc.
- Dupont
- Ernst & Young, LLP
- FedEx
- First Data
- Food Lion
- General Mills, Inc.
- General Motors
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Health Care Service Corporation
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise
- Hilton Worldwide
- IBM
- Johnson & Johnson
- JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Kellogg Company
- KPMG LLP
- Marriott International
- Merck
- Nationwide
- New York Life
- Northrop Grumman
- Northwell Health
- Pacific Gas and Electric
- Pfizer Inc.
- PNC Financial Services
- Sodexo
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
- Southern California Edison
- SunTrust Banks, Inc.
- Target Corporation
- TD Bank
- The Walt Disney Company
- TIAA
- Toyota Motor North America
- U.S. Bank
- United Airlines
- UPS
- Wells Fargo
- Wyndham Destinations
“Demonstrating commitment to diversity is not only the right thing to do, but it’s also the smartest thing to do for businesses large and small,” says NGLCC Co-Founder and CEO Chance Mitchell. “The select group of Fortune 500 companies honored with a Best-of-the-Best designation are innovators and trailblazers for inclusion and are constantly raising the bar forward for themselves, their peers, and their competitors. While we pause to honor some extraordinary leaders at the Best-of-the-Best gala, the great work of ensuring opportunity for all us is a year-round commitment. We look forward to working with all of these great companies for decades to come in shaping a more inclusive economy for all.”
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ABOUT NGLCC:
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses. www.nglcc.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jonathan Lovitz
Senior Vice President, NGLCC
press@nglcc.org | 954.695.5896
