PHILADELPHIA—Aramark, the global hospitality, facilities, and uniform services provider, announced the recipients of the 2022 Aramark Leaders & Employees of African Descent (LEAD) Awards, recognizing the commitment and contributions of exceptional Black and African American team members across the company.
The 2022 LEAD Awards recipients were honored at the second annual LEAD Summit, “LEADing the Way—Black Excellence Personified Through Established and Emerging Leaders,” which occurred recently and was the culmination of Aramark’s Black History Month celebration.
“LEAD’s vision is to cultivate Black leaders at Aramark, support the communities where we live, and foster a spirit of belonging,” said Aramark Higher Education Field President and LEAD Executive Sponsor, Trevor Ferguson. “The 2022 LEAD Awards recipients have demonstrated outstanding leadership, creativity, and vision. They are LEADing the way for Aramark to create a more diverse workforce of future leaders, an inclusive workplace environment for all, and are intentional in connecting to the communities we serve.”
The 2022 LEAD Awards were presented to:
- Karen Mitchal, Founder’s Award: LEAD Founding Chair, Karen Mitchal, was recognized in appreciation for her exceptional foresight, vision, and leadership establishing LEAD in 2017.
- Shannon Nichols, Chair Award: Shannon Nichols was recognized for demonstrating outstanding leadership within the LEAD organization.
- Micah Boudreaux, Committee Chair of the Year: Micah Boudreaux was recognized as an “up and coming” leader who exemplifies job excellence within a LEAD committee.
- Charlotte Hub, Community Service Award: The Charlotte LEAD HUB was recognized for community service, hosting multiple community service projects over the past year.
- New Jersey/New York Hub, Hub of the Year: The New Jersey/New York LEAD Hub was recognized for delivering the LEAD mission and for its event programming for members.
LEAD hosted several events and activities in recognition of Black History Month, including:
- 2022 LEAD Summit showcasing voices from inside and outside Aramark. Full of inspiring and insightful moments, the Summit featured panel discussions, “Get to Know a Leader” sessions, and remarks from National Urban League President & CEO, Marc Morial, who shared several leadership lessons from his book, The Gumbo Coalition.
- Black History Month Virtual Cook Along where Chef Jasmine Johnson and Chef Winell Christie taught participants how to make traditional African American cuisine. Both chefs are products of Aramark’s A2L Program, a year-long development and training initiative for recent college graduates.
- Chef Spotlight program celebrated the contributions and influence of Aramark’s Black chefs. Aramark culinarians were invited to discuss how their cultural identity influences their work and comes to life through their favorite recipes. The Chefs’ stories and recipes were spotlighted at Aramark dining locations and on social media.
- Virtual book discussion of Stacey Abrams’ book, Lead from the Outside—a deep dive on how being in the minority provides strength and opportunity to drive real change.
Approximately 30 percent of Aramark’s U.S. employee population identifies as Black, and in an effort to support those employees and continue to grow and develop its diverse employee base, Aramark proudly supports Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). As part of its commitment to providing equal employment and career growth opportunities, and with LEAD’s active participation, Aramark is working to develop an active and robust recruiting effort at many HBCU institutions.
