INROADS awards banquet:

Eyes were on interns

By Tomi Morris Johnson

Photos by Kurk Johnson

Inroads parent support group members introduce student leaders to crowd of business leaders and executives at annual event.

July 11, 2002, Atlanta, GA… “Good talent is a hot commodity,” said Mike Troy, former chairman of INROADS/Atlanta, Inc. who served as master of ceremonies for the 21^st Annual Awards Banquet held at the Hyatt Regency Centennial Ballroom. In attendance were representatives from 68 major companies, 261 interns and their guests, and over 550 alumni of the program now in management positions across the country. “We are nurturing our young people,” Troy said. The banquet’s theme was “All Eyes Are On Us.”

INROADS, was founded in 1970 to develop and place talented minority youth in business and industry and prepare them for corporate and community leadership. Affiliates are located in 52 US cities. The Atlanta program opened in 1981 with 18 companies employing 24 metro youth. INROADS is a non-profit, tax exempt 501 ( C )(3) 509 (a)(1) organization.

“Despite a tough and challenging economy, our network continues to evolve,” was the message from Charlene Crusoe-Ingram, INROADS/Atlanta Chairperson and VP of Diversity Strategy and Culture at The Coca-Cola Company headquartered in Atlanta. “While we have made notable progress, we must better prepare for the years ahead by accelerating the momentum. We can do that by working together to discover and implement innovative ways to deliver increased value to our interns, corporate partners and the community.”

Several students were awarded certificates, medals, and scholarships because they maintained a 3.5 GPA while attending college classes during the regular school year and working for major corporations during the summer.

In order for students to be eligible for the program, they must meet high academic criteria, pursue a college degree in business or technical discipline, must be motivated to succeed, and have leadership characteristics. Client organizations make commitments to provide career-related summer jobs, involve staff on intern’s development team, and pay an annual sponsorship fee per intern and the intern’s salary at competitive wages.

This year’s sponsors included GE Power Systems, United Parcel Service (UPS), Georgia Power/Southern Company, The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, Inc., IBM, Siemens Energy & Automation, Bank of America, Cingular Wireless, Kaiser Permanente, SunTrust Bank, as well as 18 business, government and individual patrons. To learn more about INROADS, go to www.INROADS.org. To read the full story and view additional pictures, email tomij@wingcomltd.com.