The following is an announcement from Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council:
The Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council (MSDC) and its president & CEO, Fernando Martinez, were honored on a national scale on Wednesday night. Martinez was presented with the Vanguard Award at the National MSDC’s 2015 Leadership Awards gala in New York.
The Vanguard Award recognizes an NMSDC affiliate council president who has exhibited leadership in driving the value proposition for minority supplier development among corporate and minority business enterprise (MBE) constituents throughout the national network.
“Fernando is the epitome of what we look for in leadership—a dedicated professional who combines passion and performance,” said Joset Wright-Lacey, NMSDC president.
“It is an honor to receive this recognition. However, I must accept this recognition on behalf of the many individuals and organizations that have supported our Council through the years,” said Martinez at the gala, thanking many including “our staff back in Seattle who live our mission day in and day out.”
Martinez has been at the helm of the Northwest Mountain MSDC since 2008, leading the organization’s growth and economic impact on minority businesses in region’s seven states. From 2013-2014, he was Chair of the National MSDC’s President’s Council. He currently serves on several statewide boards and was recently appointed to the King County Economic Opportunity and Empowerment Program Advisory Board. Prior to joining the Council, Martinez led and managed business units within companies such as Xerox Corporation, Starbucks Corporation, Westin Hotels & Resorts, and the former Washington Mutual, Inc.
“This award is really the acknowledgment of all the work we’ve put into the organization and of our Board, the staff, the members, and all the MBEs,” Martinez said. “This organization is highly regarded across the country. It’s everything coming together and culminating into a position of leadership where we’re being recognized nationally.”
For more than 37 years, the Northwest Mountain MSDC has been linking major corporations and public agencies to minority-owned businesses, a multi-billion dollar sector representing and impacting today’s global economy. The Council serves the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Washington. For more information, visit www.nwmtnmsdc.org.
