Barnes & Thornburg’s 10th Annual Celebration of Diversity Honors Chicago Leaders

CHICAGO – Barnes & Thornburg LLP will hold its 10th Annual Celebration of Diversity dinner on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019, at the University Club of Chicago. Delivering the keynote address will be Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who serves Illinois’ 8th Congressional District and is a former Illinois Deputy Treasurer.

“We have a lot to celebrate this year,” said Richard Boykin, founder of the annual event, partner in the Chicago and Washington, D.C., offices of Barnes & Thornburg and member of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. “For a decade we’ve honored individuals and organizations that have taken deliberate actions in contributing to diversity and inclusion efforts, and we are thrilled to spotlight our honorees, who so deserve this recognition.”

The dinner and awards ceremony will recognize those who have exhibited a personal and professional commitment to diversity, justice and civil rights. This year’s award recipients are:

• Richard Gamble, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Chicago Zoological Society, joined the Chicago Zoological Society after a 16-year career with the Chicago Tribune, where he was the first person of color to serve as publisher of Chicago Magazine and the first African-American publisher of the Spanish-language weekly, Exito. He is also active in many organizations, and serves as the board chairman of the Magnificent Mile Association, the first person of color in 107 years to do so.
• Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director, Heartland Alliance’s National Immigrant Justice Center, is a nationally and internationally recognized immigration law expert and advocate. Her experience as a lawyer and academic has resulted in her testifying before Congress and the United Nations, and appearing on major news outlets. Her combined education, advocacy and legal counsel services at the National Immigrant Justice Center has been recognized as a gold standard resource for immigration policy.
• The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. It represents more than 100,000 credentialed practitioners, including registered dietitian nutritionists; dietetic technicians; and other dietetics professionals and students, and is committed to improving the nation’s health by advancing the professional of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Furthermore, the organization has made a strategic effort to diversify its profession to meet health needs in minority communities across the U.S.

“Rep. Krishnamoorthi, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from India, and this year’s award recipients represent many firsts in overcoming historical inequalities,” said Dawn Rosemond, director of Diversity, Professional Development and Inclusion at Barnes & Thornburg. “It’s of the utmost importance to highlight their work and leadership for those who want to implement and advocate for similar changes.”

Mark Rust, Chicago managing partner, added: “Barnes & Thornburg strives to promote acceptance and respect in each of its offices, and has placed a particular focus on developing diverse talent across the firm. Here in Chicago, we are thrilled to continue to host this signature event, and to encourage conversations about diversity and inclusion in our own communities and workplaces.”

Sponsors of Barnes & Thornburg’s 10th annual Celebration of Diversity event are The Chicago Lighthouse, Constellation Brands Beer Division and PepsiCo. The emcee for the evening will be Tahman Bradley of WGN-TV.

With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.