PHX Perspective

Award Given to Organization that Champions Diversity

On Thursday, Oct. 22, the AZSHRM Workforce Diversity Awards were bestowed on Valley organizations who champion diversity in their organizations. Answers & Apples, a company that runs the Information Counters at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, received the award in the Small Business Category. Co-founders Zella Zannis and Milt Stamatis accepted the award on behalf of the company, and Milt made a few short remarks.

Milt said he is honored at winning the award, but stressed that, “Our cultural rainbow of outstanding people is the reason we received this award.”

The Small Business category is for companies with 500 or less employees. Finalists were evaluated on how their diversity initiatives impact the overall business and organizational goals, how effective the particular organization’s diversity strategy is, what the benefits of the diversity strategy are, and the overall commitment to the local community on diversity initiatives. Milt said that Answers & Apples won in 2003, and when their leadership verbally surveyed their staff on whether they should enter this year, the answer was a resounding yes.

“As with this achievement, the award is to be honored, yet the joy is the journey to work with an incredibly diverse group of multinational individuals that have amazing life stories,” Milt said. “All of us work with the single common purpose of guiding travelers thru Sky Harbor International Airport and on to their destinations, and we always strive to have that experience be exceptional. Exceptional service, our constant endeavor, of this we can be most proud.”

The AZSHRM Workforce Diversity Awards are given each year through a partnership with the Diversity Leadership Alliance, which serves to provide diversity education, resources, tools, and forums to the Valley of the Sun, and Jobing.com.

Answers & Apples has six or seven staff that work with Sky Harbor’s Navigator Program and another 35 or so that work at the Information Counters answering people’s questions. Congratulations to Milt and the Answers & Apples organization for their outstanding achievement.