Lorena Valencia 2010 Positively Powerful Woman Entrepreneur
Lorena Valencia, President/CEO, Reliance Wire & Cable is selected
as this year’s Positively Powerful Woman Entrepreneur Award Recipient for her business success and leadership of nonprofit organizations especially The Grand Canyon Minority Supplier Development Council. She is the GCMSDC Council MBEIC Chair and national MBE co-chair of the upcoming National MSDC Convention. Lorena’s motto is “Those who give, gather.” She sits on various committees dedicated to the advocacy of government affairs relating to minority business.
Under her leadership Reliance Wire & Cable was awarded TS-16149 and ISO 14001 registrations by Underwriters Laboratories proving that it meets the most rigorous International standards of quality. At every stage of their manufacturing process, intense emphasis is placed on proactive quality policies. To ensure the highest levels of quality, they have integrated advanced laser technologies directly into processes to verify that single inch of wire meets specifications and any UL, CSA, CRU, SCTE, GPT, TWP, AVS, Mil-Spec and OEM standards.
This award recipient is also President of Magin Corp, a corrugated carrier distribution company and Fizz Technologies, an IT company that delivers collaborative technical solutions. Lorena has grown her companies from complete start-ups to successful organizations that gross over $60 million dollars.
Although the main manufacturing facility is in Monterrey, Mexico, their network allows them the ability to manufacture products in over 200 locations around the world. Her companies have corporate offices in Scottsdale, Arizona and a satellite office in San Diego, California.
Lorena, an avid tennis player, reader and artist, is a first generation bi-lingual, Mexican-American. Born and raised in Chicago, she attended the University of Illinois at Chicago and currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. www.reliancewire.com
Dr. Joel Martin, Positively Powerful Events Producer and Host is considered “a genuine genius in her approach to personal transformation.” She has spoken before and/or trained people of all ages across the U.S. and internationally. She is President of Triad West specializing in diversity, leadership, and breakthrough performance. Joel serves as a Commissioner on the Human Relations Commission, City of Scottsdale as well as PowerNetworking Conference Director of Education, Delegate American Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), Board Member American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW).
“My dream to have this event began when I spoke before a very influential group of women in business and law. I asked, ‘How many of you give to yourself as much as you give to others?’ Only one hand was raised. I decided then that it was necessary to create an event that provides women with bold, invigorating opportunities to fully unleash their dynamic selves. Stepping out on faith, I designed and produced Positively Powerful Women Awards and Workshops. With the support of sponsors and friends, I am able to make my dream a reality.”
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Angela Curley First Positively Powerful Corporate Woman Winner
The 3rd annual “Positively Powerful Women Celebrate!” Awards Luncheon will be Friday, May 21st at the Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix, Arizona from 11:30AM T0 2PM. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $75. Please join us as we honor three exceptional and diverse women servant leaders Angela Curley, Debbie Paine, and Lorena Valencia.Originally from New York, the award recipient relocated to Arizona to join the Dial Corporation. Since joining the company in 1998, she has provided direction on community outreach efforts as well as the diversity program. She also influenced senior leadership to sponsor the African American, Asian and Hispanic Employee Resource Groups, served two terms as president of the African American Forum, Treasury and steering committee member of Professional Women’s Forum and was appointed to Dial’s Executive Diversity Leadership Team.
Since the acquisition, Angela has provided guidance to the President of Henkel on the creation of the global diversity program and is currently the leader and strategist for all Henkel sites in North America. She is the liaison for ten Employee Resource Groups in the US and the Women in Leadership Team in Germany. She is the coordinator and creator of Henkel’s first Corporate Council for Diversity and Inclusion. Under her leadership, Dial/Henkel was recognized by AZSHRM as Corporation of the year 2001 and 2009, Best Places to Work in CT 2010 and well as other awards.
Angela served three years on the board of directors for the Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce, was recognized as a 2008 Athena nominee, serves as Co chair of Valley of The Sun United Way CIC Committee and is on the board of directors of the Diversity Leadership Alliance. She is the recipient of Dial’s highest individual recognition, the Reaching for Greatness Award.
With all that she has accomplished, Angela says she is “most proud of the fact that I am a girl from the Bronx, the daughter of immigrants, who overcome many barriers to be a lynchpin for others because of the love and support of family and community.“
She attributes much of her success to the wisdom she gained from her mother, the support of her sisters and son Jarrett, 23, who is the apple of her eye. www.henkel.com
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Lorrinda Gray-Davis, Gate Keeper for Millions
No matter how you interpret the headline, it all rings true when it’s Lorrinda Gray-Davis that’
s being referred to. Ms. Gray-Davis is the Director of Diversity Development for Perini Building Co. Inc., a company that is a leader in the high-dollar relationship-based commercial contracting and construction industry. The Las Vegas skyline and Phoenix Airpot are two of the many sites shaped by their corporation.
I met Lorrinda when she held a similar position with Austin Industries and since those early days, I have seen the consistency with which she has exceeded the $$ diversity commitments of these firms. She’s been pivotal in the awarding of millions of dollars to minority companies. She’s received millions of accolades and awards most recently the Champion of Diversity Award from Diversity Plus. She has assisted significant numbers if not millions of business owners in growing their businesses through mentoring, championing, educational forums, etc. because as she says, “If our subcontractors fail, we fail.” She is also supportive of community events serving as the Chairperson of the Grand Canyon Minority Supplier Development Council, Ron Williams President and sponsor of The Positively Powerful Women Celebrate! events among others.
Perini serves as a benchmark for other prime contractors. however, the firm’s diversity success did not come overnight– nor has it been coincidental. It actually started growing roots in 2005 when the firm hired its Director of Diversity Development Lorrinda Gray-Davis. when Gray-Davis took on the challenge, she was charged with establishing a full-time diversity department, policies and procedures. Fortunately, Gray-Davis and Perini alike have seen substantial results. (MBNUSA September 15 – October 15, 2008)
Transformational leaders enroll in their vision: She’s done this at Perini, for entrepreneurs, and in the community. They are vulnerable and she is in her “upfront” style of communication and commitment to get things done. They cause a possibility to occur that would not have happened otherwise as she does being a minority business advocate who is not only a gate keeper for millions but creating gates where there were none before.
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