VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS
Established in 1987, the Hispanic Support
Organization (HSO) at Verizon Communications
is the voice of the Hispanic employee committed
to increasing opportunities for professional
and personal development of all Hispanic Verizon
employees. The HSO has over 1,500 members
across 40 U.S. states and four international
locations including France, India, Mexico,
and Peru. Verizon’s Office of Global Diversity
and Inclusion allocates an annual budget to
HSO’s initiatives, all of which are anchored around
four strategic pillars; Employee, Business,
Community, and Workplace Culture. The HSO
offers many benefits to its members including
skill and leadership development, networking,
mentoring, motivational programming, and
community outreach. Partnering with a number
of local and national organizations such as
the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
(SHPE), Latinas in STEM, Youth Consultation
Services (YCS), and more. HSO encourages
volunteerism, philanthropy, and mentorship.
The ERG serves the company by providing
volunteers at consumer events who can
communicate and relate with their Hispanic
customer base and by providing feedback
and input on marketing campaigns to the
Multicultural Marketing department. They
also partner with their Diversity Recruiting
group to help with college campus recruiting
and contribute to the company’s diversity
mix. In 2014, HSO received honorable
mentioned for Employee Resource Group
of the Year from LATINA Style, Inc.
25 YEARS
HISPANIC ORGANIZATION FOR
LEADERSHIP AND ACHIEVEMENT
(HOLA)
Established in 1999, Freddie Mac’s Hispanic
Organization for Leadership and Achievement
(HOLA) is dedicated to providing an inclusive
environment and promoting the diversity of
the Hispanic/Latino culture and the value
that this diversity provides for the company.
HOLA is funded by the Office of Diversity &
Inclusion and uses its budget to provide
over 300 members with various benefits
such as networking events, career development,
organizational partnerships, and volunteer
opportunities. HOLA fosters professional
development opportunities for Latinos even
outside of Freddie Mac through its support
of Mujeres de HACE and the Hispanic
Scholarship Fund. HOLA has established
connections with non-profit organizations to
provide volunteer support, financial resources,
and advocacy across the company. Most
recently, HOLA organized disaster relief
drives for Latin America. Additionally, HOLA
members have been instrumental in the
creation of materials to teach potential
homebuyers how to effectively manage
finances. They have helped Spanish translations
of mortgage materials and credit trainings.
HOLA also provides the company with
valuable insights, and has a strong relationship
with the National Association of Hispanic
Real Estate Professionals and other
Latino associations.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON
Latinos for Engagement, Advancement &
Development (LEAD) was founded at
Southern California Edison (SCE) in 1992 to
celebrate Latino contributions. Celebrating
its 25th anniversary, LEAD serves as a trusted
resource for its members and the company
in the areas of culture, commerce, careers
and community. LEAD provides its nearly
800 members with training and development,
mentorship and guidance from executive
sponsors, networking, and a sense of community
and cultural awareness. This roadmap allows
LEAD board members to have a 90 percent
job promotion success rate within their
two-year terms. LEAD serves the community
through philanthropic efforts, including
supporting grade school students in STEM
fields by supporting a robotics expo and
presenting a $10,000 grant on behalf of Edison
International to a local nonprofit for future
STEM programs, mentoring high school
students undergoing the college application
process and organizing a leadership conference
to educate and train at-risk youth. LEAD plays
an integral role in SCE’s business through
partnerships with Diversity & Inclusion,
Government Affairs, Human Resources and
other departments to advance SCE’s
contributions both within and outside of the
company. Recently, LEAD helped engage
and educate customers on transportation
electrification and electric vehicle options,
which are key strategic initiatives for SCE.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Established in 1992, the Ford Hispanic Network
(FHN), is one of Ford’s oldest employee
resource groups celebrating 25 years in
2017. With over 600 affiliate members and
170 paid members, FHN’s mission is to
become Ford’s trusted go-to resource for Latinos
to develop leaders, foster inclusion, connect people,
and make a positive impact in our communities.
FHN is sponsored by the Group Vice President
of the Ford Government and Community Relations.
FHN is organized into five leadership pillars:
Membership, Community Outreach, Professional
Development, Cultural Events & Communication
and Marketing. FHN members benefit from their
Executive Shadowing programs, Executive Skip
Level meetings, mentoring circles, lunch-and-learns,
talent pipeline development, FHN Professional
Cohort, and Youth Ambassador Program. FHN
partners with the community and like-minded
groups in associated industries to help to support
major efforts. In 2017 FHN raised $9,500 to
implement summer soccer camps. They
also support the annual Clark Park clean-up
project, provide Spanish language workshops
inside Ford, give financial well-being seminars
for local high schools, sponsor Summer
Engineering Programs, and more. The FHN
is an essential part of the business and assists
Ford Diversity Marketing understand customer
behavior and develop strategies to meet
Latino consumers’ needs. In 2016, FHN
was recognized by LATINA Style a top 15
Latino ERG. LS
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