NEWS RELEASE: Avakian Honors Outstanding Oregon Employers

[Bob Estabrook]

Press Release
For Immediate Distribution
December 1, 2011
CONTACT:     Bob Estabrook, 503-709-0730
 
Avakian Honors Outstanding Oregon Employers
BOLI chief names 2011 champions in civil rights and workforce development
 
PORTLAND- Today, State Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, head of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI), presented the 3rd Annual BOLI Business Leadership Awards at BOLI’s 27th Annual Employment Law Conference at the Oregon Convention Center.  This year, two Oregon employers were recognized for their significant contributions to our communities and their embodiment of BOLI’s mission: to protect employment rights, advance employment opportunities, and protect access to housing and public accommodations free from discrimination.  This year’s honorees are:
 
Civil Rights Champion – Hawthorne Auto Clinic of Portland
Hawthorne Auto co-owners Jim Houser and Liz Dally were nominated for their efforts to foster a more livable community. Houser’s work to increase small business employees’ access to healthcare and to provide career paths in mechanical fields for diverse youth, and Dally’s support for Bradley-Angle House and leadership on workplace protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking—a civil right enforced by BOLI, coupled with their business commitment to the environment as a certified Eco-Logical Business, helped earn Hawthorne Auto this year’s Civil Rights Champion award.
 
Workforce Development Champion – SE Works of Portland
For 14 years, SE Works has helped build positive connections between job seekers and employers.  The extraordinary efforts of SE Works to assist job seekers, especially low-income, multi-barriered individuals, in seeking and applying for jobs have also translated to strong relationships with employer who will reach out to SE Works when they need reliable help.  The range of services and programs offered by SE Works helped to set them apart as this year’s Workforce Development Champion.
 
“The bar for one of our awards gets higher every year,” Avakian said.  “Our champions represent the most compelling stories from our pool of nominees, and we want to keep hearing these stories.  That’s why I’m officially opening nominations for the 2012 Business Leadership Awards today with a new, simplified process that will make it even easier to submit nominations.”
 
From now through October 1st, nominations can be submitted by anyone at anytime, just by emailing BizAwards.BOLI at state.or.us with:
The nominator’s name and contact information;
The nominated employer, including their website and a contact person and reliable contact information; and
How the nominee has demonstrated leadership in its commitment to fair workplaces, protecting civil rights in the community and/or developing a stronger workforce.
 
Avakian created the BOLI Business Leadership Awards in 2009 to recognize the good work that Oregon’s employers do every day for the community, their workers, and the future of Oregon’s economy.  
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