LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) Chairman and CEO Dennis Arriola was honored yesterday evening with the Leadership Excellence Award from Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council (SCMSDC), the largest minority business advocacy organization in the region. Arriola was honored at the organization's annual Leadership Excellence Awards event at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
"The SCMSDC Leadership Excellence Award is presented to special leaders who inspire and establish a vision for what oftentimes seems unattainable," said SCMSDC President Virginia Gomez. "The unparalleled 40 percent-plus diverse and 30 percent minority spend attained by SoCalGas can only be attributed to an outstanding leader and champion for these initiatives. At SoCalGas, that has been Dennis Arriola."
Headquartered in Los Angeles and one of 23 affiliate councils in the national Minority Supplier Development Council network, SCMSDC was founded 1973. The organization represents the interests of more than 600,000 minority businesses in its 13-county service area in Southern California.
"Because of Dennis' efforts and his steadfast devotion to including diverse suppliers, hiring diverse employees and giving back to diverse communities, he has helped SoCalGas and Southern California thrive," said Rick Hobbs, chairman of the board of SCMSDC and retired director of SoCalGas' supply management and supplier diversity programs. "Each year SoCalGas surpasses its previous record for contracting with women, minority, service-disabled veteran-owned and LGBT businesses and is seen as a national industry leader."
Diverse suppliers provide SoCalGas with everything from meters and information technology to advertising solutions and financial investment advice.
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this award," Arriola said. "As the son of Mexican immigrants, I know what it means for communities and diverse businesses to struggle and not have the same opportunities as others. That's why I'm especially proud to receive this award because it comes from Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council – a group that believes in the same values that are important to me and SoCalGas."
About SCMSDC
Southern California Minority Supplier Development Council is the premier organization strengthening economic ties between large, public-, private- and foreign-owned corporations and minority men- and women-owned business enterprises. As the region's leading minority business advocacy organization, SCMSDC represents the interests of more than 600,000 minority businesses in its 13-county service area in Southern California. The council offers nationally recognized certification to minority-owned businesses, strategic networking between corporate members and certified firms, and education, information, and skills development to help minority businesses enhance their capacity. Headquartered in Los Angeles and one of 23 affiliate councils in the National Minority Supplier Development Council network, SCMSDC has made a positive impact in the minority business community since its founding in 1973. For more information, visit www.scmsdc.org.
About Southern California Gas Co.
Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas to its customers for more than 145 years. It is the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility, providing service to 21.6 million consumers connected through 5.9 million meters in more than 500 communities. The company's service territory encompasses approximately 20,000 square miles throughout central and Southern California, from Visalia to the Mexican border. SoCalGas is a regulated subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Diego.
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SOURCE Southern California Gas Co.