This award is given to a Ford & Harrison office, group or individual who has distinguished themselves through their outstanding commitment to promoting diversity, understanding, inclusion and awareness. The recipient has actively worked to reduce obstacles that prevent an open dialogue regarding diversity and inclusion, through their personal involvement, activities and actions, both within the firm and in their surrounding community. Through this award recipient's actions, bridges have been built that will advance the infrastructure of diversity and inclusion throughout Ford & Harrison.
The Tampa office of Ford & Harrison is, to say the least, proud of the activities in which it is involved with regard to diversity and inclusion. We are mentioning just a few of our office members in this article, but the entire Tampa office participates in many diversity events during the year.
Among numerous other diversity activities, Tracey Jaensch is Chair and Co-Chair of many diversity and inclusion committees, including the Board of the Florida Diversity Council, Gen Y Committee, and the Women in Leadership Symposium to name a few. As such, she and many other members of our office have participated in functions throughout the year for these worthwhile organizations. Tracey is also a firm minority mentor and Year One mentor.
The Tampa office had a booth at the Stetson College of Law Diversity Picnic. Several of our office members attended and helped "man" our booth.
Aisha Sanchez is a member of the Pan American Bar Association and participates in their activities throughout the year.
In addition to her firm responsibilities as Diversity and Inclusion Partner and involvement in many other organizations, Dawn Siler-Nixon is the Chair of the ABA AIDS Coordinating Committee and the Chair of the George Edgecomb Bar Association Scholarship Banquet, which the Tampa Office sponsors on an annual basis. She also serves as a minority mentor to a Stetson law student.
Lavern Wilson is also active in numerous diversity activities, including the GEBA Scholarship Banquet. Lavern serves on the firm's diversity sub-committee and is also a volunteer mentor with Connections for Success.
Dorshae Bradley volunteers at Boys and Girls Clubs, Mother Love Family Fitness Festival, Hoops for Haiti, Hoops 4 Happiness (she donated and delivered 50+ hoops to Haiti) and Hoops for Uganda. She enjoys teaching adults and children how to Hoola Hoop for health, fun and self-esteem. She also participated in World Hoop Day on 11/11/11, which was an endeavor to get everyone around the world hooping!
As noted above, recognition is given to the entire Tampa team for their activities in local organizations and charitable endeavors. That involvement includes, among other things: monthly monetary "Random Acts of Kindness" contributions to such worthwhile organizations as Kids Charity of Tampa Bay, Inc., (www.kidscharitytb.org), Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking (www.stophumantrafficking.org), Metropolitan Ministries (www.metromin.org), Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Central and Northern Florida (http://wishcentralfl.wish.org), Salvation Army's Trinity Café (www.trinitycafe.org), Meals on Wheels (www.mealcall.org), Wheels of Success (www.wheelsofsuccess.org) and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation (www.toysfortots.org). The office has also donated needed supplies to "Help Us Fill the Wagon" School Supply Drive for Foster Children, food for Metropolitan Ministries and so far we've sent 12 large boxes of supplies and goodies to our Afghanistan troops.