Butler Community College Honors Brian Black, Koch Industries with Diversity Awards

The fifth annual Excellence in Diversity Awards Breakfast took place at Abode Venue with the purpose of recognizing those in the Wichita/metro community who have demonstrated powerful work in the areas of diversity and inclusion. Those recognized Friday included Koch Industries, Inc. and Brian Black of Spirit AeroSystems.

Jeff Morris, talent acquisition director for Koch Industries Inc., accepted the Corporate Diversity Award on behalf of his company. This award is given to a business which demonstrates exceptional leadership by embracing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and which contributes significantly to transforming the community into an inclusive environment.

Koch was chosen for this award for their outstanding commitment to access and equity, particularly through their advocacy of criminal justice reform, and their significant investments in helping people improve their lives through education.

The Diversity Leadership Award was presented to Brian Black, senior manager of global executive development & diversity for Spirit AeroSystems. Black was recognized for his ongoing work in various capacities throughout Wichita in support of inclusion, diversity and respect. He was presented the award for making a difference in his organization and in the community which includes founding Advance Kansas in 2008. As a result, Advance Kansas now boasts more than 300 graduates who have implemented numerous impactful community projects.

More About Advance Kansas
Advance Kansas is an innovative diversity initiative, hosted by Butler, for business and community leaders. It provides a framework for examining and pursuing solutions to diversity challenges and opportunities most pressing in the community. The program is facilitated by Juan Johnson, president of Diversity Leadership in Action, LLC. Johnson has been in this role since July 2006, after concluding an extraordinary 21-year career with The Coca-Cola Company.

The event was sponsored by long-time supporter Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. as the presenting sponsor, TECT Aerospace as Gold Sponsor, and premier table sponsors included Westar Energy, Meritrust Credit Union, Fidelity Bank, Diversity Leadership in Action, Intrust Bank, JR Custom Metal Products and Koch Industries.