Sponsored by

ING Joins Executive Leadership Council to Honor Top Leaders

General Colin L. Powell, entrepreneur Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Johnson & Johnson will be honored by The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) and Foundation at its 2009 Annual Recognition Dinner with lead sponsor, ING. To be held on October 8 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD, the event is expected to attract more than 2,000 leaders in business, higher education and government.

"ING is delighted to serve as lead sponsor of this annual celebration of African-American leadership and the corporate commitment to diversity and inclusion in American business," said Thomas J. McInerney, chairman and CEO, ING Americas. "The Executive Leadership Council Annual Recognition Dinner has always been an important event attended by the nation's leading CEOs and the most senior African American executives. Our support for this event reflects our belief in the value of ELC's work, our pride in the accomplishments of this year's award winners and our confidence in the enduring value of diversity and inclusion."

2009 Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award will be presented to General Colin L. Powell, a soldier and statesman who served presidents as National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State. The Heritage Award, which celebrates the African American business legacy of the late Xerox executive, is being presented to Gen. Powell for his service to his country and community. He is the first and only African American to serve on the Chiefs of Staff and the first African American Secretary of State. The Harlem native and his wife, Alma, founded the nonprofit, America's Promise Alliance, to provide support for young people.

The 2009 Achievement Award will be presented to Earvin "Magic" Johnson, chief executive of Magic Johnson Enterprises and the Magic Johnson Foundation. Last year, Johnson launched his book, 32 Ways to Be a Champion in Business, offering detailed advice, real-world expertise and the enthusiasm of an entrepreneur who pioneered economic development in long-neglected urban communities.

2009 Corporate Award will be presented to Johnson & Johnson, a global name brand that has lived up to its credo, challenging its employees and partners to put the needs and well-being of the people it serves first. The Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies considers diversity a central part of its culture and fundamental to its employees' passion for improving the health and well-being of people throughout the world.

"We are thrilled with the slate of this year's honorees," said Carl Brooks, president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council and The Executive Leadership Foundation. "There is no doubt that this historic and challenging year for our nation and for business is the right time to recognize these champions of fairness and excellence."