WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the pre-eminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives in C-suites, on corporate boards and in global enterprises, today releases the fourth issue of its peer-reviewed research journal, A Research Journal for Black Professionals.

Simultaneously, The ELC's signature professional development program – the Mid-Level Managers' Symposium (MLMS) – kicks off today, featuring keynote addresses from Angela Bassett, Sterling K. Brown, Olympian Gabby Thomas, and a powerful line-up of Black corporate executives, including David Rawlinson II, CEO of Qurate Inc. and Alicia Boler Davis, SVP Global Customer Fulfillment at Amazon, recently named to Fortune's 2021 Most Powerful Women list. These virtual sessions provide strategies and tactics for Black professionals to accelerate career growth while designing meaningful careers. The Journal and MLMS inform The ELC's service to Black professionals.

The Fall 2021 edition of the Journal features six new research articles including, "The Requirements for Career Success" from ELC President and CEO Michael C. Hyter. In this article, an excerpted chapter from his most recent book, The Power of Choice: Embracing Efficacy to Drive Your Career (2020), Hyter identifies the trifecta of skills individuals must master to advance their careers. "Let's Talk Private Company Boards" from Gena Ashe outlines four strategies individuals can use to position themselves for private company board service.

"This is an exciting week for The ELC. With the publication of our fourth Journal and the start of our annual symposium, we are demonstrating our very mission. Both the Journal and MLMS are created and designed by Black professionals for Black professionals. Thursday night we will celebrate 35 years of Black excellence and honor Black corporate achievement at our Annual Gala," Hyter said.

The ELC's A Research Journal for Black Professionals is available at no charge at www.elcinfo.com/elc-research-journal/.

The ELC thanks the 2021 MLMS sponsors:
CO-LEAD SPONSORS: PepsiCo Foundation and Target
CO-SIGNATURE SPONSORS: Capital One and HSBC
LIVE STREAM SPONSOR: FedEx
PREMIER SPONSOR: Bank of America and Citi

BREAKOUT SESSION SPONSORS: Altria, Cadillac, Choice, Cisco, Google, Hilton, Honeywell, Linde, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Spotify, Tara Health Foundation, Yahoo.

ABOUT THE ELC: The Executive Leadership Council opens channels of opportunity for the development of Black executives to positively impact business and our communities. An independent non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in 1986, The ELC is the pre-eminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives in C-suites, on corporate boards and in global enterprises. Comprising more than 800 current and former Black CEOs, senior executives and board directors at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies and entrepreneurs at top-tier firms, its members work to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline that empowers global Black leaders to make impactful contributions to the marketplace and the global communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.elcinfo.com. Engage during the event on social media: #ELCGALA on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

About The ELC 35^th Anniversary Gala
The Annual Recognition Gala is The ELC's most important fundraising event, supporting its scholarships, educational outreach and philanthropic initiatives and recognizing its mission, purpose and impact in action. This year's Gala highlights business achievement and honors corporate and individual award recipients, in addition to this year's scholarship awardees. Johnson & Johnson will serve as the Lead Sponsor of the 2021 Gala.

During this year's event, Ursula Burns, the first Black Woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company, serving Xerox Corporation from 2007-2016, will "pass the torch" by presenting the 2021 Achievement Award to Rosalind Brewer, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Thasunda Brown Duckett, President and CEO, TIAA, who became the second and third permanent Black women CEOs in the history of the Fortune 500 earlier this year. The Achievement Award is presented to Black corporate executives whose business career achievements highlight personal and professional excellence.

Additionally, The Executive Leadership Council will present the 2021 Game Changer Award to a surprise honoree for their commitment and courage in changing the narrative around social justice issues in America. The Game Changer Award was created to recognize individuals whose achievements transcend traditional roles for Blacks, women as well as other minorities and who represent a new, dynamic vision for how minority leaders globally can impact their communities through political, economic, educational, and philanthropic empowerment and stewardship.

Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan will accept the 2021 Corporate Award on behalf of his organization. This award is given to a corporation that has made significant contributions to the advancement of Black corporate executives in areas including pipeline development, board diversity, supplier diversity and philanthropic efforts directed toward the Black community.

The 35th anniversary celebration will also include musical performances by R & B and rap legends Bell Biv DeVoe and Doug E. Fresh, R&B singer Avery*Sunshine and spoken word artist Jon Goode.

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SOURCE The Executive Leadership Council