The Exchange Honored for Diversity Focus

DALLAS -- Diversity has been a main focus of the Army & Air Force Exchange Service for several years and the organization is once again being recognized for it.

LATINA Style magazine has named The Exchange one of its LATINA Style 50 for 2012. The organization was ranked No. 43. The annual evaluation, which analyzes more than 800 corporations, identifies organizations that provide the best career opportunities for Hispanic females in the United States.

"It is a great honor for the Exchange to be recognized on a national level for the work we do daily," said the Senior Vice President of Sales Ana Middleton, one of The Exchange's highest ranking Hispanic women. "This award further validates the importance The Exchange places on diversity in the workplace."

Several other industry companies have landed on the list. Walmart Stores Inc. comes in at No. 2 and Kraft Foods rounds out the top 10 at No. 10. Also on the LATINA Style 50 for 2012 are McDonald's Corp. (15), General Mills (17), The Coca-Cola Co. (26), PepsiCo Inc. (29), and Navy Exchange Service Command (46).

Companies assessed for the Latina Style award were evaluated on issues that readers identified as most important to them in the workplace. The principal areas of evaluation included the number of Latina executives; retention; mentoring programs; educational opportunities; alternative work policies; employee benefits; women's issues; and job retraining. New categories were also added this year that display which companies have a dedicated program to supplier diversity and have increased their Latina population, according to an Exchange release.