Reported at Black News: TBC's 35th at NACE 2006 Conference

New Orleans, LA (BlackNews.com) - IMDiversity, Inc., the publisher of THE BLACK COLLEGIAN Magazine and producer of the IMDiversity.com multicultural careers web network, celebrated THE BLACK COLLEGIAN's 35th Anniversary with a special May 31st ceremony honoring top employer organizations.

In the ceremony, held in Anaheim, CA during the 2006 Conference of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, founder and CEO Preston J. Edwards, Sr. presented a special "Wind Beneath Our Wings" award to THE BLACK COLLEGIAN's 35th Anniversary Super Advertiser Partners including The Aerospace Corporation, Direct Employers, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Northrop Grumman, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and Raytheon Company.

The award recognized these organizations' commitment to diversity recruiting and support of the company throughout its trying anniversary year, coinciding with the company's evacuation from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Recounting the challenges faced by his displaced staff, Edwards expressed his gratitude for the honorees' support during the crisis.

As THE BLACK COLLEGIAN's 35th Anniversary Super Advertiser Partners, Edwards said, their faith in the company and continued sponsorship provided crucial support to help IMDiversity keep going - and even expand its publishing schedule. Despite the devastation of their city, a flooded headquarters, and communications difficulties, the dispersed staff produced an extra, Special Anniversary Issue, which was shipped to college campuses in time for graduation.

"We call this award 'The Wings Beneath Our Wings' because that's what the honorees were for our company when we needed them," Edwards said. "We couldn't have done it without them."
After representatives of each company were presented with a beautifully engraved eagle statuette recognizing them as Super Advertiser Partners, the formal ceremony gave way to a real New Orleans-style party. Because the hurricane had interrupted his original plans to hold the celebration in Louisiana, Edwards brought a heaping helping of New Orleans with him to Anaheim. A Bayou smorgasbord, a good bar, and a thumping live jazz band had the diverse, 200+ attendees dancing late into the night, making the event one of the most talked-about highlights of a particularly festive event for NACE, celebrated its 50th Anniversary.

In addition to hosting the ceremony, the company also participated as an exhibitor at the NACE conference, taking the opportunity to share plans for its new multicultural student recruiting initiatives and talk up the 10th anniversary of its online diversity recruitment network at IMDiversity.com, upcoming in 2007.