March 28, 2014
Vince Heald (vheald@behmedia.com) – 858-453-9600
Adrian Aguilera (adrian@behmedia.com) – 858-453-9600
Kristen Welker, NBC News White House Correspondent to Emcee MCCA Diversity Gala
Coming to John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
National Awards Program Honors Leaders in Legal Diversity
WASHINGTON D.C. – Kristen Welker, NBC News White House Correspondent, will serve as the emcee for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association’s (MCCA) Diversity Gala, the premier awards program honoring leaders in the legal profession for diversity and inclusion. The event takes place at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on July 25, 2014. The gala recognizes legal departments and law firms from across the country, and MCCA will bestow its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ms. Welker has served as the NBC News White House Correspondent since December 2011. She has traveled domestically and internationally with President Obama, the First Lady, and Vice President Biden, including extensive coverage on the campaign trail during the 2012 election. Her reports appear across all platforms of NBC News, including “NBC Nightly News,” “Today,” “Meet the Press,” MSNBC and NBCNews.com.
“Kristen Welker is a remarkable talent and her impressive resume is emblematic of the level of excellence MCCA will celebrate at the Gala,” said Joseph K. West, MCCA President and CEO. “Her experience as a White House correspondent underscores the significance of our having moved this event to Washington, D.C. We are truly grateful to her and to our friends at NBC Universal.”
Welker, a native of Philadelphia, graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree cum laude in American History. She also studied Spanish in Madrid on a Rotary Scholarship. In 2008, Welker was nominated for two Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards. She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
The MCCA Diversity Gala awards program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Eisenhower Theater and will combine honors with entertainment, concluding with an elegant VIP Reception in the Nations Gallery and the Roof Terrace Restaurant. Five corporate legal departments will be recognized as Employers of Choice – each from a different region of the country. They will be honored for demonstrating an exemplary commitment to diversity and creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace.
MCCA, the nation’s leading advocate for the expanded hiring, retention, and promotion of minority attorneys, will also recognize diversity innovators, corporate legal departments, law firms or legal bar associations that implement outstanding diversity programs.
To learn more about the MCCA Diversity Gala and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.mcca.com/gala.
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About MCCA
MCCA was founded in 1997 to advance the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys in legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA accomplishes its mission through publishing, research and training, pipeline initiatives and networking. MCCA’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National LGBT Bar, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. For more information, go to mcca.com.
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