NAVAIR’S Mini Balachandran Receives Women of Color Community Service Award.

BALTIMORE - Sept. 3, 2013 - PRLog -- Imani Carter

icarter@ccgmag.com

410-244-7101, ext. 124

BALTIMORE, MD– Mini Balachandran, Advanced Tactical Aircraft Protection Systems – Production Lead for Naval Air Systems Command Manufacturing and Quality Division, has been selected to receive Women of Color Magazine’s Career Achievement-Industry award at the 18^th Annual Women of Color Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Conference, which is scheduled to take place October 17-19 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas.

Community service provides a way for Balachandran to reach out and share her love of engineering with young people. In particular, she wants to reach out to young women so they see it’s possible for women to succeed in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

Balachandran has reached women through Expanding Your Horizons (EYH) Southern Maryland (SoMD) chapter. As the lead of the Outreach and Recruitment committee, she worked with the publicity committee to inform a wider audience about the EYH STEM event and volunteer opportunities. The event, which reached a capacity of 70 students within nine days of the registration period, was an overwhelming success thanks to Balachandran.

The 2013 Women of Color STEM conference is a multicultural event for women in scientific and technical careers. The conference features several key speakers who will address the underrepresentation of women in these disciplines. The conference will also host training seminars that will highlight important topics such as leadership and professional skills, diversity and inclusion, technical leadership and innovation and career outlook.

Tyrone D. Taborn, CEO of Career Communications Group, calls the awards long-deserved recognition for talented women. "These women are outstanding achievers in very competitive fields where women do not always get a fair shot at leadership positions," Taborn says.

"Women make up more than half of the population of this country and are receiving more than half of the college degrees, yet too many women in today’s work force are trapped in low-paying and low-grade-level jobs," Taborn adds. "Given the growing diversity of the current work force, employers must commit not only to leveling the playing field but also to addressing those inequalities that limit women from achieving their full career potential."

One of the many goals of the National Women of Color Technology Conference, Taborn says, is to provide employers with a unique opportunity to recognize those women within their ranks who are already successful, thus sending a clear message that there is room for many others who choose to follow.

About Women of Color Magazine:

Women of Color Magazine is published by Career Communications Group (CCG), the leader in celebrating diversity and promoting equal opportunity for minorities and women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). CCG provides leadership in talent management and career development, enabling employers to recruit, retain, and recognize highly qualified minorities.

For more information about this year’s awardees, sponsors, and registration details, please visit www.womenofcolor.net.