California Water Association (CWA) members California American Water, California Water Service and Golden State Water were honored in November with the prestigious Above & Beyond Corporation of the Year Award by the Veterans in Business Network for making a positive difference in the lives of California veterans through their supplier diversity program.
The three companies went above and beyond with expenditure levels, inclusion programs and outreach efforts to veterans, the awards committee and advisors noted. In 2017, for example, each of the utilities honored exceeded expenditure goals for contracts to disabled veteran business enterprises (DVBEs). Notably, Cal Am and Golden State met or surpassed their DVBE goals two years in a row, a testament to these water utilities advocacy efforts and success.
In addition, the awards committee noted the inclusion of diverse suppliers in Cal Water’s procurement policy, outreach events like CWA’s “Meet the Primes” and capacity building and technical assistance programs like CWA’s partnership with the Minority Business Development Agency.
“We’re proud to make this our second veteran-focused award,” said Jose Espinoza, Supplier Diversity Program Manager for California Water Service who accepted the award on CWA’s behalf. “CWA member companies remain committed to opening contracting opportunities for those that served our nation.”
