Aramark’s Pride employee resource group (ERG) each year recognizes the members who most embody the group’s mission to foster an open, inclusive environment in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ+), and others who identify or are allied with that community are fully engaged to achieve the organization’s goals and enhance employees’ professional growth.
This year, the ERG has selected two winners of the Ian Bailey Pride of Aramark Awards: Jenna Lacas and Chad Newman, co-chairs of Pride’s Nashville HUB (photo at top).
Lacas, an Executive Assistant with Aramark Global Business Services (GBS) in Nashville, has been with Aramark since 2012. Director of the GBS Contact Center, Newman joined Aramark in 2019.
Lacas and Newman were honored with the Pride of Aramark Awards at a virtual event held October 24 to close out LGBTQ+ History Month.
“Jenna and Chad have led their HUB to organize so many engaging activities over the past year, including Aramark’s sponsorship and participation at Tennessee’s Franklin Pride Festival in June and a relaunch of the Nashville HUB called Love Is Love,” said Brisbane Vaillancourt, Regional Vice President, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, and Pride Executive Sponsor. “Our ERG has accomplished so much in the past year, including increasing our membership by a significant percentage thanks to engaged leaders such as Jenna and Chad.”
There are currently more than 1,000 members of Pride across Aramark global operations.
Below are some other ways Aramark employees marked LGBTQ+ History Month and National Coming Out Day October 11.
LGBTQ+ and Coming Out Stories, Vol. 5
In October, Pride published its 5th edition of stories highlighting Aramark employees, regional ERG HUBs, allies, and events across the world.
In Their Own Words
Several leaders of Pride sat down to talk about the ERG and what it means to employees for this episode of the company’s Mark This Podcast series.
True Colors of Aramark
Members of InTune, Aramark’s musical collaborative, recorded their version of the song “True Colors” to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month and the Pride of Aramark Award winners.
