CEO Rosa Santana Named First Ever MWBE to Receive the MBDA’s National Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award
October 6, 2020
CEO Rosa Santana and Forma Automotive, Toyota’s first Hispanic-, woman-owned direct tier I supplier, were announced as the recipients of the Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) National Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award for 2020, marking the first time in history that a minority- and woman-owned firm was named a recipient. Previously, this award has been presented to organizations such as Coca-Cola, BP, and Home Depot.
The Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award is given to individuals or organizations whose business practices have had a significant impact on the growth and development of minority-owned businesses.
Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the MBDA recognizes and celebrates the nation’s minority-owned firms during National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week. In the past, National MED Week has been held in Washington, DC, Austin, TX, and San Diego, CA. This year, in response to COVID-19, MED Week was celebrated virtually from September 14th through the 19th. Santana and Forma Automotive were officially recognized during the event’s “How I Did It” series. Each session of the series was designed to get “up close and personal” with the 2020 MED Week award winners to tell empowering stories with key takeaways of uncompromising perseverance, triumph, and vision.
“It is an absolute honor to be recognized as the awardee of the MBDA’s Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award for 2020 and the first minority- and woman-owned firm to have ever been named a recipient,” Santana said. “Supporting other women- and minority-owned firms will always be at the heart of Forma Automotive and the Santana Group of companies, and my team and I are already looking ahead to how we can continue to provide opportunities for growth for other MBEs.”