On Friday, May 1, Southern California Edison (SCE) celebrated its business and community partnerships in the Asian community at its 10th annual Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month Celebration at SCE’s Energy Education Center in Irwindale.
Ted Craver, chairman, president and CEO of Edison International, the parent company of SCE, spoke at the event, which brought together Asian businesses and community partners, recognized AAPIenergy-efficient champions and highlights SCE’s partners with its mission to give back to the communities it served.
This year’s award recipients were Foreign Exchange, RePET Inc., Asian Pacific Community Fund and Chinese American Construction Professionals.
Ted Nguyen, a national award-winning social media, public relations and marketing communications professional, was the keynote speaker. “Celebrating Business & Community Partnerships,” with a special focus on giving back, was this year’s theme.
“Our Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage event celebrates our cultural diversity and the achievements of Asian-American business and communities partners,” said Lisa Cagnolatti, vice president of SCE’s Business Customer Division and Customer Service Safety. “It’s also an opportunity for Southern California Edison to show our appreciation to the communities we serve.”
SCE’s Community Partnership Award went to the Asian Pacific Community Fund (APCF), which was focused on transforming lives and meeting the diverse needs of the AAPI community. To date, APCF has awarded $3 million to its affiliate agencies and other community organizations, enabling culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate services to enhance the lives of 225,000 people annually in 27 Asian and Pacific Islander languages, in addition to English and Spanish.
SCE’s Diverse Business Enterprise Award was given to the Chinese American Construction Professionals, which enhanced members’ competitiveness in local and global markets, facilitates professional and business networking opportunities and serves the community while nurturing the future of construction professionals.
Jestin Ma, a freshman at Stanford University, shared his experiences as a 2014 Edison Scholar and the recipient of a $40,000 scholarship. He is studying computer science and engineering and is a graduate of San Gabriel High School.
NBC4 Southern California reporter Hetty Chang served as emcee. A native of Southern California, Chang is an Emmy Award-nominated journalist who covers the Long Beach and South Bay communities.
