The University of Connecticut was honored recently by the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC) with its first “Institution of Higher Learning of the Year” award. The presentation was made at the group’s annual awards luncheon last month in Hartford.

The group honors achievements of individuals and companies that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to providing quality service and promoting economic inclusion.

This particular award was created to recognize an institution of higher learning that has contributed to GNEMSDC’s goals of minority business development by having a supplier diversity program that has resulted in buying goods and services from minority business enterprises.

“The minority owned businesses certified by GNEMSDC here in New England are reducing the wealth gap and strengthening our regional economy,” said GNEMSDC President and CEO Peter F. Hurst Jr.

One of the region’s leading corporate membership organizations, GNEMSDC was incorporated in 1975 to provide increased procurement and business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes.

The nomination of UConn for this award was made in recognition of the commitment and ongoing efforts of UConn’s Procurement Services team, which includes the UConn Supplier Diversity Program, to establish key vendor-partner relationships.

The Procurement Services team is led by Matthew Larson as director, and is part of the Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer. The award was received by Veronica Cook, program director for the UConn Supplier Diversity Program, who has led the University’s supplier diversity mission since 2005.