Two Yanfeng employees were recognized at the Center for Automotive Diversity, Inclusion and Advancement’s (CADIA) Impact Awards ceremony last Friday. Innovation Engineer MacKenzie Gibson was awarded the 2021 CADIA Impact Award in the category of Creating Inclusive Cultures and Director of IT Priya Gurumurthy was recognized as one of the runners-up for the Leadership Commitment Award. Both employees were nominated by Yanfeng’s Diversity & Inclusion Group to celebrate their outstanding leadership and commitment to championing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the company. Yanfeng is a corporate member of CADIA.

“CADIA has been an invaluable partner to us over the last two years,” said Laurie Bylsma, Executive Director of Human Resources. “Nominating members of our team was a way for us to recognize their individual contributions and remind ourselves how much our Diversity & Inclusion Group has accomplished. We’re committed to championing diversity and creating an inclusive culture at Yanfeng and it’s through the efforts of employees like MacKenzie and Priya that we see that progress.”

Gibson, who earned a degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University, has been with Yanfeng since 2017. Beginning her career with the company as an intern, Gibson was hired as an Electrical Innovation Engineer following her graduation in 2020.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by CADIA alongside the incredible individuals who are making an impact in their companies and in our industry,” said Gibson. “I’m so grateful for Yanfeng’s Diversity and Inclusion Group and the platform it’s become for me to continue to learn, educate, and grow alongside other passionate diversity champions.”

As a member of Yanfeng’s Diversity & Inclusion Group (DIG), Gibson has invested her time and talents on a volunteer basis. Contributions such as her founding of the Yanfeng Book Club, supporting and developing materials for internal “TEDTalk” discussions, and coordinating volunteer events are all ways she has championed a culture of inclusivity that celebrates others’ differences. Over the last year, through the book club, Gibson has curated books each month for employees that feature diverse authors and stories, leading discussions that dive into the experiences, themes, and teachings of each novel. Recently, Gibson extended her love of reading to others through a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Detroit (BBBS). The goal of the program is to help kids with their reading comprehension and help them fall in love with reading. She and other Yanfeng colleagues meet twice a month for an hour with these students to read and discuss their book selections.

This fall, Gibson prepared an especially personal story advocating for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. As someone who personally experiences hearing impairment, she was not only willing to prepare informational materials but share her testimony in hopes of educating her colleagues to practice empathy and look for opportunities to continue making Yanfeng a more inclusive place.

IT Director Priya Gurumurthy was one of the 2021 runners-up to the Leadership Commitment Impact Award and was recognized at the CADIA luncheon and award ceremony for her contributions and efforts. Gurumurthy is the Affinity Chair of Yanfeng’s Women’s Resource Network (WRN), a subset of Yanfeng’s DIG, leading initiatives and strategy that focuses on the organization’s opportunities for women.