Tanya Pope Wins Corporate Social Responsibility Award for Advancing Diversity

Tanya Pope (right), assistant vice president for University Supplier Diversity & Business Integration at Facilities and Operations, was recognized with a 2017 corporate social responsibility award from City & State magazine. The award honors Pope for her leadership in advancing diversity opportunities for university suppliers and demonstrating corporate responsibility in the workplace. She was presented with the award at a ceremony on March 30 at The 3 West Club in Midtown.

“This award represents the collective efforts of many people across Columbia who have helped to make the University a leader for creating and expanding opportunities for minority-, women- and locally (MWL) owned businesses and workforce members,” said Pope. “This multi-year effort and commitment has had a substantive impact in engaging MWL business enterprises and workers as the first new buildings at the University’s new Manhattanville campus are set to open.”

Pope is responsible for sourcing capable, diverse vendors to support the University’s construction projects and business initiatives. In addition, she oversees reporting and community projects related to Columbia’s agreements with the community and State of New York related to construction initiatives.

This year, Pope and her team launched CU Grow, a program designed to help select MWL businesses that are currently university vendors to grow their business through a coaching program with a curriculum designed by the Columbia University School of Professional Studies. The launch of CU Grow followed the conclusion of the multi-year, Columbia University/Corporate Alliance MWL Construction Trades Certificate Mentorship Program, in which 78 construction firms across four cohorts graduated from the program.

Prior to joining Columbia, Pope worked in the Division of Economic and Financial Opportunity at the New York City Department of Small Business Services, where she led a capacity-building initiative for minority- and women-owned firms designed to increase their ability to deliver expanded services and grow into stronger businesses.

Cumulatively from the start of Columbia’s Manhattanville development in August 2008 through September 2016, Columbia paid more than $137 million to MWL firms for non-specialty construction work, representing 35 percent of non-specialty construction spend, excluding the amount paid to the construction manager. During the same time period, the MWL construction workforce delivered more than 1.2 million hours worked for non-specialty construction work, representing 50 percent of the non-specialty workforce hours for the construction of the new Manhattanville campus.

For more information about City & State’s 2017 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards in Diversity, please visit www.cityandstateny.com/events/past-events/csr-awards-diversity.html.