BLACK ENTERPRISE (BE) magazine named MGM Resorts International’s (NYSE: MGM) Phyllis A. James, Chief Diversity & Corporate Responsibility Officer, as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Corporate Diversity.” Ms. James leads the company’s Corporate Diversity and Philanthropy Departments and is responsible for managing MGM Resorts’ policy, business strategy and initiatives focused on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which includes the Company’s diversity and inclusion, philanthropy and volunteer programs.
“Corporate responsibility is an anchor of our company’s character, values and culture, and is central to our employee engagement, customer and business expansion and reputation growth,” said Jim Murren, Chairman & CEO of MGM Resorts International. “Phyllis has been the architect of our diversity and inclusion strategy and practices and a staunch advocate of the advantage it brings to our spirit, our culture and our business; we are proud to call her one of our own.”
BE’s “Most Powerful Women in Corporate Diversity” identifies women who are vital to the management of major corporations, from marketing and talent development to procurement spending and financial performance, among other areas. This prestigious listing will be published in their upcoming First Quarter 2019 issue.
Beyond her CSR activities, Ms. James is a director on the board of and special advisor to MGM Grand Detroit, LLC. Throughout her career, Ms. James has received several recognitions for her legal accomplishments and civic contributions. In 2015 she was admitted to the American Law Institute, the leading independent U.S. organization producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize and improve the law. In 2016 the National Bar Association conferred upon her a Lifetime Achievement Award.
She has also received many recognitions for her civic service. This year, Ms. James was named to receive the First Annual FOCUS (Feeding Our Community Unparalleled Success) Award presented by BlackDoctor.org. In 2017 she received the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Award at the HRC Las Vegas Gala for outstanding leadership and service to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community; the “Community Achievement Award” from The Las Vegas Asian American Group; and the “Make An Impact” Leadership Award from Las Vegas’ City Impact Center.
Prior to joining MGM Resorts, Ms. James served with great distinction with Mayor Dennis Archer as Corporation (General) Counsel and Law Director of a department of approximately 100 lawyers for the City of Detroit (then the nation’s tenth largest city) for two terms, from February 1994 through December 2001.
From 1979 until accepting her position with the City of Detroit she practiced law with the San Francisco-based firm of Pillsbury, Madison, and Sutro (now Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman) and became that firm’s first African American partner in 1985, specializing in complex litigation. She commenced her legal career as a Judicial Law Clerk from 1977-1978 for the Honorable Theodore R. Newman, Jr., then Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Ms. James graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in American History and Literature in 1974 from Harvard/Radcliffe College after having received the honors of Phi Beta Kappa junior year, the Captain Jonathan Fay Prize (then Radcliffe College’s highest honor for a graduating woman based on the graduate’s scholarship, conduct and character) and the lsobelle T. Briggs Fellowship for Graduate Study. She earned her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1977.
In addition to the feature, BE will honor all of this year’s Most Powerful Women In Corporate America & Corporate Diversity during a special recognition ceremony at their annual Women of Power Summit: an exclusive networking opportunity with fellow top business leaders, motivational speakers and women CEOs, held February 28 through March 3, 2019, at The Mirage Hotel & Casino.
ABOUT BLACK ENTERPRISE:
BLACK ENTERPRISE, your ultimate source for wealth creation, is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. Since 1970, BE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. Every month, BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine provides 6 million readers with information on entrepreneurship, careers, and financial management. As a multimedia company, BLACK ENTERPRISE produces television programming, business and lifestyle events, web content and digital media. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the definitive source of information for and about African American business markets and leaders, and the authority on black business news and trends.
ABOUT MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL:
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 29 unique hotel and destination gaming offerings including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. Expanding throughout the U.S. and around the world, the company acquired the operations of Empire City Casino in New York in 2019, and in 2018, opened MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, MGM COTAI in Macau, and the first Bellagio-branded hotel in Shanghai. The over 82,000 global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies®. For more information visit us at www.mgmresorts.com.
Source: MGM Resorts International
