Congratulations to the 2011 Winner Gensler, and the Honorable Mention, Solution Tree!

About the Award

With the support of Nelson B. Heller, Ph.D., a long-time member of our industry, the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) created the Talent Development Innovator Award in 2009 to shine a light on the most exemplary recruitment, training, mentoring and executive search and placement practices among our members. Special focus is placed on programs that promote staff diversity and that secure the new competencies required for future success. Its purpose is to help our constantly changing industry thrive to serve the next generation of educators and students in the U.S. and abroad. The Award works in concert with AEP's Innovation Through Inclusion (ITI) diversity initiative.

Potential recipients include organizations with:

• Effective recruiting programs, including outreach to high school and college populations making career choices, and also programs that encourage ethnic diversity in our professional ranks by specifically recruiting talent from minority populations
   
• Training programs, including successful courses themselves or company support for such programs (such as reimbursement for completed professional development courses)
   
• Mentoring programs that pair young professionals with more experienced industry talent to help them advance through the ranks to assume more responsibility
   
• Executive search and placement programs helping to bring new talent into our industry from other industries or helping professionals within our industry qualify for and find higher level positions within their own organizations or others in our industry

Nomination Process

The nomination period for the Talent Development Innovator Award is currently closed. Contact AEP at 302-295-8350 to get information about the 2012 nomination period.

Nominations are submitted through an online form. Download a PDF version to see the 2011 nomination form.

(Please note that the award is presented at the Hall of Fame ceremony in New York, NY. A representative from the honored company must be able to attend and receive the Award.)

On the nomination form you will be asked to:

• List and describe specific programs, initiatives or actions by name
• Indicate the year in which the programor action began or was substantially revised
• Provide some evidence (if possible, quantitative data, but otherwise, qualitative such as testimonials, recognitions, etc.) to demonstrate its impact on acquiring new competencies, improving diversity, or any other dimension of organizational performance related to improved staff competencies

Points will be awarded for:

• Existence and judged quality of the program(s)
• Data — quantitative or qualitative — demonstrating some measurable and favorable impact on talent development
• Program(s) that are new, or have been revised or enhanced within past 3 years, showing new effort.

The nominated organization will be given scores at discretion of review committee based on submitted descriptive and quantitative information. Each nomination factor will be awarded a score (5 being highest) in each of the following areas:

• Successful promotion of talent development
• Supporting development or acquisition of important new competencies by staff
• Promoting diversity

While the Award is made to a single organization each year it may be based on multiple programs, so feel free to include information on any
number of talent development initiatives underway simultaneously within the firm. The number of points awarded each nomination will be totaled
to obtain a composite score for the organization. Please answer all questions not marked optional on the form. For those marked “Optional” feel free to complete them if the answers support your nomination or leave them blank as seems appropriate.

Winners

2011: Gensler
2010: Texas Instruments
2009: McGraw-Hill Education

Interested in sponsoring the Talent Development Innovator Award?

Contact Jo-Ann McDevitt at 302-295-8342 to find out about available opportunities.

Interested in making a nomination?

Contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349.