91探花Regent Joanne Harrell and President of the Seattle City Council聽Bruce Harrell have been named the 2017 recipients of the 91探花 Charles E. Odegaard Award.
The award will be presented at the event hosted by the 91探花Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity (OMA&D) and Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program (FEOP), Tues., May 16, at the Husky Union Building on the 91探花Seattle campus.
Established in 1973, the honors individuals whose leadership in the community exemplifies the former 91探花president鈥檚 work on behalf of diversity. It is the only University and community-selected award, and is regarded as the highest achievement in diversity at the UW.
鈥淭ogether, the Harrells鈥� passion, leadership and civic engagement over the last three decades have made a tremendous impact throughout the region,鈥� said Rickey Hall, vice president for Minority Affairs & Diversity and chief diversity officer. 鈥淎s distinguished alumni, their advocacy for respect, civil rights, diversity and equity embody the best of what it means to be graduates of this university and we are proud to recognize their contributions.鈥�
A Regent since 2009, Joanne, 鈥�76, ’79, served as board chair in 2012-13 and advocates for creating a more inclusive campus environment as the current chair of the Regents鈥� Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee. Bruce, ’79, ’84, has been a member of the 91探花Alumni Board of Trustees, as well as the 91探花Business and Economic Development Center Advisory Board.
The Harrells鈥� commitment to giving back does not end there. In her role as senior director for U.S. Citizenship and Public Affairs at Microsoft, Joanne and her team work to changes lives by cultivating public and private partnerships across the country that address problems relating to education, literacy rates and helping young people become more competitive.
She has worked at Microsoft since 2001 and held leadership roles for the majority of her career across high-tech, telecommunications and non-profit sectors including a three-year tenure as president and CEO of United Way of King County. Joanne has served on volunteer boards for a variety of businesses and organizations such as REI, AAA of Washington and the Association of Governing Boards for Universities and Colleges.
Bruce has been a civic leader since graduating from the 91探花School of Law, working in a variety of leadership roles and representing youth and seniors, union members, non-profits and affordable housing companies. He has consistently protected the rights of people and advocated for respect and civility.
Bruce has been a council member for the City of Seattle since 2007. He currently chairs the Education, Equity and Governance Committee and is president of the nine-member City Council. Bruce has also worked as a senior attorney for technology and telecommunications companies. He is very involved as a community volunteer and has served on several regional committees including the Race and Social Justice Community Roundtable.
The Harrells have received many individual community and leadership awards, including distinguished alumni honors from the UW. Joanne was named the Department of Communication鈥檚 2013 Distinguished Alumna after being inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2009. Bruce was the Department of Political Science Distinguished Alumnus in 2007. He also received a 2008 Husky Legend Award to recognize his outstanding 91探花football career.