Foundation Fighting Blindness Honors Northrop Grumman CEO

Washington, DC - November 2010 - Wes Bush to accept Visionary Award for support of FFB and outstanding corporate diversity programs benefiting employees with impaired vision

The Foundation Fighting Blindness  will honor Northrop Grumman Corporation  with the Visionary Award at its Northern Virginia Dining in the Dark event  at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner on Thursday, December 16, 2010. The award will recognize Northrop Grumman and CEO and President Wes Bush’s support for the Foundation’s work and for the corporation’s diversity policies, which include a commitment to providing employment and leadership opportunities to people with limited vision.   The Foundation presents this award as the world’s leading non-governmental source for funding research that provides preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.

Northrop Grumman also stands out for its efforts to attract, hire, develop and support employees with disabilities. The company partners with organizations focused on finding career opportunities for disabled Americans, and sponsors an internal resource group that builds community and empowerment among employees affected by disabilities and their advocates. A recent major project at Northrop Grumman was to ensure its information technology systems reasonably accommodate all citizens and employees, with particular emphasis on those suffering from visual impairments.

“Northrop Grumman provides people affected by vision loss with opportunities to thrive and succeed,” said Bill Schmidt, CEO of Foundation Fighting Blindness. “Wes Bush leads an organization that goes above and beyond minimal accommodations. He has created a corporate culture committed to integrating and developing people with disabilities. The number of ways Northrop Grumman encourages diversity and inclusion is inspiring and should be modeled by every organization.”

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is committed to eradicating retinal degenerative diseases. Over the past 40 years, the Foundation has raised more than $400 million to drive research toward achieving this goal. But until cures are found for these diseases, employers must confront the day-to-day challenges facing Americans with vision loss, such as an astounding 70 percent unemployment rate. The Foundation recognizes Northrop Grumman as a company that not only hires talented visually impaired Americans, but shows no hesitation in promoting them to the highest levels of the company.

Bill Carty, Vice President and General Manager, Defense and Government  Services Division for Northrop Grumman Technical Services, has spent the majority of his career with Northrop Grumman and is an outstanding example of the significant roles visually impaired employees serve at the company.  Carty joined Northrop Grumman 24 years ago as a financial analyst and was quickly promoted to a manager position after his first six months.  At the same time, Carty’s vision began to deteriorate due to retinitis pigmentosa, one of the retinal diseases the Foundation Fighting Blindness seeks to cure and prevent. Northrop Grumman provided Carty with assistance and support as he remained determined to realize his career goals in spite of his diminishing sight. With the help of a guide dog, Carty’s career has flourished.  Throughout his time with Northrop Grumman, Carty has held several financial management positions including director and CFO for the Technical Services unit of the Information Technology sector and vice president and controller for the company's Technical Services sector. Carty has been a benefactor of Northrop Grumman’s exceptional inclusion efforts, and his success exemplifies the return on investment companies receive when accommodating for disabled employees.

“People experiencing vision loss or with other disabilities can achieve success at Northrop Grumman because the company takes an enterprise approach to inclusion,” said Bill Carty. “The culture of diversity and inclusion is led from the very top. Northrop Grumman’s expansive scope of diversity programs enable the company to attract, foster and retain talent in every sector and at every level, regardless of disabilities.”

Robert Vetere, a Northrop Grumman employee with a rare retinal degenerative disease called choroideremia, started one of Northrop Grumman’s programs for disabled employees called VOICE (Victory Over Impairment and Challenge Enterprise).  VOICE is an all-inclusive resource group committed to improving disability awareness as well as personal and workplace development amongst employees.  Tray Daye, a more recent member of the Northrop Grumman team benefiting from the company’s diversity programs, accepted a job with Northrop Grumman after receiving contract management training from the National Industries for the Blind’s contract management internship program and plans to pursue his MBA using the Northrop Grumman Education Assistance program.

Bill Carty will serve as an event co-chair for Northern Virginia Dining in the Dark. To request an interview with Bill Carty or Bill Schmidt please contact Victoria Shapiro, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 202-414-0774.

For more information about the event, visit www.FightBlindness.org.