PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Urban League, America's preeminent organization devoted to enabling African Americans and other historically underserved urban communities to secure economic self-reliance, parity and civil rights, last evening honored Educational Testing Service (ETS) President Kurt M. Landgraf for his commitment to advancing quality and equity in education and his leadership in efforts to close the achievement gap.
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The honor came during the League's Equal Opportunity Day Awards Dinner which is now in its 57th year. The event recognizes stellar corporations, individuals and organizations that have championed the principles of equal opportunity, civil rights and social justice. Proceeds from the dinner enable the National Urban League to serve over 2.8 million people annually through its network of 96 professionally staffed affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia.
"Since joining ETS as President and CEO in 2000, Kurt Landgraf has led the company's efforts to help close achievement gaps that disproportionately affect minority and low-income students," says Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. "He has also demonstrated the power of partnership by strengthening the company's ties to the National Urban League, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the ASPIRA Association, and Native American and Asian-American/Pacific Islander education groups."
Landgraf has overseen ETS's entrance into the K–12 market, expanded its global business, broadened its education research and policy work, and advanced its mission to improve quality and equity in education, particularly for underrepresented students.
"I am deeply honored and humbled by this award from the National Urban League, an organization whose tremendous work is an inspiration and a call to action for all of us," said Landgraf. "ETS is privileged to be able to contribute to this important work through our longstanding collaboration."
Also honored last evening were John D. Hofmeister, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Citizens for Affordable Energy and Chairman, National Urban League Board of Trustees with the League's President's Award; Walgreen Co., with the Corporate Leadership Award accepted by Gregory D. Wasson, president and chief executive officer of Walgreen Co., and Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of TIAA-CREF, the leading provider of retirement services in the academic, research, medical, and cultural fields and a Fortune 100 financial services organization. He received the League's Leadership Award. Legendary actress, philanthropist, and civil rights activist Cicely Tyson was presented with the League's Arts Award.
About ETS
At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC ® tests, the GRE ® tests and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org
SOURCE Educational Testing Service