The Honorable Katherine O. McCary, Vice President, Human Resources, Compliance and Diversity, SunTrust Banks Inc.

Katherine McCary has corporate responsibility for SunTrust’s disability leadership and the Disability Resource Center, a program that seeks to increase the employment of people with disabilities throughout SunTrust’s workforce and to increase awareness of marketing opportunities for customers with disabilities. The Corporate Center provides disability information internally to employees and managers. She is co-chair for SunTrust’s National Disability Mentoring Day and acts as disability consultant to SunTrust’s 16 Diversity Councils.  Katherine is a long term member of SHRM, a SHRM certified Diversity Trainer, and a recognized national speaker.

In her 19 years with SunTrust, Katherine’s contributions to SunTrust’s disability efforts have resulted in national recognition, including the SHRM HR Magazine 2000 Innovative Practice Award, the 2002 US Business Leadership Network (USBLN®) Exceptional Leadership Award, and the U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao’s 2004 New Freedom Initiative Award.

Katherine is responsible for SunTrust representation in the Business Leadership Network organization, was a founder of and now serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN®), a national organization representing 5,000 businesses that educates employers on the business imperative of disability. She is the current chair of the Annual Conference Committee and serves on the Disability Supplier Diversity program committee which certifies disabled-owned business enterprises for corporate diversity supplier programs. In 2009, Katherine received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the USBLN®.

In October 2008, Katherine was appointed to the National Council on Disability by President Bush and confirmed by the US Senate. NCD is an independent federal agency composed of members appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. NCD provides advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.