Dallas Mayor’s Committee EmployAbility! Expo Offered Opportunity to People with Disabilities, Including Veterans

DALLAS, Texas – Just over 600 participants attended the October 17 EmployAbility! expo and job fair, hosted by the Dallas Mayor’s Committee (DMC) for the Employment of People with Disabilities, a citywide committee made up of leaders from business and nonprofit agencies across the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. The second-annual event, held at the Cityplace Conference and Event Center, was designed to promote local hiring of people with disabilities, as well as prepare attendees with physical and/or mental challenges for employment, and provide a forum for them to network with representatives from hiring companies in the area.

"The DMC EmployAbility! expo was an opportunity for employers to discover and hire people with different abilities across the metroplex," said Beth West, DMC chairperson. "Not only did companies learn about the skills, dedication, determination, and outstanding work ethic that people with disabilities, including veterans, bring to the workforce, but those seeking employment had the opportunity to meet with employers, improve their interviewing skills, and possibly even land the dream job they’ve been looking for."

The EmployAbility! expo and job fair and featured events such as:

• An employer education panel that explored and dispelled myths about people with disabilities in the workplace, moderated by WFAA-TV news anchor Cynthia Izaguirre and featuring football coach Gene Stallings as keynote speaker.
• Educational sessions to coach event attendees on how to be better equipped in applying for jobs online, increase interviewing skills, and enhance their resumes for greater success in job searches.
• Networking opportunities for recruiters from top companies and job seekers with disabilities.
• A vendor fair showcasing products and services for people with disabilities, such as computer software, communication devices, and more.

Many major companies, such as EmployAbility! event sponsors Alliance Data, PepsiCo and AT&T, already employ workers with disabilities. All three companies are encouraging other local employers to make an impact by following in their footsteps.

"The clients we have employed [from LaunchAbility] over the last decade are truly among our best employees," said Jim Pierce, vice president of facilities at Alliance Data. "They arrive on time and do the job the way they were trained, with incredible accuracy and dedication. They’re some of the most valued and well-liked members of our staff, and I believe they have made all of us realize that a person with a disability is actually someone with a lot of different, and often much-needed, abilities."

Jim Leonard, chair of PepsiCo’s EnAble employee resource group at its Frito-Lay headquarters site, agrees. "PepsiCo employs a wide variety of people with different abilities, and we have found it simply makes us a better company," he said. "PepsiCo is proud to support the DMC EmployAbility! Expo and we are looking forward to being a part of it, learning from the seminars, speaking with job candidates, and having a little fun along the way."

"Diversity and inclusion will always be top priorities at AT&T – and key to our success," added Jon Nelson AT&T director of human resource staffing. "A diverse and inclusive culture makes us a better company and helps fuel innovation, elevate customer care and strengthen connections to the communities we serve."

About DMC

The Dallas Mayor’s Committee for the Employment of People with Disabilities (DMC) engages the business community to build a diverse workforce by valuing people with different abilities. The committee works to advance employment opportunities for people with different abilities.

About Alliance Data

Alliance Data® and its combined businesses is North America’s largest and most comprehensive provider of transaction-based, data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions serving large, consumer-based industries. The Company creates and deploys customized solutions, enhancing the critical customer marketing experience; the result is measurably changing consumer behavior while driving business growth and profitability for some of today’s most recognizable brands.  Alliance Data helps its clients create and increase customer loyalty through solutions that engage millions of customers each day across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile and other emerging technologies.  Headquartered in Dallas, Alliance Data employs approximately 8,500 associates at 50 locations worldwide. 

Alliance Data is a leading provider of marketing-driven credit solutions, and is the parent company of Epsilon®, a leading provider of multi-channel, data-driven technologies and marketing services, and LoyaltyOne®, which owns and operates the AIR MILES® Reward Program, Canada’s premier coalition loyalty program.  For more information about the company, visit our web site, www.AllianceData.com, or you can follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AllianceData. 

Alliance Data’s Safe Harbor Statement/Forward Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such statements may use words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “predict,” “project” and similar expressions as they relate to us or our management. When we make forward-looking statements, we are basing them on our management’s beliefs and assumptions, using information currently available to us. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, these forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the anticipated effects of the CARD Act, potential effects of the Epsilon data theft incident, and those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from what we projected. Any forward-looking statements contained in this presentation reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. We have no intention, and disclaim any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future results or otherwise.

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this presentation regarding Alliance Data Systems Corporation’s business which are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year. Risk factors may be updated in Item 1A in each of the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each quarterly period subsequent to the Company’s most recent Form 10-K.