(Left – Marina Waters, Center – Kelly Wright, Right – Stevie Cromer)
The women of LUNA Language Services are rising up to promote diversity, corporate social responsibility, and mindful business practices both inside their company and with every organization it touches.
The Indianapolis based company recently announced a new President, Marina Hadjioannou Waters, and two newly created positions. Head of Operations, held by Kelly Wright, and Cultural and Enrichment Manager, Partner Liaison, held by Stevie Cromer, were announced to accommodate and adapt to LUNA’s significant growth.
In her new role, Waters aims to promote tolerance and combat implicit bias in the community. “Our company is founded on the principle that everyone has a right to equal treatment irrespective of language and cultural differences,” says Waters. “Crucial to our success is the ability to protect and promote cultural diversity in our society. We do that by starting within our organization.” Waters previously held the role of Chief Operations Officer at LUNA and has been with the company since 2007.
Wright, who joins LUNA from Service Connections, Inc, hopes to continue to grow the organization while preserving the unique corporate culture and commitment to providing tailored language access solutions. “I wanted to join an organization that values cultural diversity, actively works to improve the lives of others, and fully embraces and encourages female leadership. LUNA does all of this and more,” says Wright. “I wanted to be part of the positive impact they are making in our community.”
In the role of Cultural and Enrichment Manager, Partner Liaison, Cromer hopes to spread the successful corporate culture critical to LUNA’s employee retention and success in the community. “I’m excited to not only continue providing financial support to our community partners, but also expand LUNA’s capabilities and resources to make an impact on the ground level,” says Cromer. She was previously the Communications Manager at LUNA and has been with the company for four years.
In 2016, LUNA was awarded the Mayoral Diversity Award for Workplace Diversity. The organization’s commitment to workplace diversity continues today in all levels of hiring with a staff comprised of 60% women and 42% minorities. LUNA’s staff speaks 18 languages and services over 200 languages through its subcontractors. Within the industry, LUNA also has one of the largest American Sign Language interpreting staffs in the country.
LUNA has been recognized by the Latino Coalition for Domestic Violence and the Chin Association of Indiana for their continued support. Waters was also recognized as one of the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Women of Influence in 2018.
LUNA’s continued growth allows their leadership to dedicate additional resources to intentional business practices. Waters said, “I am so excited to put resources and talent towards building this business mindfully and in a way that empowers women in business.”