Valerie Nesbitt is the Director of Supplier Diversity & Sustainability at Norfolk Southern. She is responsible for ensuring that contracts issued by the company maximize opportunities for small, minority and woman-owned businesses to participate. She also serves as the sustainability liaison for the sourcing team, working strategically with suppliers to identify ways to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
Valerie previously held the position of Director Business Diversity at Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where she was responsible for developing and implementing strategies to utilize small, minority and women-owned businesses. Prior to Hartsfield-Jackson, she held the position of Director Supplier Diversity at The Coca-Cola Company, where she was responsible for leading the company’s supplier diversity process. Spanning more than thirty years, her extensive background in supplier diversity and supply chain management also includes leadership assignments with companies such as Delta Air Lines, Scientific-Atlanta, Martin Marietta and General Electric.
A native of Aiken, South Carolina, Valerie is a lifetime Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.), Certified Professional in Supplier Diversity (CPSD) and Contract Compliance Administrator (CCA). She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of South Carolina and a Masters in Public Administration from Golden Gate University.
Valerie generously gives her time to various community organizations by actively serving on committees and the board of directors with organizations such as the Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council, Atlanta Area Council, Boy Scouts of America and is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Valerie and her husband Donas reside in Smyrna, Georgia.