Diversity & Inclusion Council

Council Overview

The Diversity and Inclusion Council is committed to creating awareness about the competitive advantage of having a diverse and inclusive regional business climate through employer education, talent recruitment, and procurement.

The Council seeks to assist employers by advancing best practices to create a culture of inclusion and grow the economy for all. In order to create an inclusive culture, it’s critical that members use a shared language. To that end, each Council member is required to attend the Racial Equity Impact Analysis training. This training ensures that each Council member has a common, foundational understanding of diversity and inclusion from which to approach Council work.

Diversity and Inclusion Council Mission

Our mission includes:

Create a diverse and inclusive regional business climate to enhance innovation.
The Council achieves its mission by advancing best practices that enable employers to:
- Leverage diversity for competitive advantage
- Promote a workplace culture of inclusion and engagement

Advocacy Initiatives

Continue to target Workforce Investment Board resources for training programs matching regional priorities and targeted industry sectors, including:
- Incumbent worker training
- On the job training
Create professional licensing program for immigrants and refugees

Programming Initiatives

Programming:

The 2019 Council programming is across four topic areas: Human Resources, Communications, Community Commitment, and Procurement. Council members work in groups or Centers of Excellence to develop and advance strategies for each topic area.

Human Resources Center of Excellence – people, practices and policies in harmony with the diverse cultures represented in the market and community.
Community and Philanthropy Center of Excellence – fair and equitable distribution of company resources benefiting communities in need.
Communication Center of Excellence – internal and external messaging intended to convey company commitment, status and progress in the development and maintenance of inclusive & diverse culture.
Procurement Center of Excellence – fair and equitable processes for acquisition of goods and services, resulting in a diverse supply chain reflective of the market and community.