Diversity Journal - Nov/Dec 2012 by Diversity Journal

® All Things Diversity & Inclusion

NOV/DEC 2012 $5.95

COMMUNICATIONS AWARD ISSUE

3M Δ Accenture Δ ADP, Inc. Δ Aflac Δ American Institute for Managing Diversity Δ Andrews Kurth LLP Bank of the West Δ BDO USA, LLP Δ Booz Allen Hamilton Δ Caesars Entertainment Corporation Δ Catalyst Charles Schwab Δ Chevron Δ Cincinnati Children’s Medical Hospital Center Δ Cisco Systems Δ Citi Δ CSC CVS Caremark Δ Energizer Δ Ernst & Young LLP Δ Fannie Mae Δ Ford and Harrison LLP Δ General Electric Gibbons P.C. Δ Halliburton Δ Harris Corporation Δ HCA Healthcare Δ Highmark Inc. Δ Ingersoll Rand International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals Δ JBK Associates Δ Jones Lang LaSalle KPMG Δ Kraft Foods Inc. Δ Lewis and Roca LLP Δ The Lifetime Healthcare Companies Lockheed Martin Corporation Δ Moss Adams LLP Δ MWV Δ National Grid Δ New York Life Δ Nielsen O’Melveny & Myers LLP Δ PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Δ PwC Δ Raytheon Company Rockwell Collins Δ Ryder System, Inc. Δ Sandia National Laboratories Δ Shell International Society for Human Resource Management Δ Sodexo Δ Sparrow Health System Springboard Consulting LLC Δ The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. Δ Thompson Hine LLP TWI Inc. Δ Union Bank, N.A. Δ UnitedHealth Group Δ Vanguard Δ Verizon Walgreen Co. Δ Walmart Stores, Inc. Δ WellPoint, Inc. Δ White & Case LLP

THE AMERICAN DREAM p.68

ENGAGING WHITE MALES p.76

SPOTLIGHT ON SWEDEN p.80

I am

Sodexo Engaged employees drive

Lenarda, Human Resources Manager, Tanzania

business success. That’s why we’re committed to creating an environment where each employee contributes to his or her full potential. By fostering a Marit, Senior Vice President Gulf of Mexico & Caribbean

Jodie

Operations Manager, Australia

culture based on mutual respect and inclusion, we make every day a better day at Sodexo. But don’t take our word for it. Hear what our employees have to say about working for the world’s

te Executive

Rahul

ra Sterling, CorMpoanagement,

Guesthouse Manager, India

Chef Supply nited States ,U Test Kitchen

To view these employees’ stories, scan the smart tag or visit bit.ly/SodexoCommunity. Get this app at http://gettag.mobi

leader in Quality of Life services on bit.ly/SodexoCommunity.

| PUBLISHER’S COLUMN

Appreciating Diversity Leaders

PUBLISHER/CEO/MANAGING EDITOR

James R. Rector VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS

James Gorman SENIOR EDITOR

Grace Austin

Last night we stoked up our fireplace for the first time this fall season. With temperatures falling to around 40°F, the smell of the wood burning and dancing flames captured my attention in a mesmerizing kind of way. I began to think about the Diversity Journal, my constant and loyal companion for the past 14 years and all the wonderful people who have penned pertinent diversity and inclusion material for our readers. Every industry needs an unbiased forum for sharing opinions, perspectives, and prophesies. Diversity Journal has been true to its roots of being a people-based publication and an uplifting and helpful resource for so many. As we continue our journey, we stand on the shoulders of so many people and organizations that have contributed selflessly to advancing knowledge, experience, doubts, and expectations about the workforce and how to deal with differences. At Diversity Journal we’re excited—excited because the people we profile and their unique stories represent cross-sections of humanity—you and me, all of us, near and far—trying to make sense of our surroundings and understand each other. Is this easy? No. Is it challenging? Yes. But is it rewarding? Yes. You may remember the story of a bystander who asks a bricklayer what he’s doing and hears that he is laying bricks. The bystander asks another bricklayer the same question and hears “I’m building a church.” In our humble way, I believe over the past 90 issues, we’re building a huge repository of informative articles that deal with understanding and respecting all kinds of people . . . people who make our cars, sell insurance, ring up our retail sales, protect our person and property, fight our fires, serve in the government and military, and people from other countries/cultures who have come to make the United States their home. The unique part of this story is that people actually doing this meaningful work are telling their story in their own words. In the November/December issue, the final issue for 2012, we acknowledge the organizations that participate in our magazine on a regular basis with content, advertising, and counsel. We honor their commitment and celebrate their achievements to help build a more equitable society and workforce. To all the 2013 Diversity Leader Award winners, whether we give you a high five, shake your hand, or bow humbly, we thank you sincerely. Our existence is a testament to your leadership! Best wishes for the New Year. PDJ James R. Rector, Founder/Publisher November/December 2012

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

April W. Klimley DIRECTOR OF CLIENT PARTNERSHIPS

Sarah Weber ART DIRECTOR

Paul Malanij HUMAN RESOURCES

Vicky DePiore EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Elena Rector CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Noëlle Bernard Raquel Harrah Julie Hayes Linda Jimenez Melissa Lamson Bernadette Pieters Debra L. Stang Craig Storti Nadine Vogel Trevor Wilson LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Profiles in Diversity Journal Gemini Towers #1 • 1991 Crocker Road, Suite 204 • Westlake, OH 44145 Tel: 440.892.0444 • Fax: 440.892.0737 profiles@diversityjournal.com SUBSCRIPTIONS

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REPRINTS: profiles@diversityjournal.com EDITORIAL: edit@diversityjournal.com PHOTOS & ARTWORK: art@diversityjournal.com

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Inside

November / December 2012 Volume 14 Number 6

FEATURES 2013 DIVERSITY LEADER AWARDS Our Diversity Leaders are companies who have communicated their diversity and inclusion programs by participation in Diversity Journal over the course of the year. This year, we narrowed our scope to focus on social media, and the obstacles, successes, and methods that companies use to promote their brands and D&I programs.

COVER STORY

WERE THEY OR WEREN'T THEY?

One of the banners frequently flown at LGBTQ pride parades reads, “Unfortunately, history has set the record a little too straight.” This article seeks to rectify that mistake by opening the closet doors on a few notable LGBT people throughout history.

DO YOU HAVE THIS IN MY COLOR?

Sued by former employees, The Wet Seal Inc.’s legal issues reinforces discrimination and disparities in retail.

IS IT TIME FOR ASPERGER'S IN THE WORKPLACE? Today, one in 88 individuals is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and it is estimated that one in 250 people has Asperger Syndrome. Nonetheless, individuals with Asperger Syndrome are an untapped talent pool for employers. So how do you tap into this resource and successfully manage them?

FOLLOW US AT: facebook.com/diversityjournal twitter.com/diversityjrnl scribd.com/diversityjournal twitter.com/mentorings facebook.com/mentorings

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

November/December 2012

The Issue

DEPARTMENTS

IN EVERY ISSUE

CULTURE

04 | EDITOR’S NOTE

08 | CULTURAL EVENTS

06 | BULLETIN

10 | BREAKING THE SKINNY WHITE MOLD

68 | THOUGHTLEADERS Engaging White Males and American Dream stories are told in this issue’s thoughtleader feature

80 | GLOBAL DIVERSITY Taking a closer look at diversity in Sweden

How diversity in the fashion industry is slowly but surely changing

18 | SOCIAL MEDIA OPENS DOORS FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

In a new era, social media provides marketing benefits for small businesses and young online retailers.

20 | NYU ENTREPRENEURS COMBAT HIGH HEEL WOES WITH CITYSLIPS

84 32 | LGBT-FRIENDLY LISTS HELP YOUTH FIND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENTS MILITARY | GOVERNMENT

34 | THE INS AND OUTS OF THE GI BILL

14 | HOW DO YOU SAY PROFIT IN SPANISH?

How two students created their own portable ballet flat company

How American television is entering into the Hispanic market

NONPROFIT

Veterans take advantage of the new benefits guaranteed through the Post 9/11 and Montgomery GI Bill

22 | IS THE NONPROFIT SECTOR DOING ENOUGH FOR DIVERSITY?

36 | IMMIGRATION DEFERRED ACTION: LIVING THE DREAM?

24 | ONE PART BOUTIQUE, ONE PART LIONS

38 | NEW NGA CHAIR ANNOUNCES YEAR-LONG INITIATIVE

SMALL BUSINESS | ENTREPRENEUR

16 | A NEW TOOL FOR THE BUDDING BUSINESSPERSON Startup American Partnership looks to provide support and capital for entrepreneurs.

A discussion with AQIWO President and CEO Steve Mills, member of the Chumash peoples

62 | FROM THE EXPERTS Leaders share their opinions and thoughts to help improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

CRAIG STORTI Communicating Across Cultures LINDA JIMENEZ WellPoint, Inc. TREVOR WILSON TWI Inc. NADINE VOGEL Springboard Consulting LLC BERNADETTE PIETERS BDO USA, LLP

How eyeglass companies are using the one-for-one philosophy created by TOMS

26 | CATALYST HIGHER EDUCATION

28 | MAIP ADDRESSES LACK OF DIVERSITY IN ADVERTISING Internship program is the oldest of its kind in the country

30 | EDUCATORS SPEAK ON NEW ROLE AS HYBRID SCHOLARS/ ADMINISTRATORS OF DIVERSITY

November/December 2012

Delaware Governor has launched disability employment opportunity initiative

CORRECTIONS Julia Poston of Ernst and Young and Tory Clarke of Bridge Partners LLC were incorrectly placed under “Legal” in the September/ October issue. They instead should have been organized under “Professional Services.” New York Life’s annual revenues were marked as $2.3 billion in the September/ October issue. They are actually $23.8 billion.

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| EDITOR’S NOTE

Growth and evolution are both a constant and are necessary As I look back on 2012, I am surprised at how much the magazine has evolved since this time last year. Although not something I take into account on a day-to-day basis, the changes are truly remarkable if one does compare. They have not been without growing pains, of course, as new employees and contributors are welcomed by veteran workers. Evolution is a constant, and a refresh is always necessary to stay abreast of the latest news in diversity. And the growth and evolution will continue in this new year. In the coming months, we are going to continue to work on building a magazine with a cohesive message of diversity and inclusion. I am certain the articles written by myself and our contributors have and will be beneficial for anyone interested in diversity, whether you are a D&I professional at a large corporation or a reader at home or online who wants to stay connected to diversity news. As always, we welcome your feedback. For the upcoming year, we are going to hone in on the diversity issues that seem to affect everyone the most, and are consistently in the news: racial discrimination, LGBT rights, gender disparities, and religious persecution, just to name a few. Additionally, we will continue to cover workforce diversity in its entirety, to make sure that both employees and employers are aware of diversity and working together to improve it. This issue contains a variety of voices. In addition to my writing, we are featuring a selection of freelance writers, interns, and corporate employees, who cover the gamut from young to middle-aged, LGBT

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

to straight, white to black, and so on. Overall, they represent the fabric of this country and workforce, adding a freshness and diversity of thought to this issue. I personally enjoyed writing about the lack of diversity in fashion, and was equally engrossed by the spotlight on Sweden in our Global Diversity section. Reading about the GI Bill and the DREAM Act was both interesting and informative, as well as timely. The American Dream Thoughtleader topic, though, was by far the most touching and moving portion of the issue. I encourage everyone to read each story—they truly are indicative of the struggles that many have gone through and continue to go through in our country. Last but not least, this year’s Diversity Leader Awards are indicative of the tremendous partnerships we have built with today’s leading companies and firms. This award is special, as it is our way of recognizing companies that have participated throughout the year in our various features. As the editor, I know the effort that many of our contributors go through to write passionate pieces on D&I. They really do deserve all the accolades we can give for their work. So as we look to this new year after a particularly tough year politically and economically, let’s move forward with progress. Let’s move forward with regards to fixing the issues that still plague minorities and keep the C-Suite male-dominated. Even if broad changes don’t occur rapidly, if we can at least continue to strive for change, hopefully we can, even a little, make a difference. PDJ

November/December 2012

Grace Austin graceaustin@diversityjournal.com

Thanks to you,

for protecting what matters most.

As one of the nation's leading health benefits companies, WellPoint serves the health care needs of nearly 34 million members. At WellPoint, we are proud of our dedication to diversity. Still, with all that we've achieved, we will always strive to better attract, retain and develop top diverse talent. One way is through Associate Resource Groups like Veterans of WellPoint (VOW), where employees with military backgrounds work to develop and sustain our culture of inclusion, enhance and maximize customer relations, and create and leverage leadership opportunities for all of our employees.

Better health care, thanks to you. Visit us online at

Bulletin Mink Named to Catalyst Advisors The Dow Chemical Company has announced that Kim Ann Mink, PhD, business president for Elastomers, MINK Electrical and Telecommunications, has been appointed to represent Dow on the Catalyst Board of Advisors. In this role, Dr. Mink will assess and advance best practices for the advancement of female talent from premier employers across multiple sectors. “Dr. Mink’s appointment to Catalyst’s Board is both recognition of her outstanding capability as a change agent, and another step forward in our critical journey to creating a truly inclusive workplace,” said Andrew Liveris, Dow chairman and chief executive officer. As a member of the Board of Advisors, Mink will help further Catalyst’s mission of offering businesses strategic advice and counsel on topics related to the advancement of women. Dr. Mink will join senior executives on the Advisory Board from leading companies including Coca-Cola, IBM, Microsoft and Toyota—all of which are active members. “I’m excited about my appointment to the board of advisors for Catalyst,” said Mink. “I look forward to providing insight and perspective to the organization, focusing on how to advance best practices that will benefit talented women around the globe.”

Rudominer Named Director of Communications Communications strategist Ryan Rudominer has been named Edison Electric Institute’s executive director of Communications. “It’s an honor to be working with

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

President Tom Kuhn, Senior Vice President Brian Wolff, and the rest of the outstanding EEI team on behalf of America’s shareholder-owned electric companies,” said Rudominer. “This is a truly innovative industry at the forefront of improving America’s energy security, strengthening the economy, and creating high-quality American jobs. I’m very excited to be coming on board and helping to advance these important objectives.” Rudominer comes most recently from New Partners Consulting, where he provided an array of corporate and issue advocacy clients with strategic messaging, branding, and tactical advice. Additionally, Rudominer served as both a regional and national press secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2008 and 2010 cycles, and previously worked for years as a communications director on Capitol Hill for numerous members of Congress and national and individual political campaigns.

B&T Corporation Recently Named Two New Members to its Executive Management Team Rufus Yates, president and CEO of Scott and Stringfellow LLC and manager of BB&T Capital Markets, and Cynthia Williams, chief corporate communications officer, will join the ten current members on the executive management team, which sets policy and direction for the corporation. “These moves position our management team for the future,” said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kelly S. King. “Rufus and Cynthia are both proven leaders who, along with the rest of our management team, will continue to build on our 140-year legacy as a solid and stable financial institution.” As president and CEO of Richmond, Virginia-based Scott and Stringfellow, Yates is responsible for the Private Client November/December 2012

Managing Principal of The Employment Law Group Achieves Best Lawyers 2013 Ranking R. Scott Oswald, managing principal of The Employment Law Group has been named to the Best Lawyers 2013 list for his work in labor and employment law. The Best Lawyers list is one of the oldest and most respected attorney ranking publications in the legal profession and inclusion in the annual list is based on an extensive peer review process. Oswald has significant experience litigating whistleblower retaliation, qui tam, wrongful discharge, Title VII/ADEA/ADA discrimination, FMLA, USERRA, non-compete, wage and overtime actions in federal and state courts, and heralding the rights of whistleblowers on Capitol Hill. A recipient of numerous legal awards and accolades, Oswald was named one of the Top Ten Leaders in employment law for the Greater Washington, D.C area in 2010. American Lawyer Magazine named him a Top Rated Lawyer in 2012 and he has earned a Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review rating for “highest level of professional excellence.” He is currently the president of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association. “It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by my peers on this level,” said Oswald. “This honor speaks to the quality of legal services that The Employment Law Group provides to its clients.”

Group and Capital Markets activities. In addition, he oversees Clearview Correspondent Services LLC, BB&T’s securities clearing broker dealer. As executive vice president and man-

WHO…WHAT…WHERE…WHEN

ager of Winston-Salem-based BB&T Capital Markets, Yates also is responsible for the corporate banking, loan syndications, and interest-rate derivative groups. As executive vice president and chief corporate communications officer of Winston-Salem-based Brand and Communications Strategy, Williams leads BB&T’s corporate advertising, marketing strategy, sports marketing, and communications groups. A native of Yokohama, Japan, Williams joined BB&T in 2003 as part of the First Virginia Bank merger. Williams, who has 26 years of financial services experience, served as regional branch operations manager before moving to Winston-Salem to manage Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. She has served as chief corporate communications officer since 2009. ..

Muller Named Managing Director of AFP in Germany Enno Müller has been appointed managing director of AFP in Germany. He will .. report to Florence MuLLER Biedermann, regional director, Europe-Africa. Enno Müller will be in charge of AFP GmbH and SID, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Agence France-Presse. He will coordinate the activities of the subsidiaries with AFP’s Berlin bureau, which covers German news for its global network. AFP GmbH, based in Berlin, provides German language news in text, photo, video, and graphics, along with multimedia services to Germany’s written press, radio, television, and online media market. For the past 65 years, SID has remained the undisputed reference for sports coverage in Germany. The company employs almost 60 journalists

Wilson Human Capital Group Named to 2012 Baker’s Dozen of Top RPO Providers WilsonHCG announced that Human Resources Outsourcing Today, the only publication dedicated to covering the outsourced human resources services market, has named WilsonHCG to its annual Baker’s Dozen of top Recruitment Process Outsourcing providers. HRO Today Magazine’s RPO Baker’s Dozen has become the industry’s leading authority and a benchmark for RPO service provider differentiation. The RPO Baker’s Dozen is a critical source for prospective buyers of RPO solutions. This year’s survey results were based on responses from more than 900 HR executives’ who are current RPO customers of 450 clients. RPO providers were rated on the breadth of service, size of deals, and performance quality. Results are based on a confidential qualitative and quantitative survey and rankings are determined by a statistical analysis of surveys and a predetermined weighting algorithm. “This is obviously a very big day in the history of WilsonHCG. We are honored to be named to the HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen List—confirming the hard work of our talented associates and partners. Our firm belief and dedication to a high touch customizable approach rather than a one-size-fits-all model has allowed us to deliver top quality service to our clients,” said John Wilson, CEO of WilsonHCG.

divided between its headquarters in Cologne and various offices across the country—Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin and Munich. SID offers text services, multimedia products, and video. Müller is a management graduate from the University of Göttingen and holds a PhD in economics. He joined the RTL Group in 1991, then its multimedia subsidiary in 1994 as CFO and vice president. In 1999, he founded EconoMedia Informationsdienste, a provider of consumer reviews and data, before taking charge of e-learning company Digital Spirit in 2009.

PNC Named to Working Mother 100 Best Companies for Eleventh Year The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., has been named one of the nation’s 2012 Working Mother 100 Best Companies. The distinction marks the eleventh time PNC has been recognized for its support of working families. This highly competitive award is presented annually by Working Mother magazine as a benchmark for work/life and

family-friendly practices in corporate America. “When employees feel valued and supported both professionally and in their personal lives, they are more engaged in the workplace,” said Kathy D’Appolonia, senior vice president and manager of workplace solutions for PNC. “PNC’s continued recognition by Working Mother magazine speaks to the company’s efforts to continuously improve our range of work/life programs for employees and their families.” Some enhancements to PNC’s programs included: expansion of PNC’s employee wellness program to include employees’ family members, as well as enhancements to the free biometric screening program; growth of employee business resource groups through the addition of new groups and chapters across PNC’s markets, including those in support of women; and more than 14,000 employees received immediate vesting in the $2,000 minimum 401(k) match, giving them immediate access to these funds. PDJ

November/December 2012

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∂ Edited by Grace Austin

CULTURE

EVENTS NOVEMBER|DECEMBER

“Tuna Fishing” is considered by scholars to be Salvador Dali’s best painting.

Dali, November 21-March 25, 2013: The master of surrealism can be seen at the Centre Pompidou’s retrospective in Paris. This is the first exhibit by the Spanish artist in Paris in more than 30 years, showing previously unseen works alongside celebrated pieces. Art Basel Miami Beach, December 6-9: Miami will host the international art show for the eleventh time, one of the most prestigious art showcases in the Western Hemisphere. Hosted at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the festival draws more than 260 galleries from five different continents, with more than 2,000 artists featured. Special exhibition sections show upcoming artists, performance art, public art projects, and multimedia art. International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao, November 16-23: Hosted in Bilbao, Spain, the festival brings together the best documentary and short films under 45 min8

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

utes from around the globe. The Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, November 2-11: Hawaii’s oldest festival is the only one dedicated to coffee in the U.S. This 10-day festival comprises more than 30 community events, including a coffee picking contest and an “ultimate barista challenge.” Festival Internacional Gourmet, November 8-18: Located in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, the festival, now in its eighteenth year, brings together 30 of the worlds “master chefs.” The committee consists of chefs Thierry Blouet, Heinz Reize, and Roland Menetreye. Lalla Essaydi: Revisions, May 9-February 24: The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art’s exhibit questions the West’s views of Arab women. Essaydi’s portraits of women in Islamic cultures challenge Orientalist stereotypes, focusing on family and female companionship. PDJ

November/December 2012

Making Better Possible. Through our $4 prescription plan, healthier foods initiative, more than $8 million in scholarships to the Hispanic community and employing more than 170,000 Hispanic associates nationwide, we are proud to be a part of so many familiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives.

walmartstores.com

| CULTURE

By Grace Austin

H E ABSENCE OF diversity in

the fashion industry has remained a hot topic in popular culture since the civil rights movements of the ‘60s and ‘70s drew attention to the homogeneity of the fashion world. Within the past fifteen years there has been a major call to action to correct this, with some notable gains made. Yet there still remains a great disparity among all facets of the industry, and the implications that it has for society’s greater understanding of what is beautiful are still being felt.

Models

Chanel Iman walks in the Christian Dior Haute Couture fashion show in July 2009.

Breaking the

Skinny White Mold How Diversity in the Fashion Industry is Slowly but Surely Changing 10

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

November/December 2012

Each fashion week season, thousands of models walk the runways for prestigious designers, with white models making up the vast majority of those who work. In September 2012’s New York Fashion Week, of the 4,708 individual looks that were seen during the shows, only 20.6 percent were worn by women of color, according to Jezebel.com. Black models represented 8.1 percent of this total, while Asian models fared slightly better with representation at 10.1 percent. Even though Latinos are the largest minority group in America, only 1.9 percent of the models used during New York’s September 2012 shows were Latinos. African Americans and Latinos make up 12.6 percent and 16.3 percent of the U.S. population respectively, according to the 2010 Census, showing the extreme deficit in adequate representation for these groups on the runways. Of course, when diverse models are used, it is often as a token or a novelty. Even Givenchy’s all-Asian model casting at Paris Fashion Week

in early 2012 was criticized for its thinly-veiled orientalism. The same is true of using plus-sized models in fashion shows—they’re not evident of true change but attempts to appease criticism about using anorexic or too-thin models. Additionally, models of color are often “white-washed,” chosen for their Caucasian features and light skin. Often times designers like to use a model that won’t upstage the clothes, who will blend seamlessly into the garments, pretty but “blank-featured.” Having an “ethnic” look prohibits this kind of discernibility. In the past, casting directors have been guilty of posting “no ethnics,” to discourage models of color from even applying. While this blatant racism may be a thing of the past, as Bethann Hardison (a former model who ran a successful modeling agency), said to the New York Times in 2007, “Modeling is probably the one industry where you have the freedom to refer to people by their color and reject them in their work.” Although designer Diane Von Furstenberg, president of the CFDA, issued a memo in 2008 urging designers to create “truly multicultural” fashion shows, statements like this have rarely made headway. What has made a difference are the designers that seek out diverse models, and not just for one season, like Von Furstenberg, J. Crew, and Betsey Johnson. Designers of color are more apt to hire diverse models, too. Modeling agencies that promote diversity have also been at the forefront of change, like the Ben Barry Agency. Organizations like Models of Diversity have at least drawn attention to the issue, but it will remain to be seen if the work of a few

individuals will change an industry’s inclinations towards homogeneity.

Funding, for design and runway shows, is often highly expensive. An estimated investment of at least a Designers hundred thousand dollars is often Some African American designers, needed for even a small runway like Tracy Reese, have managed to show. And even finding the investmake gains in the lucrative mainment to start your own brand or stream, while the Asian American company can be daunting financially. designer exploSome groups, sion of Alexander like the “Modeling is probably Organization of Wang, Phillip Lim, and Peter Black Designers the one industry where Som a few years (OBD) and the ago has only been you have the freedom Black Fashion tempered by their Designers increasing success. to refer to people by Association, Of the Autumn/ have been estabWinter (held in their color and reject lished to proMarch) 2012 mote diversity them in their work.” among designers. New York shows, though, theGrio Harlem’s Fashion reported only two designers out of Row is another organization that 127 were African American, Reese works to correct this imbalance, atand b. Michael. tempting to find more black designMeanwhile, Latinos have made ers to show on the runway. more inroads as designers than other minorities. Cuban-American Magazines Narcisco Rodriguez is famous Magazines like Elle, Harper’s for designing Carolyn Bessette Bazaar, and Vogue are still the main Kennedy’s simple wedding dress in ways people take in fashion. Thus the ‘90s, and was later awarded the they comprise a powerful element of CFDA Designer of the Year award. what people view as fashionable and Oscar de la Renta, a native of the beautiful. Still, for the most part, Dominican Republic, is highly these magazines are white-washed respected for his creations, as is and rarely show diversity of age Venezuelan-born Carolina Herrera, or size. The 2008 all-black Italian who dresses celebrities and counts a Vogue issue was a unique exception, net worth of $100 million. featuring notable black supermodels Stephen Burrows, winner of the like Naomi Campbell, Iman, and Council of Fashion Designers of Alek Wek. The issue was Italian America’s Board of Directors Special Vogue’s fastest-selling ever. Tribute Award, is often considered Traditionally, though, putting the first designer of color to receive African Americans on the cover of a international acclaim (at the 1973 fashion magazine has not translated Grand Divertissement á Versailles into sales. Famously Halle Berry’s fashion show). Burrows has said that September 2010 Vogue cover, usually funding and press often keep designthe largest and most profitable issue ers of color out of the spotlight. of the year, fared poorly on newsNovember/December 2012

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| CULTURE

stands. This was the first time a black models in commercials and fashion woman had been on the September shows. In the interest of reducing issue since 1989. To say the least, the eating disorders, women and men impression that “black doesn’t sell” is who apply for modeling jobs in Israel still prevalent in the industry. must have a doctor verify that their Vogue recently placed 63-year-old BMI (a number representing the actress Meryl Streep on its January ratio between weight and height) 2012 cover, the oldest cover model is at least 18.5, considered normal for the magazine in many years. weight. And Glamour has recently According to New York Magazine’s taken stances to use a wide range of blog The Cut, for models in their the past twelve “...it has a long way to features. Whether years the averthese efforts will go before everyone is age age of Vogue spur changes is cover models has still being debated. represented in an inbeen 30.3 years Editorial conold. Although cerns, though, are dustry which tells a vast often overshadthere are some older actresses by contromajority of the world owed who increase versies over ads. that median Marketing and how to look and feel.” age, like Sarah advertising within Jessica Parker fashion and and Jennifer Aniston, a majority of women’s magazines are a major issue, models within the publication are in especially because it can’t be contheir 20s. trolled by the magazines. (The aforeWhile Vogue was praised for keepmentioned initiative by Vogue doesn’t ing Streep natural, it seems magaapply to advertisements, a major barzines are always in the news for anrier to showing a less homogenous other photoshopping debacle. Over population within the magazine.) the years such victims have included Although companies like Dove and forty-something Faith Hill and overM.A.C. have made public efforts to 50 Madonna and Demi Moore. show “real people” in their advertiseAside from making celebrities look ments, most brands stick with what younger and thinner, skin tone is they know: white and skinny. For often altered or lightened, something example, of all the advertisements in common among celebrities of color. the 414-page October issue of Elle, (Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian have there were only 12 black models and been past victims of this.) five Asian models. There were no Promisingly, there have been efforts full-figured models. For a magazine to show healthier images in magathat relies so heavily on advertisezines. In mid-2012 Vogue vowed to ments, these figures are alarming. use healthier models in its British, French, U.S., and Japanese editions. Blogs This includes “not knowingly work The popularity and rise of blogs has [ing] with models under the age of changed the face of the fashion world. 16 or who appear to have an eatBloggers from Australia, Sweden, ing disorder.” Additionally, Israel France, Spain, and across the U.S. has banned the use of underweight have become instant global celebrities

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

November/December 2012

by sharing their lives and daily sartorialism for internet readers. These people show diversity in ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, and size. So why are blogs so ubiquitous? Because nearly everyone, with some basic knowledge of building a blog and writing or photography, can create one. While the fashion world may be notoriously elite, the egalitarianism of blogs makes fashion more accessible and inclusive. Lesley Kinzel’s blog Two Whole Cakes, recently published into a book, shares her style advice regularly on the site. Kinzel wears a size 26. Asma, an Austin-based “twentysomething” mom, regularly uses her blog, Haute Muslimah, to share the latest fashion. She often pairs the latest fashions with the traditional hijab. And Advanced Style, run by Ari Seth Cohen, showcases mature women in their chic and sometimes eccentric duds. The blog was recently made into a book.

Diverse Fashion Consumers The truth is African American, Latino, and Asian American women have incredible buying power. It is estimated at more than $1 trillion, and expected to increase. Fashion, like other global industries and businesses, needs to realize the importance of diversity. To appeal to all of the potential markets in the world, fashion needs to be reflective in its advertisements and representations of who actually buys the brand. As Jezebel pointed out, although fashion “has many people of color in leadership positions” and is “historically very tolerant of sexual minorities,” it has a long way to go before everyone is represented in an industry which tells a vast majority of the world how to look and feel. PDJ

Bringing unique talents together is what sets us apart. At CVS Caremark, we are able to achieve market-leading business results every day because we understand and truly value the power of diversity. Through genuine respect and by embracing everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s differences, abilities and complexities, we have created an all-inclusive work environment and a more innovative, creative and rewarding organization. Join us and add your unique voice, strength and character to our mission of improving lives daily.

At CVS Caremark, we are committed to building an environment of inclusion and acceptance that values diversity across all areas of our business.

Join our team and experience a fulfilling career at CVS Caremark. Visit us at jobs.cvscaremark.com/diversity CVS Caremark is an equal opportunity employer supporting a drug-free work environment.

| CULTURE

HOW DO YOU SAY PROFIT IN SPANISH?

network, and BabyFirst HISPANIC CHANNELS announced efAmericas, a Hispanic eduforts to create a cational network for babies multi-platform, and children. EnglishFox News, not to be language, outdone, has also reHispaniccently launched a Spanishaudience news channel, language television network, which will launch in 2013. MundoFox, in collaboration Partnering with Univision, with Colombian media the target audience is bilincompany RCN. Fox gual and English-dominant News previously launched Hispanic markets. It will Fox Deportes (in 1996), deliver news content foand Utilisima (directed cused on lifestyle, entertainat women and created ment, and health-related in 2008), both Spanishissues of importance to language channels. Hispanics. Meanwhile, Univision has American Latinos are now 16.5 percent of the population and This move reflects the consume at a rate of over $1 trillion per year. added Univision tlNovelas, growing market for proa channel devoted solely to gramming geared towards hugely popular telenovelas, the Hispanic/Latino population. This is only expected to and Univision Deportes, to rival ESPN Deportes and grow, as Hispanics will represent 30 percent of the total Fox Deportes. Other bilingual networks include MTV’s population by 2050. tr3s, directed at both bilingual Latinos and non-Latino “It is to be expected. With American Latinos now 16.5 Americans ages 12-34, which launched more than six percent of the population, consuming at the rate of over years ago. $1 trillion a year, with the highest birth rate, youngest Media companies are scrambling to capitalize on the population, and the biggest consumer of films, television, buying power of Hispanic/Latinos, largely considered radio, and cell usage, proportionally speaking, we are an untapped market. Television advertising expengold for those entrepreneurs launching new channels in ditures in the Hispanic market are only expected to Spanish or English,” said President & CEO of National increase with the growing population. Nielsen has reHispanic Media Coalition Alex Nogales. cently reported that the purchasing power of Hispanics Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal and is also the will swell to $1.5 trillion in 2015. Analysis by the largest U.S. cable provider, has agreed to add 10 indeAssociation of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) pendently owned channels over the course of several further solidifies the significance of the Latino market. years, with eight of them being owned by Hispanic The study, published last year, found that there is a or black individuals. Two of these individuals include strong, positive relationship between the percentage of Magic Johnson and Sean “Diddy” Combs. The Hispanic overall ad spend to Hispanic media and a company’s channels set to launch include El Rey, an entertainment revenue growth. PDJ

B C HAS RECENTLY

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

November/December 2012

for seeing opportunity in diversity.

At PNC Bank, diversity is one of our core values. From our hiring practices and employee programs to the communities and sponsorships we invest in, we’ve developed a keen appreciation for our collective strengths. But it’s not just deeply ingrained in our corporate culture; we’re helping communities across the country achieve great things. See how we’re doing this at pnc.com/diversity for the achiever in you ©2012 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC

CON PDF 0912-057-114610

∂ Edited by Grace Austin

| SMALL BUSINESS | ENTREPRENEUR

A NEW TOOL

for the Budding Businessperson

Startup America Partnerhsip looks to help young entrepreneurs

R E YOU A startup that

needs help? Look no further than Startup America Partnership. Designed to aid young entrepreneurs, Startup America Partnership (SAP) hopes to provide jobs and put America at the forefront of innovation by encouraging young entrepreneurs with their small businesses. A nonprofit organization, SAP was founded in early 2011 by CEO Scott Case, founder of Priceline. com, Steve Case, AOL co-founder, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The organization names heavy hitters like American Express, Dell, Intuit, and Microsoft as corporate sponsors. SAP identifies three kinds of startups they are helping, in ascending order of stages in the entrepreneurial process. The first, the startup, has at least two people with an “ambition to build a scalable company,” while the “rampup” has at least five employees and two customers, and the “speedup” at least 25 employees and an established revenue. Interested entrepreneurs can register online at their website, s.co. Once a company is accepted, SAP provides them with resources from dedicated partners. These resources include mentoring opportunities from companies like Ernst & Young; discounted and free tools and ser-

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

California currently has the most Startup members, with 1,440, while Washington, D.C. counts the most members per million population, with 341.

vices from partners; assistance in finding talented employees through advising and recruitment services; advertising opportunities like a Google AdWords credit; and potential capital from businesses like Intel. SAP looks for entrepreneurs from all over the country and in any industry. Identifying communities of entrepreneurship by region is a major aspect of SAP’s mission. The organization is hoping to create “startup ecosystems” with grounded entrepreneurs reaching out to younger companies to help them grow at a grassroots level. They also hope to use a holistic community approach, reaching out to local universities,

November/December 2012

companies, and government to better aid young entrepreneurs. Besides the Cases, noted entrepreneurs on the founding board include Tory Burch, CEO of the global lifestyle company bearing her name, Michael Dell, CEO of Dell, Reed Hastings, founder and CEO of Netflix, and Magic Johnson, former NBA player and entrepreneur. And with 9,857 startup members in September, the initiative seems to be accomplishing its goals of encouraging young companies. PDJ

For more information, or how to become a partner, please sign up online at s.co.

We understand the value of diversity. That is why we offer compelling benefits to help your business attract and retain a diverse workforce at no cost to your company. To learn how Aflac can help give your employees additional protection, visit aflac.com

Coverage underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus. Group coverage underwritten by Continental American Insurance Company, which is not licensed to solicit business in Guam, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands. In California, group coverage underwritten by Continental American Life Insurance Company. In New York, coverage underwritten by American Family Life Assurance Company of New York. Policies may not be available in all states. There may be indirect administrative or other costs. From Latina Style magazine, August 2011 and Ethisphere magazine, April 2011. Z120119

3/12

| SMALL BUSINESS | ENTREPRENEUR

Social Media

Opens Doors for Young Entrepreneurs

In a new era, social media provides marketing benefits for small businesses and young online retailers. By Raquel Harrah

O ST COLLEGE STUDENTS can’t add a thriv-

ing retail business to their résumé, but Courtney Nolz, a junior at South Dakota University, can call herself a business owner at 20-years-old. What began as an idea at 16 became reality thanks to her determination and the accessibility of social media. Nolz maintains her business, Cowgirl Crush, through Facebook, where consumers can view and buy products online. Items are both sold and marketed through numerous social media outlets. “When I first founded the business I was only 16, so I didn’t have the funding for any other kind of marketing strategy,” said Nolz. Cowgirl Crush, run almost entirely through social media, brings in nearly 3,000 “likes” on Facebook, more than many large businesses and corporations. “Social media is super successful right now because of the adoption rate of technology amongst the world,” said co-founder of Alpha Brand Media and social media consultant Brent Csutoras. “More people have smartphones and computers in the home, and that has really changed the landscape of the web dramatically over the last two years.” The company began with handmade stone, crystal, and cross jewelry and has expanded to include Same Spirit and Ali Dee designs, along with the introduction of a clothing line in 2011. According to Nolz, this addition doubled social media interaction through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Understanding the Social Media Audience

Nolz has welcomed the social aspect of social media— she communicates with her consumers, updating them on new products, asking them about their weekend, and what they would like to see next from Cowgirl Crush. According to Csutoras, this type of interaction is es-

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November/December 2012

sential to successful marketing. “Social media gives you an opportunity to connect in a very personal and meaningful way with your customers. This allows you to respond quickly to customer support issues, share and praise compliments about your company, and provide offers to people who are going out of their way to show your company support,” said Csutoras. As social media is relatively new, there has been some debate about whether success can be achieved through social media marketing. Social media helped Nolz ease into the notoriously difficult jewelry business. “Any social media site can be effective for marketing if you take the time to understand what type of content performs well, who the audience is, and get creative about how you can provide your content or product in a way they would appreciate it and accept it,” said Csutoras. New statistics from Allstate and National Journal show that 59 percent of social media users say a company’s social media activities make the company appear “accessible

“

Social media marketing is a huge factor in why our business has become successful. —Co-founder of Alpha Brand Media and social media consultant Brent Csutoras

and responsive” and 64 percent of social media users want to see companies use social media for customer service. While statistics have not yet proven whether successful marketing can raise sales, statistics do show that just being available on social media can be beneficial to businesses. Only 50 percent of small businesses are using social media, but Csutoras says this is a mistake. “I would warn that any company not getting involved in social media at some point today is setting themselves up for failure or an expensive and hard catch-up in the next few years. Everyone should have a Facebook fanpage at this point. Facebook is a dominant force in social media and that doesn’t look like it is going to change anytime soon.” According to the same study by Allstate and National Journal, a digital gap is growing. Companies which are already investing will do so even more in the future, and companies which are not investing in digital media are not planning to do so. The survey concluded that 64 percent of adults are active on social media, and 79 percent of these users are likely to seek the opinions of others before buying goods or services. Many companies refrain from social media for fear of negative feedback, but even negative feedback can be helpful to provide greater customer service and gather a better external perception of the brand. It provides a company with an endless survey of customer opinions. Businesses should treat social media users the same way they would treat customers face-to-face—with respect, says Csutoras. If a customer expressed a concern in the store, it would be solved immediately, and social media interaction should be no different.

Social Media as Niche Market

The social media sphere has also become a niche market for many business owners. Women dominate on Pinterest, comprising over 72 percent of the site’s users. Some jewelry lines and retail businesses see Pinterest as an opportunity to post products and gain both recognition and customers. “Pinterest is one of the first social sites to accept commercial updates, as you can update actual products and see real success from doing so. The Fancy [a photo sharing site], and even Kirtsy [an online portal of collections for women], all hold opportunities for small businesses, especially small businesses catering to women’s interests,” Csutoras said. Social media provides the perfect catalyst for many niche markets, not just the female-centric.

”

“Already in Facebook, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Pinterest, you have niche sections, fanpages, categories, groups, or boards, allowing you to focus on specific areas and target a specific audience. This is exactly what people should be doing and should be a part of their social media strategy and planning,” Csutoras said. TIME magazine recently publicized that a majority of women use Pinterest while men use GooglePlus. Men dominate Reddit and StumbleUpon, but women maintain majority on Facebook and Twitter. For many businesses and organizations, this data supplies an opportunity to market exclusively to one gender. Former softball player and winner of the 2010 World Cup Championship Ashley Charters, with partner Layne Bryant, has started her own headband company, Glitterbandz, sold online and marketed on Facebook and Twitter. The young entrepreneur acknowledges social media as an essential component to her growing business. “Social media marketing is a huge factor in why our business has become successful,” said Charters. “There are so many people connected through social networking that it’s an easy way for any small business to get started. Young people are taking advantage of the benefits of social media marketing; we did and it has paid off.” Charters credits Glitterbandz’s international success in countries like Canada, Europe, and Japan, to social media. “I think a lot of small businesses are taking advantage of social media not only because it’s free marketing, but it’s also a great way to reach millions of people with a touch of a button. Technology is making it easier to grow a new business, and more quickly.” said Charters. While international success can be the aspiration of any small business, it is important to note that the U.S. is unique in its consumption and transmission of social media. “One thing to remember is that for the most part, the world is interested in social media, but only the U.S. really has the top social media communities, because of Silicon Valley and where they started from,” said Csutoras.

Controversy in Social Media

Social media marketing remains controversial. Experts have consistently questioned its effectiveness, arguing that young users are not affected by ads and still use the sites for their originally-intended purpose, to socialize. Social media can be effective, but businesses must put time and effort into the campaign and test what works for the company, says Csutoras. What may work for one business may not work for another. As the world shifts and technology becomes more prevNovember/December 2012

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| SMALL BUSINESS | ENTREPRENEUR

alent, social media is no different than the introduction of TV in the time of radio. People must also be realistic about what they expect from social media. “As people spend more time online and less reading magazines or watching TV, it is just a trade-up in how the average small business can market themselves,” Csutoras said. “I definitely think social media is helpful for startups, but I also don’t want people to put too much hope into one form of marketing as the basis for their company tak-

ing off or not. It is just one part in the puzzle for success.” Nolz and Charters, who can credit social media to their success, agree that the future is not fixed in terms of social media. Both still have hopes of owning a store or boutique. “The future for social media is unpredictable,” said Nolz. “I think that as long as a business owner can keep up with the new social mediums, they will continue to grow.” PDJ

NYU Entrepreneurs

COMBAT HIGH HEEL WOES WITH CITYSLIPS

By Julie Hayes

O ST WOMEN ARE well-

acquainted with the pain that comes along with following the latest trends in high heels. A day’s worth of walking in pumps or wedges can leave feet covered in blisters and sores. New York University students Katie Shea, 25, and Susan Levitt, 25, loved wearing their strappy heels to work and social events, but it grew difficult for them to tolerate the wear and tear to their feet. The women, then seniors in college, worked together to come up with a creative solution to their love/hate relationship with heels. In doing so, CitySlips was born. Influenced by existing portable and disposable shoes that women use to replace their heels, Shea and Levitt took their innovation a step further. CitySlips ballet flats not only have elastic backing and a structure that makes them easy to fold and store in purses, they also come with a small pouch that unzips into a full-sized

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

tote, a convenient place to store heels. To launch their innovation, Shea and Levitt utilized their network from the business school at NYU, and brainstormed their ideas with mentors and professionals. According to Levitt, being able to talk openly about their concept made all the difference in turning their idea from a smart solution to a marketable product. “A lot of people are nervous that if they discuss their idea too openly, they are at risk for having it stolen, but putting the idea out there opens the door for discussion and brainstorming, which makes the overall product better,” said Levitt. “We feel our young age actually worked in

November/December 2012

our favor, since we had a great network to work with at NYU.” Since their introduction in 2009, CitySlips have been successful with women around the country. They are currently sold at a variety of stores and boutiques, both in brick and mortar stores and online. Their market continues to expand day by day. “We were students and young professionals when we started, and we weren’t sure how widespread CitySlips would be. It was exciting to figure out our demographic was bigger than we anticipated,” said Levitt. “We realized we could make this a career.” When it comes to advice for fellow young entrepreneurs, Shea and Levitt emphasize the need to be unafraid of putting ideas out in the open. “If you have an idea, just do it,” said Levitt. “A lot of people take a lot of time and money when they’re thinking about launching an idea, but it’s about getting out there and doing it.” “Rely on your network,” Shea added. “Believe in your idea and be confident in it.” PDJ

∂ Edited by Grace Austin

NONPROFIT

Is the Nonprofit Sector Doing Enough

for Diversity? By Julie Hayes

ORGANIZATIONS IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR HAVE LONG BEEN MODELS OF SERVICE TO LOCAL AND NATIONAL COMMUNITIES, USING FUNDRAISING, ADVOCACY, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND OUTREACH TO SPREAD A MESSAGE OR PROMOTE A CAUSE TO SPECIFIC TARGET AUDIENCES. With com-

munities in the United States growing more diverse, the types of audiences and the means by which they communicate have also expanded, giving the nonprofit sector room to increase their base of donors and volunteers. However, many employees and supporters of nonprofit organizations are expressing concern that the industry has not been keeping up with the greater need for a diverse workforce and is failing to translate the importance of diversity and inclusion into decisive action. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ employment projections, about 43 percent of new entrants to the workforce will be people of color in coming years. Most industries have been making changes to reflect this increasing figure, but the nonprofit sector has been slower to react. Currently, nonprofit em-

ployees are approximately 82 percent white, ten percent African American, five percent Hispanic/Latino, three percent other, and only one percent Asian/ Pacific Islander. Employees of color make up about 14 percent of leadership or upper management roles, and less than six percent of specialized positions. With diversity and inclusion figures this low, the nonprofit sector is challenged with uncovering the source of the problem, as well as finding which steps to take to make organizations’ diversity and inclusion goals a reality.

Employee Concerns

A study conducted by Commongood Careers and the Level Playing Field Institute reports that the majority of employees in the nonprofit sector acknowledge their organizations have expressed that diversity is an essential value to management. However, only 25 percent of the study participants agreed that diversity and inclusion practices are actively implemented by their organization. Most em-

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November/December 2012

ployees feel as if diversity has been placed as a low priority financially, and that the promotion of diversity as a value has replaced tangible action and increased staff diversity. “Management values diversity in theory, but has not put in place the training and professional development to ensure that managers of color can be promoted to the director level,” said one survey participant. “We have not committed to diversity across all levels of the organization.” The disconnect between nonprofit organizations’ missions and actual workplace environment has left many employees concerned that the sector has become closed to the diverse workforce, particularly in leadership and management positions. Diverse workers also struggle with feelings of alienation at the lack of commitment to the inclusion and advancement of

people of color. Most report that diversity and inclusiveness is a significant factor to the retention of employees, indicating that many nonprofit organizations stand to lose what diversity they have if they do not change their workforce and organizational environment. “The best way to create diversity of thought is through diversification of the workplace and then by creating a culture that truly values and rewards such differences,” said Robert Schwartz, executive director of the Level Playing Field Institute. “Rather, what we find is that organizations blame a lack of ‘cultural fit’ which further codifies a homogeneous staff by creating insiders and outsiders. The outsiders will usually leave.”

Obstacles for the Nonprofit Sector One of the major factors influencing the amount of

diversity in the nonprofit sector is the recruitment process of employees. Around 71 percent of employees of color report that they evaluate prospective companies based on the interview process, and rely on their perceptions of workplace culture and environment in selecting a place of employment. Diverse workers look for verbal indications that the culture of an organization is open to diversity, and assess the current amount of diversity in the staff to get a feel for the organization’s commitment to diversity. “The culture of the work environment needs a cultural competency that includes an awareness of how they present themselves to the ‘racially other’,” said Reverend Clarence Williams, a lecturer for the Institute for the Recovery from Racisms. “Leadership has to address the culture of their organization, as it brings in the people who might not fit the profiled culture of the workplace in terms of race, gender, and class.” Applicants are also on high alert for racial profiling and tokenism during the recruitment process. Nonprofits rely on people of diverse backgrounds to communicate with a variety of target audiences, but employees do not like to feel they are being singled out in order to reach out to individuals of their ethnicity. If interviewers express an interest in having minorities be in charge of targeting groups such as low-income families or high school dropouts, diverse workers are likely to pull out of the interview process rath-

er than join an organization which may have negative perceptions of their ethnicity. Nonprofit organizations are also sensitive to the issue of retention and the burden turnover rates place on tight budgets. Twenty-seven percent of participants in the Commongood Careers and Level Playing Field Institute study report that they left a job due to lack of diversity and inclusiveness, with 64 percent of these respondents identifying as people of color. High turnover rates can mean a significant loss in funds for an organization, due to the long process of hiring and training a replacement. With the chance of losing minority employees so high, many organizations are wary of taking the initial risk of hiring them. “The organizational missions of nonprofits are usually challenging enough,” said Schwartz. “When such organizations cannot attract and retain people of color, especially those whose experiences help them relate to the target population of the nonprofit, attainment of the mission becomes that much more difficult.”

Consequences

All of these factors have contributed to several negative outcomes for the nonprofit sector at large. The lack of diversity has created an uncomfortable, alienated environment for diverse employees who feel they have been relegated to token roles from which they will be unable to advance. This has often led to the loss of top talent, as skilled workers of color are

uninterested in remaining in positions where they cannot fully reach their potential. However, the most problematic outcome is the nonprofit sector’s inability to attract employees of color to begin with. Word of mouth and online resources have alerted diverse workers to the issues existing in the industry, and many have responded by seeking out more diversity-friendly options. Without the engaged interest of the minority workforce, nonprofits are struggling to break the trend of low levels of diversity, even if they are willing to make it a greater financial priority. Without an industry-wide effort to make diversity a top concern, many organizations may find it challenging to draw from the market they want.

What Can Nonprofits Do?

The nonprofit sector has many opportunities to utilize various communication channels to spread a commitment to diversity. Large companies often utilize social media, intranets, and bulletins to promote and discuss diversity, and nonprofits have similar options available to them, even if their operations are on a smaller scale. Simply addressing the subject of diversity among employees will work to make the workplace less isolated, and will encourage staff to consider new perspectives and the benefits of diverse thought in achieving organizational goals. “When increasing diversity is an active consideration in a search process, it can be important to discuss November/December 2012

the different backgrounds and perspectives that some candidates bring to the organization,” said Katherine E. Jones, managing partner at the Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group. “Giving candidates openings to discuss how they might bring important perspectives or unique opportunities to an organization also helps to open the discussion about potential challenges or unknowns a candidate might bring to the organization in a productive way.” The recruitment and interviewing processes can also be altered to lessen bias and tokenism, instead focusing on how diverse backgrounds and viewpoints can aid the mission and communication efforts of the organization. Diversity can benefit all aspects of an organization, and not just in reaching one specific audience; embracing the qualifications rather than the ethnicity of an employee can serve toward making the interviewing process more comfortable for diverse applicants. Most importantly, diversity cannot be expressed only as a value, but must be put into direct practice. If inclusiveness is only a word in a mission statement and not an actual commitment of the organization, employees will not want to devote their time and efforts to a workplace that is not open to them. Organizations who want to grow and retain top talent need to be willing to invest time and money, and most of all, be willing to advance those who best represent the various needs of the industry. PDJ

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| NONPROFIT

One Part Boutique,

By Grace Austin

One Part Lions Club

IN THE TRENDY WORLD OF DESIGNER EYEGLASSES AND CORPORATE DO-GOODING, THERE HAS BEEN A CONVERGENCE OF COMPANIES OFFERING STYLISH GLASSES AND TOUTING “BUY A PAIR, GIVE A PAIR” PHILOSOPHIES (when a customer buys a

pair of glasses, someone less fortunate receives a pair). The phenomenon continues to grow as more and more companies find the benefits of tying philanthropy with profits. Warby Parker, based in New York, is by far the most famous, at least in the fashion world, of the philanthropic eyeglass companies. The company, named after Jack Kerouac characters, feels faintly hipster-esque, with their fashion week pop-up shops, monocle (albeit tongue-in-cheek) offerings, and literary-sounding spectacle names like the Tennessee Whiskey. Initially co-founders Andy Hunt and Neil Blumenthal founded Restoring Vision, “one of the largest nonprofit eyewear distribution companies,” laying the groundwork for their current business and its do-good philosophy. Later they started Warby Parker with two other Wharton School students, Jeffrey Raider and David Gilboa. The company now works with nonprofits like

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

VisionSpring.com to deliver glasses to those in need. One of Warby Parker’s selling points is their $95 price point—a feat they say is possible by “cutting out the middleman.” The company also allows for home try-ons (something which sets it apart from its competitors), and has recently began purveying sunglasses. The original “buy a pair, give a pair” eyeglass company, 141 Eyewear, was founded in May 2009 by Portland couple Kyle Yamaguchi and Shu-Chu Wu. Yamaguchi previously worked at Nike while Wu was an optician. Their two worlds converged when they founded 141 Eyewear. “We didn’t just want to start any frame line. We wanted it to have meaning. We tried to figure out how we could give back and build a possible company,” says Yamaguchi. While the company does not hawk Preston and Ainsworths like its competitor Warby Parker, 141 Eyewear’s hipster spin also comes from its names: all the glasses are named after Portland streets significant in their relationship. And 141 Eyewear, just like the others, also has a tagline. In this case, the polysemous “one four one.”

November/December 2012

Established in late 2010, Moraleyes adheres to the same sales philosophy, donating a pair of reading glasses to its nonprofit partner, New Eyes, for every pair sold. In Moraleyes’ brief history, the company has already donated over 18,600 reading glasses. “There’s a growing enthusiasm for our cause and products. We’re receiving notes and emails of support from all over the country,” says CEO Joseph Sacks. The company recently donated more than 3,000 pairs to New Eyes for the Needy. The one-for-one business model isn’t new though. Toms Shoes, founded by Blake Mycoskie, has given away more than one million pairs since 2006. The “One Laptop Per Child” project, founded at MIT, was also a brief example of the idea. “We were inspired by what Toms was doing—that’s the source of inspiration that first got us thinking about it,” says Yamaguchi. To Sacks, these actions represent trends in the business world towards more philanthropic efforts. “The growth of Moraleyes is representative of the growth of charitable giving within the business world at large,” says Sacks. “We’re seeing more companies choose to give back. We’re excited about what this expansion means not only for our company and contributions to New Eyes for the Needy, but for other socially responsible businesses as well.” In the coming months, New Eyes will distribute the donated glasses to individuals around the world who lack access to vision care and correction. “Vision loss is often a part of the aging process, and it’s easy to take our everyday access to vision correction for granted,” says Sara Levit, Moraleyes’ creative director. “By donating reading glasses, we alleviate vision-related job loss and sustain literacy in underserved communities around the world.” PDJ

YOUR COMMITMENT

TO SERVICE OUR COMMITMENT

TO YOU

“To fully serve our clients, we harness the energy and creativity of our diverse workforce. We realize that diversity and inclusion, in any arena, serve as a catalyst to foster innovation. Our strength is our ability to unite people of different backgrounds around common principles.” — CSC Office of Diversity & Inclusion

csc.com/careersus

CSC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/D/V.

Whether through recruitment, philanthropy or volunteerism, CSC is proud to support our heroic military service members and their families. CSC values America’s military community for its loyalty, diversity and strong work ethic. We will help you realize your professional aspirations through valuable career choices.

| NONPROFIT

New Study Shows ENGAGING White Men is Key to Improving Workplace Culture By Catalyst

CAN DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION EDUCATION REALLY HELP MAKE WHITE MALE-DOMINATED CORPORATE CULTURES MORE INCLUSIVE? Critics

have cast doubt on whether such programs are effective. But a new Catalyst study indicates that diversity and inclusion education can have a measurable impact on workplace attitudes, behavior, and culture. Catalyst surveyed people managers—mostly white men—from the North American sales division of Rockwell Automation, a global engineering company based in Milwaukee. These managers participated in leadership development programs created by White Men as Full Diversity Partners (WMFDP). Rockwell’s top leadership believed that these programs would engage white men as advocates and leaders of the organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts, ultimately helping them become more effective managers overall.

• Those who cared the least about exhibiting prejudice changed the most. After the training, the managers who were the least concerned about appearing prejudiced initially registered the most significant change—a 15 percent rate increase—in taking responsibility for being inclusive.

• Managers were more likely to acknowledge that inequality exists, and let go of the myth of meritocracy. After the training, the degree to which managers accepted the idea that white men have certain advantages that women and racial/ ethnic minorities do not increased by 17 percent.

When companies begin to view white men as part of the solution rather than as part of the problem, the results can be dramatic indeed. This latest study in our Engaging Men series demonstrates the power of this perspective. According to WMFDP’s co-founder, Michael Welp, “WMFDP’s approach grows the awareness, courage, and skills needed to create a level of partnership most leaders don’t realize is possible. As lab participants, they are immersed in head-and-heart-level learning, and gain an experience of full diversity partnership that they carry into their personal and professional lives. As they address the complex and sometimes messy topics of diversity, they grow the critical leadership skills needed in today’s global business reality.” PDJ

• Managers improved on five key inclusive behaviors. From seeking out varied perspectives to addressing emotionally charged matters more directly, managers sharpened several skills critical to leadership in today’s diverse business world.

Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization expanding opportunities for women and business.

Key findings of Catalyst’s study include: • An increase in workplace civility and decline in gossip (e.g., snide remarks and behind-the-back comments). In some work groups, participants rated the incidence of workplace gossip as much as 39 percent lower after the training, signaling improved communication and respect.

• Having cross-racial friendships mattered. Managers without many prior cross-racial relationships changed the most after the training when it came to thinking critically about different social groups—they demonstrated a 40 percent increase in critical thinking, versus a nine percent increase among managers who already had such relationships.

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

November/December 2012

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES INSPIRE ME. I SEE THE BUSINESS WORLD IN A WHOLE NEW WAY. Careers For Everything You Are

A career at Verizon means always reaching, always achieving. That’s because we foster an environment that thrives on different perspectives, which will challenge you to grow and lead. It’s how we’re able to continually bring powerful technology to businesses and individuals all over the world. And it’s just the kind of support you need to help you fulfill your potential and achieve your goals. For current career opportunities, visit us and take the lead at verizon.com/jobs.

Verizon is an equal opportunity employer m/f/d/v.

∂ Edited by Grace Austin

HIGHER EDUCATION

MAIP Addresses Lack of

DIVERSITY IN ADVERTISING

lowly but surely, took everything to a new diversity in adverlevel. Moving forward, I’m tising is improvlooking to further delve into ing, says Nancy the ad industry. As a business Hill, president-CEO of the administration student [at American Association of Florida A&M] with a minor Advertising Agencies (4A’s). in sociology, it was great to This is due in large part to be able to gain exposure in a the mentoring and recruitfield so collaborative, creative, ment work of her organizaand impactful and I think tion and others like it. The I’ve found a home in the 4A’s Multicultural Advertising ad world,” said 2012 MAIP MAIP participants gather at The Face of Talent 2012, a Intern Program (MAIP) is Intern of the Year Troy Harris. professional development seminar. It was established one of the oldest of its kind in 2011 to showcase “talent and diversity.” This event Upon completion of the in the country. program, interns become congratulates the MAIP graduating class. Since 1973, the MAIP members of the MAIP has helped jumpstart the caAlumni Association, a closepractical work experience, establish reers of more than 2,000 knit family of MAIP gradukey industry contacts, and perhaps African American, Asian American, ates that fosters the development of most importantly, become better Latinos, Native American, mulfuture MAIP interns as well as the prepared to land a full-time job in tiracial, and multiethnic aspiring professional development of the proadvertising when they graduate. At advertising professionals. gram’s alumni. the same time, the program gives Each year, more than a hundred Past alumni include Marc Strachan, advertising agencies a cost-effective undergraduate and graduate students VP of Multicultural Marketing, way to identify and recruit talented are selected for a ten-week paid sumNorth America at Diageo, Bonita multicultural students. mer internship at a 4A’s member Stewart, managing director of U.S. “Working in Chicago with advertising agency, which vary in Sales at Google, David Hernandez, DraftFcb this summer was my first size and are located throughout the managing director and executive cretime ever in the ad industry and was country. ative director at OgilvyOne Chicago, easily my favorite internship of the Interns are matched up to agencies and Van Graves, executive vice presithree I’ve had. This experience alone and given tasks that correspond with dent and executive creative director was great, but the MAIP program their specializations. Students gain at McCann. PDJ

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

November/December 2012

Take time to recognize the good around you.

At New York Life, we recognize that employeesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; unique qualities often lead to innovation, positive change, and a more productive and dynamic workplace.

For more information about New York Life visit us at www.newyorklife.com/diversity ÂŠ 2012 New York Life Insurance Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010

Life Insurance. Retirement. Investments.

KEEP

| HIGHER EDUCATION

Educators Speak on NEW ROLE AS HYBRID SCHOLARS/ADMINISTRATORS OF DIVERSITY By Pamela P. Felder, Alex Posecznick, and Veronica E. Aplenc, University of Pennsylvania

hanging student contexts and expanding cultural interests have placed new demands on all aspects of higher education, including graduate schools of education. Institutional efforts to support diversity seem to be met with constantly shifting responses; in addition, strategies for practice are often judged outdated before they’re set in motion. Students are sensitive to the rising costs of graduate education, and this awareness is heightened by an increasingly competitive job market. Alongside this determined focus on a turbulent economy, faculty and administrators strive to maintain environments that are supportive in meaningful ways and culturally relevant. As administrators and instructors, we often find ourselves faced with questions regarding diversity. What is it? Why is it important? And, perhaps most pressingly, on the practical front, how do we implement it? Graduate schools of education are particularly sensitive to these demands given their role in preparing future educators. Recently, our graduate school of education made substantive administrative changes to respond to student and institutional needs on multiple levels. One of these changes was the development introduction of a faculty/ administrative hybrid role at the departmental level. In our positions, we see diversity to be a compelling priority in the day-to-day work of all aspects of our “blended” or hybrid experience. Although, or perhaps precisely because, we each come from different cultural traditions and academic disciplines, and as such have different understandings of diversity, we feel that our special role as scholar/administrator provides us with what we hope are valuable insights into diversity needs. Given our personal and ideological commitments, we

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

have worked to create a valuable space for discussing various aspects of what can be a politically-charged topic and for debating the meaning of awareness. Maintaining an awareness of, and sensitivity to, the many forms diversity takes represents strategies that can serve both administrators and faculty well across institutions. Four categories of diversity that are clearly recognized in the U.S. include race, gender, sexual orientation, and class affiliation. These are well known today to all researchers as well as to those who work in an educational setting. Our hybrid role presents the complexity of moving between the theoretical, pedagogical, and practical. As such, we see embracing research in our practice essential. Diversity initiatives are more formidable when supported by scholarship. When implementing initiatives, research can be effective in facilitating general conversations about diversity. Oftentimes, when discussing diversity, a major issue can be finding an appropriate platform for discussion without being offensive. Some research lends guidance in discussing the scope of the initiatives within each dimension. Individuals may be sensitive about a racial experience they don’t understand, but they may be willing to share a perspective about history. Looking at our everyday work and comparing our disciplinary assumptions in greater depth, we have also noticed that the diversity we deal with among students is in fact much more nuanced than the neat, four-cornered definition previously noted. Educational institutions are certainly driven by a desire to appear competitively diverse and engage in practices and strategies for achieving diversity. But diversity itself is far more than lip-service and strategic plans. If human beings have a defining trait,

November/December 2012

Pamela P. Felder, PhD, is a lecturer and program manager in the higher education division.

Alex Posecznick, PhD, is a program manager and faculty associate in the education, culture and society division.

it is the broad diversity of cultural interests, understandings, and perspectives that we can bring with us to any endeavor. The history of and structures found in the United States have often meant that diversity in education has come to be a code word for race and ethnicity, but it is important to acknowledge those categories as only one aspect of the diversity of humanity. Clearly each individual has a diverse set of personal experiences that they carry with them, shaped by the social worlds they inhabit. Race and ethnicity are important parts of that social world; these categories, however, intersect with a variety of others—including gender, sexual orientation, class, sub-culture of origin, family culture, culture-specific gender expectations, population-specific socio-economic challenges, population-specific health challenges, and religious beliefs—not to mention the culture of the institution in question, to create multi-faceted, on-the-ground situations for administrators. Furthermore, considering diversity from the perspective of academic training, we wish to note that “culture” is not something we only find among people of color; white, middle-class, heterosexual, male students are equally part of this mix. In fact, many of these categories are only made meaningful in contrast to each other. “Blackness” in America is very much a product of the historical conditions which have also led to “whiteness” as a social category, just as GBLT experience is shaped by hetero interests, understandings and perspectives. Every meaningful encounter with a different perspective elevates

Veronica Aplenc, PhD, is a program manager and faculty associate in the teaching, learning and leadership division.

our understanding of humanity. If education broadly is interested in enhancing and expanding students’ social world, meaningful exposure to a diversity of perspectives is not only something to nod to on paper, but to enact in our everyday lives. Perhaps this is why recent White House guidance is so important to institutional administrators who must consider the nuances of cultural experiences and their impact on academic environments. This demonstration of leadership is a resource that serves to facilitate our support of a changing and expanding nature of diversity. To take students with less frequently occurring affiliations seriously requires that one “connect the dots” across the socioeconomic, cultural, social, and family aspects of students’ lives, often leading to astonishing realizations. We have found that our academic and personal perspectives combine with our professional experiences as administrators to reveal complex arrays of cultural formations; on the teaching end, we have found it useful to incorporate this awareness into our pedagogical practice and syllabi. For example, the death of a grandparent may mean a sad emotional loss, associated with a remote retirement community, for one student, while it may imply immediate loss of a long-time primary parent figure, of financial support, and of housing, as well as deep sadness rooted “at home,” for another. These situations become more complicated when some facet of students’ lives is inherently incongruent with some aspect of the institutional setting in which they find themselves. Put simply, the environment in an elite, secular instituNovember/December 2012

WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

| HIGHER EDUCATION tion rests on very different assumptions than the environment in a local, explicitly religious institution. Hybrid scholar/administrators can play a key role in helping students navigate their particular academic environment. When responding to students, remaining aware that every individual inhabits multiple worlds can help greatly in moving beyond assumptions. By learning a bit about students’ worlds from multiple perspectives—which our position as scholar/administrators necessarily asks us to do—and taking those worlds seriously, those who work with students can take steps towards implementing respect in spite of difference.

The hybrid role we occupy appears on many levels to be a response to the changing trends in higher education. Increases in student enrollments, large pools of underemployed PhD holding-scholars, tenure-track faculty retrenchment, and expanding adjunct pools are signs that faculty-administrator hybrids may be here to stay. We have found this role to be exciting on several levels, not least of which is the day-to-day implementation of diversity efforts. In the face of corporatizing efforts in higher education, being able to translate this connection into practical terms has great potential for facilitating diversity. PDJ

LGBT-FRIENDLY LISTS

Help Youth Find Welcoming Environments

inding educational institutions that are friendly to LGBT youth has become a major aspect of LGBT students’ college searches, and schools have taken notice. Many have implemented programs and attempted to foster welcoming environments to attract LGBT students. These schools, which vary widely from size, location, and private/public, were all recently named to Campus Pride’s list of the top 25 most LGBT-friendly colleges and universities in the U.S. UCLA, the University of Chicago, Carleton College, and Portland State University were all featured on this year’s list. Founded in 2001, Campus Pride began as an online community, eventually broadening its reach to become a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping LGBT students.

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

Partnering with the Huffington Post, Campus Pride has released the full list, which also includes universities in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Michigan. The rankings are based on data from the Campus Pride Index, which rates colleges and universities on LGBT policy inclusion, student life, academic life, as well as other relevant practices. The full index comprises a total of 339 campuses across the country. Calling it “the most reliable, trusted source” of its kind, Campus Pride Executive Director Shane Windmeyer noted that the index differed from others in that its ratNovember/December 2012

ings were “done for and by” LGBT people. He also stated that there was still room for improvement across the board, particularly in rural areas and Midwestern and Southern regions. The list is one of the first of its kind to acknowledge LGBT-friendly universities across the country. It takes into account student, faculty, and staff answers to comprehensive questions. Campus Pride also recently partnered with The Advocate to release the first-ever list of the top 10 trans-friendly colleges and universities across the country. The list was determined using the Campus Pride Index ratings and Windmeyer and transgender college author Dr. Genny Beemyn’s acumen. University of Vermont, New York University, and Princeton University all made the top 10 list. PDJ

V a n g u a r d C a r e e r s . Stay. Inspired.

With Vanguard

I stay valued. Discover a unique company that invites you to join – and inspires you to stay. Vanguard is a unique place to work that attracts unique people. Crew members view professional growth as a lifelong endeavor, an outlook that aligns with our long-term approach to investing. Helping our investors achieve their goals is what keeps us inspired, challenged and competitive. We do this by helping you succeed with the advantages of our comprehensive Total Rewards package, professional development through Vanguard University, and unique work lifestyle environment.

Connect with Vanguard® Vanguard is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

As an equal opportunity employer, our commitment to diversity extends throughout our company, from senior leaders to crew members around the world. In our mission to be the best, we know that diversity of people and viewpoints is a vital asset. We see, every day, how fostering a diverse workforce promotes inclusion, stimulates innovation, and helps us all achieve the highest levels of productivity. We’ve created an organization that’s built to last, and we invite you to join us.

www.vanguard.com/careers

∂ Edited by Grace Austin

MILITARY | GOVERNMENT

The Ins and Outs of the By Raquel Harrah with Noëlle Bernard

HE FIRST GI BILL, THE SERVICEMEN’S READJUSTMENT ACT OF 1944, WAS A MONUMENTAL PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT TRANSFORMED THE LIVES OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES, ESTABLISHING THE IDEALS OF THE AMERICAN DREAM AND CREATING THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A STABLE MIDDLE CLASS OF THE 1950S. Now almost 70

years later, the new GI Bill, including the Post-9/11 and Montgomery GI Bill, has reestablished one of America’s greatest contributions to veterans. The Post-9/11 GI Bill introduces a new generation of veterans to the possibility of full coverage for an undergraduate degree at any public university or college in which the veteran resides. “It’s an unbelievable deal to veterans,” said former army officer John Strohecker, who served for eight years. “Veterans Affairs assesses whether you’re available for full benefits depending on how much time you’ve served since 9/11. It’s really a remarkable and tremendous program.” In an effort to help veterans like its predecessor, the new GI Bill was proposed in 2008 by Senator James Webb of Virginia as a means to fund college for veterans having served 90 days of active duty after September 10, 2001. The new GI Bill has three parts: tuition, books, and subsistence for up to 36 months, payable for up to 15 years after release of active duty. Signed into law in July 2008, the Post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect August 1, 2009. Eligible veterans must have served either 30 continuous days of active

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

GI BILL

duty and must be discharged for a service-connected disability, or served the 90 aggregate days.

Montgomery GI Bill

The Montgomery GI Bill and Post-9/11 GI Bill are separate and contain different benefits for veterans. Service members and veterans are not able to receive both education benefits simultaneously. If a veteran or service member is awarded both benefits, they must make the November/December 2012

decision of which GI Bill to employ; the decision to use the Post-9/11 Bill in this situation is irrevocable and the Montgomery benefits will no longer be available. The Post-9/11 GI Bill usually provides more benefits in certain circumstances, but it is important for the recipient to research which bill offers the most benefits to meet their needs. In most cases, the Montgomery Bill provides better overall benefits to veterans and ser-

vice members taking online classes. The Montgomery Bill is only available to enlisted service members and does not extend to officers. It works similar to a 401K; the service member contributes $100 a month for the first 12 months of active duty to receive a maximum monthly payment rate of $1,473 for 36 months. Qualified individuals must serve at least two years of active duty. The Montgomery GI Bill supports educational programs such as college, vocational school, apprentice or job training, flight training, and licensing or certification exams. Disparate from the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s 15-year life expectancy, the Montgomery GI Bill expires after 10 years from separation of the military. However, if benefits have expired and/or benefits have been exhausted and the veteran is currently unemployed between the ages of 35-60, they may qualify for the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, which would award an additional year of Montgomery GI Bill benefits. Along with monetary benefits, the veteran would receive access to re-training programs. Benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill are not transferable to children. This benefit is unique to the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Reinforcing Family Values

A major concern before the bill was enacted was the benefits offered in a relatively short time period that were presumed to deter longer service in order to take advantage of the schooling or training offered. The debate over the new GI Bill argued whether there existed positive reinforcements to stay in service for extended lengths of time. The concern was resolved with a solution that measured the integrity and sacrifice of service members. As of August 1, 2009, individuals who

served at least six years in the Armed Forces and who agreed to serve an additional four years are able to transfer unused entitlement to their spouse. After 10 years of service, individuals may choose to transfer benefits to their spouse or children. These provisions to the GI Bill have drawn appeal from a wide range of supporters. “If you haven’t been in the military, you don’t know how much of the burden is carried by the family. The mom and dad are gone for six to 12 months at a time. Anything you can do for the family is great,” said Strohecker. Since its enactment in 2009, nearly 800,000 veterans and service members have taken advantage of GI Bill entitlements, making higher education accessible to many military men and women who never considered it a possibility. Strohecker, who is currently working full-time and seeking his master’s degree, recognizes the opportunity the Post-9/11 GI Bill grants him. The full benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill were unbeknownst to Strohecker (who knew about the Montgomery GI Bill, but wasn’t eligible since he already obtained a four-year undergraduate degree while involved in the ROTC program). A friend suggested using the Post-9/11 GI Bill towards an MBA. “I wouldn’t even consider a fulltime program if not for this. I have a wife and two kids; I’m sure graduate school would be totally out of some people’s reach if weren’t for this program,” Strohecker said. Strohecker also points out that these programs allow returning veterans to work and seek higher education simultaneously with fewer constraints. The program makes school seem more accessible to veterans who wouldn’t find it possible otherwise to leave the workforce. November/December 2012

Private school education and foreign universities’ assistance caps out at $17,500, but veterans may apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program, which can aid in additional funding towards higher-cost schools.

Improving Benefits to Meet Veterans’ Needs

The Post-9/11 GI Bill continues to undergo changes and tweaks. On October 1, 2011, students taking strictly online classes were eligible for up to half of the average monthly stipend awarded to veterans attending a university. Active-duty service members were also reconsidered and are eligible for annual book stipends. Following August 1, 2011, members of the National Guard who performed active service duties were awarded Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. The 90 days of active service in the National Guard includes organizing, administering, recruiting, instructing, or training the National Guard, or responding to a national emergency. However, as of August 1, 2011, veterans are no longer eligible to receive break pay, or interval pay, during times when the university is closed, unless for an Executive Order of the President or an emergency school closing. This change has stirred controversy from veterans who find it difficult to pay housing and living expenses within the two to four weeks of breaks without the monthly stipend. Overall, there are still issues with the GI Bill and its accompanying legislation. What most can agree with, though, is the amount of good the bills have done since their original passing more than a half century ago. The GI Bill has helped provide educations for generations of returning veterans—an opportunity that continues to this day and hopefully will continue even longer. PDJ WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

| MILITARY | GOVERNMENT

IMMIGRATION DEFERRED ACTION:

LIVING THE DREAM? By Debra L. Stang

MAGINE THAT YOU’RE A TEEN WHO HAS JUST GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL.

Unlike your friends, you can’t take the next step into your future. You can’t join the army, or apply for a federal grant or a student loan to attend college. You can’t get a decent job. In fact, you can’t even get a driver’s license.

Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act)

The plight of children who have grown to adulthood after being illegally brought into the United States has been on the Congressional radar since 2001 when Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) first co-sponsored the DREAM Act. According to Ben Winograd, a staff attorney with the American Immigration Council, the DREAM Act is a piece of legislation that would confer upon qualifying illegal immigrants “a valid positive immigration status” and set them on a path to permanent legal residency in the United States. The DREAM Act has been considered by Congress at least four times since 2001, at one point garnering 48 co-sponsors from both parties, but it has never been passed by both the House and the Senate at the same time. Most recently, it was considered in 2010, when it squeaked past the House but fell five votes shy in the Senate.

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November/December 2012

“

My hope is that there is talent that will be recognized, that there are people who will eventually be given the dignity of contributing exponentially and transparently to their communities.

”

The Deferred Action Option

In 2012, an election year, President Barack Obama found himself with a thorny problem. He had commanded 67 percent of the Hispanic vote during his successful bid for the White House in 2008. Since then, however, the once rock-solid alliance has begun to show cracks. Like his predecessors, President Obama had failed to shepherd the DREAM Act through Congress. Worse were the reports that began emerging in 2011, which showed that more undocumented immigrants had been deported under the Obama administration than under any other presidential administration. In June 2012, President Obama offered an olive branch. As of August 15, 2012, undocumented young adult immigrants who met certain criteria (see sidebar) could apply to be issued work permits and to remain in the country for two years without the threat of deportation. This compromise was very different from the DREAM Act because it conferred upon the immigrants no valid legal status. It did not offer a first step towards permanent residency. In fact, after the 24-month grace period, the government can begin deportation proceedings against the immigrants that have signed up for deferred action. In spite of the shaky legal status, Roy Germano, writer and director of the award-winning documentary The Other Side of Immigration, does

—Michael Wildes, Immigration Expert and Managing Partner, Wildes & Weinberg

| CRITERIA FOR DEFERRED PROGRAM ∫ Under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012 ∫ Entered the United States prior to 16th birthday ∫ Resided in the U.S. continuously for the last five years ∫ In the U.S. on June 15, 2012 ∫ Currently present in the U.S. ∫ Entered U.S. without border inspection or immigration status expired prior to June 15, 2012 ∫ Must be currently in school, have graduated, obtained a GED, or have been honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States ∫ Must not have been convicted of a felony, three or more misdemeanors, and must not pose a risk to national security (All information courtesy of U.S. Immigration Office)

not believe that any deportations will occur. He is confident that the DREAM Act will pass within the next two years, providing permanent relief to young adults who were illegally brought into the country as children. “These young folks really didn’t do anything wrong,” he said. “They deserve some sort of legal status so they can go on with their lives.” Michael Wildes, immigration expert and managing partner of the New York City-based law firm Wildes & Weinberg, PC, believes that allowing young adult immigrants to stay and work will prove a win-win scenario. “My hope is that there is talent that will be recogNovember/December 2012

nized, that there are people who will eventually be given the dignity of contributing exponentially and transparently to their communities.” He added that, “Our economy needs all hands on deck, and that includes illegal immigrants. If we don’t have the means to remove them and if ultimately they can contribute, we need to be big boys about this.” In the meantime, the clock on the two-year deferment started ticking on August 15, 2012, leaving a generation of young immigrants— here illegally through no fault of their own—wondering if they will eventually be forced out of the only country they have ever known as home. PDJ WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

| MILITARY | GOVERNMENT

New NGA Chair Announces

Year-Long Initiative D

ELAWARE GOVERNOR JACK MARKELL, CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION (NGA), HAS LAUNCHED AN INITIATIVE, A BETTER BOTTOM LINE: EMPLOYING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES , WHICH AIMS TO INCREASE EMPLOYMENT AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. Specifically, the initiative will focus on the

employment challenges that affect individuals with intellectual and other significant disabilities and the role that both state government and business can play in creating employment opportunities. “The bottom line is that there are so many people with disabilities who have the time, talent, and desire to make meaningful contributions to interested employers,” Markell said. “More companies are recognizing that creating greater economic opportunity for these workers improves their own bottom line as well. It doesn’t matter whether you were born with additional challenges to face or—in the case of our wounded veterans for example— acquired them later in life. What matters is what you have to offer.” Successfully achieving this goal will require not only attention to appropriate training, job placement, and work-based support, but also advancing best practices and meaningful engagement of the business community. This includes informing the business community about

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

how productive, loyal, and valuable these individuals can be to both the company’s culture and its bottom line. A major emphasis of the initiative will be on people who have significant intellectual and developmental disabilities and may require supports like job coaches and personal attendants in order to live and work in the community. Markell plans to convene governors, businesses, disability leaders, and other thought leaders to share ideas and move forward to support this initiative. “It’s inspiring to see how many leaders from the public and private sectors are committing themselves to this cause and pledging to work together on something that builds both economic and social capital. There are major employers in every state who recognize the value of creating opportunity,” Markell said. In addition to providing governors and other state policymakers with better policy options to assess the environment in their state and strategies designed to support this population, the initiative will create a blueprint for businesses and states that identifies best practices and outlines steps that can be put in place to increase employment of people with disabilities, heighten awareness, and launch a campaign to help governors put in place these efforts. PDJ

November/December 2012

Andrea R. Clean Water Volunteer & Advocate Customer Service Representative

A job shouldn’t define you. It should reflect you. For such a diverse group of people, it’s amazing how alike we are. Diversity and Inclusion at UnitedHealth Group. To the uninitiated, we may appear quite different. We represent a widely diverse group of cultural backgrounds, beliefs, perspectives and lifestyles. But inside each of us beats the heart of a relentlessly driven, crazy talented, mission focused professional. Our modest goals: Improve the lives of others. Change the landscape of health care forever. Leave the world a better place than we found it. So if you ever ask yourself, “Do people like me work here?” The answer is yes. We invite you to join us. Add your unique perspective and start doing your life’s best work.SM Take the next steps: Online at: yourlifesbestwork.com UnitedHealth Group is proud to be recognized as a 2013 Diversity Leader. facebook.com/uhgcareers

youtube.com/uhgcareers

twitter.com/uhgcareers

pinterest.com/uhgcareers

http://bit.ly/uhglinked

http://uhg.hr/GooglePlusUHG

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: equal opportunity employer M/F/D/V. UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment. © 2012 UnitedHealth Group. All rights reserved.

DIVERSITY LEADERS communications award issue: Spotlight on social media Our Diversity Leader Award recognizes companies who have communicated their D&I programs by frequent participation in Diversity Journal over the course of the year. Companies achieve this award through participation in Thoughtleader features, From the Experts columns, heritage month features, and awards issues. Each year, we ask the winners to focus on a specific aspect of their communications efforts for the Diversity Leader feature. For 2013, we

chose one of the fastest growing and exciting forms of communication: social media. Social media has overtaken the world over the past decade, and as it becomes a part of daily life, it presents greater opportunities as a corporate communications channel. In the following feature, the Diversity Leaders explain how they use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other social media channels to communicate both externally

and internally. These organizations are setting the gold standard for social media as a corporate tool used for D&I promotion. By sharing their successes and obstacles, our Diversity Leaders model how to build a successful social media program completely in line with corporate objectives and values. We congratulate this year’s Diversity Leader winners and all of the great work they are doing within our magazine and outside of it.

3M Δ Accenture Δ ADP, Inc. Δ Aflac Δ American Institute for Managing Diversity Δ Andrews Kurth LLP Δ Bank of the West BDO USA, LLP Δ Booz Allen Hamilton Δ Caesars Entertainment Corporation Δ Catalyst Δ Charles Schwab Δ Chevron Cincinnati Children’s Medical Hospital Center Δ Cisco Systems Δ Citi Δ CSC Δ CVS Caremark Δ Energizer Δ Ernst & Young LLP Fannie Mae Δ Ford and Harrison LLP Δ General Electric Δ Gibbons P.C. Δ Halliburton Δ Harris Corporation Δ HCA Healthcare Highmark Inc. Δ Ingersoll Rand Δ International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals Δ JBK Associates Jones Lang LaSalle Δ KPMG Δ Kraft Foods Inc. Δ Lewis and Roca LLP Δ The Lifetime Healthcare Companies Lockheed Martin Corporation Δ Moss Adams LLP Δ MWV Δ National Grid Δ New York Life Δ Nielsen O’Melveny & Myers LLP Δ PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. Δ PwC Δ Raytheon Company Δ Rockwell Collins Ryder System, Inc. Δ Sandia National Laboratories Δ Shell International Δ Society for Human Resource Management Sodexo Δ Sparrow Health System Δ Springboard Consulting LLC Δ The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. Thompson Hine LLP Δ TWI Inc. Δ Union Bank, N.A. Δ UnitedHealth Group Δ Vanguard Δ Verizon Walgreen Co. Δ Walmart Stores, Inc. Δ WellPoint, Inc. Δ White & Case LLP

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November/December 2012

2 0 13 D I V E R S I T Y L E A D E R A W A R D S

Facebook

RSS

Twitter

Google Plus

Other

Tumbler

You Tube

Flicker

In the last few years, Accenture has adopted an aggressive global strategy to recruit via social networking and plans to make as many as 40 percent of new hires in the next few years through social media. Recruiters identify and engage with candidates through social media and are diligent in making sure candidates can find the information they need online. Candidates can even apply for positions at Accenture through social media. Accenture communicates using all sorts of social media— Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Tumblr. Employee resource groups (or interest groups) also use social media to communicate with employees, candidates, alumni, and related organizations. Accenture’s newest social platform is the Accenture Community Facebook page. Accenture Community focuses on corporate citizenship, inclusion and diversity, and environment. It highlights the work of Accenture’s people and partner companies in communities, and shares information with Accenture’s growing audience.

Accenture also shares information from within the company —insights and research from the broader community that is estimated to interest and help their audience. Examples range from Accenture executives mentoring college students and helping farmers in Zambia and Malawi, to a CEO’s advice on how to improve the workplace or an essay on women executives’ responsibility to help the young women coming up after them. Social media is a powerful tool to expand a company’s reach, make connections, share information and inspire—and to do it all without borders. The ability to easily reach more diverse audiences cannot be underestimated for companies or for individuals. As the connections made through social media are increasingly visible, social media makes a difference in the connections made face-to-face in companies and communities. PDJ

At ADP, the corporate marketing, sales, and recruiting divisions use social media to complement external communication with influencers, clients, prospective clients, and prospective employees in a fast-changing online world. Internally, ADP leverages social media tools such as client communities and social networking to connect employees directly with one another. In using social media for recruiting, ADP’s interest is always finding the best talent. ADP often receives questions ranging from location to culture to dress code. One of the benefits of being a large, international, and diverse company is that those questions can be answered simply and honestly: wherever you come from, whatever your background, there is a place for you at ADP. ADP measures success of social media efforts in terms of online conversation share of voice, sentiment/tone of the conversations, and size and growth of the overall ADP social ecosystem. PDJ

Andrews Kurth’s marketplace efforts include marketing, branding, community development, and supplier diversity. For these efforts, which address external audiences, their communications vehicles have expanded beyond articles, sponsorship advertisements, and the company website to include social media. Social media outlets have created new opportunities for firms and attorneys to flourish as thought leaders and entrepreneurs. New media platforms allow law firms to enhance professional and personal networks, increase their knowledge base about their profession, and contribute to the ongoing legal “conversation” related to their areas of expertise. Andrews Kurth reaches out to the online community via Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The company strives to be on the front line for timely, substantive topics and to serve as the hotline for firm news. Social Media allows Andrews Kurth to be quick and relevant in commentary and conversations, while also providing a resource for diverse audiences that can be explored in real-time at their convenience. Andrews Kurth has found that building a credible discussion resource on topics can serve as the foundation for a professional presence on the social web. Within Texas Bar guidelines, Andrews Kurth markets press releases, client alerts, D&I accomplishments, and event information through social media channels. The company also encourages attorneys to maintain a profile on LinkedIn. Social media presence has allowed Andrews Kurth to stay in front of clients, potential employees, and the press. Through these outlets, they have fielded media inquiries, as well as requests for event speakers. Andrews Kurth’s presence has become more prominent through retweets and mentions by other organizations which have directly resulted in more followers. Since 2009, the firm has garnered 227 “likes” on Facebook and 397 “followers” on Twitter. As social media outlets grow in prominence, that social media presence is expected to expand. PDJ

BDO USA, LLP has recently focused on using its Facebook page as a key vehicle for reaching a diverse range of fans from around the world. The main purpose of the Facebook page is to share news, insights, and career information with professionals of all ages, bridging gaps in geography, background, and work experience in a diverse and inclusive environment. BDO’s Facebook audience includes incredibly widespread diversity, which creates both benefits and challenges in using the vehicle as an effective communication tool. While the content posted will reach a wide audience, not every message can be tailored to every group. With that in mind, BDO created landing pages where fans with different levels of work experience can find information on a potential career with the firm. These landing pages contain links to a variety of information housed on the firm’s main website which may interest fans of all ages and backgrounds. BDO also offers a landing page containing short videos of firm leadership sharing insights into topics specific to the public accounting profession, for fans who prefer to receive information in audio/visual snippets. On the facebook page’s timeline, the overall goal is to offer thought leadership and advice for the professional development of BDO’s fans, in order to develop conversations and forge stronger relationships with a diverse audience. When curating content to post, generally the needs and interests of the largest audience are targeted (70 percent), which consists of 18 to 34 year olds who are working toward starting or advancing in their careers. From promoting BDO professional profiles that feature employees from various backgrounds, geographies, and ethnicities, to highlighting and celebrating BDO’s Women’s Initiative, Facebook allows the firm to share timely, useful information on a platform where many public accounting professionals are currently engaged. PDJ

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2 0 13 D I V E R S I T Y L E A D E R A W A R D S Connect, Engage, Inspire, and Impact are Catalyst’s four core values—and social media is strategically leveraged to achieve each one. Today, Catalyst has approximately 10,000 followers on Twitter, 2,000 fans on Facebook, and a vibrant LinkedIn group with 1,500 members. Catalyst’s blogs receive thousands of visits per month, while its newest online community, Men Advocating Real Change (MARC), boasts 400 members. But these raw numbers aren’t the only measures of success. As Catalyst’s values suggest, fostering knowledge-sharing and community building are central to efforts on these platforms. Catalyst responds to the needs of its online communities and allows them to guide the organization towards emerging trends and research relevant to women and work. This two-way exchange, inherent to social media, is what makes this medium so revolutionary and vital to organizations hoping to inspire change. Fear should not prevent organizations from engaging with social media; the benefits associated with growing an online community greatly outnumber the potential risks. The very first @catalystinc tweet—sent back in 2008—was supposed to reference the gender pay gap, but a typo rendered it the “gender pay gay.” The tweet was quickly corrected and a valuable lesson learned: accidents will happen . . . and this is normal! From an organizational stand-point, Catalyst’s efforts with social media are deeply collaborative. Using software, many of Catalyst’s tweets are scheduled to post automatically. This ensures diverse voices are heard across the globe 24/7—not simply 9 to 5. Organizations should be flexible and creative to meet the demands that social media can create—and they must grow with the communities they create. Social media has enabled Catalyst to grow informed communities of people committed to changing workplaces and lives. An invaluable resource, social media has—and will remain—a central tool in Catalyst’s mission to expand opportunities for women and business. PDJ

Engaging in social media allows Charles Schwab to be where its customers are and to be approachable to a wide spectrum of people. Clients frequently use social media to discuss products and their customer service experiences with Schwab employees (almost always positive!) among other topics. Charles Schwab uses three Twitter channels, a Facebook page, and a corporate blog to listen, connect, and build relationships rather than just push out messages. Success of Charles Schwab’s social media program is measured not only in numbers, but also by the sentiment and quality of engagements. Charles Schwab’s Corporate Twitter account has nearly 24,000 followers and the Charles Schwab Facebook page has over 94,000 likes. Charles Schwab looks closely at the number of issues resolved satisfactorily, response times (currently, when someone mentions a Schwab service issue

it takes an average of 15 minutes to respond), and the number of detractors turned promoters. The difficulties faced in implementing social media revolved largely around trying to use social media as a communication tool in a highly regulated industry. As a financial services firm, Charles Schwab faces certain regulatory challenges that can influence what is communicated. Social media provides great insights and benefits for Schwab. Aside from providing a direct line of contact with a wide range of people on a variety of topics, it helps the company take more of a “ground up” approach toward product development by way of providing an instant (and constant) feedback loop. Schwab employees using social media are considered client advocates because they’re always sure to pass along client feedback so that it can help inform business priorities and decisions. PDJ

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

Since 2009, Chevron has been using social media internally and externally to share information, correct misperceptions, increase energy literacy, and engage meaningfully with people and organizations. Through social media channels Chevron can engage employees, potential employees, shareholders, the media, community partners, government leaders, and company detractors. Social media allows Chevron to engage with the people in these communities rather than just disseminate information. By doing so, Chevron can put a human face on a large organization, increase transparency, and address key issues head-on. All of this pays reputational dividends. In the three years since launching social channels, Chevron has built vibrant and diverse communities. Internally, Chevron is launching Yammer, a micro blogging tool similar to Twitter that allows the workforce to collaborate, share best practices, and discuss topics of interest. In addition, the company’s 60,000 employees can use message boards and post comments on news articles to express their opinions. Externally, Chevron uses four major social media outlets: LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. On LinkedIn, the company has 31,500 members with whom Chevron discusses important energy issues and more than 115,000 followers that can be targeted as part of recruitment efforts. Twitter is heavily used by media, bloggers and journalists—a key audience for Chevron—and has 40,500 followers. It is a critical channel through which Chevron manages issues and communicates in a crisis. Chevron’s YouTube channel helps tell important stories in an engaging way about how the company produces energy, invests in communities, and applies technology. Chevron currently hosts 175 videos, which have been viewed 1.3 million times. There are more than 1,580 subscribers to the channel. Social media has enhanced the company’s overall communications efforts—allowing Chevron to reach a broader and more diverse audience and engage more meaningfully with the workforce, outside stakeholders, and organizations. PDJ

The Cisco Intelligent Network is transforming how people connect, communicate, and collaborate every day. It’s not just about the technology; it’s about the intersection of technology, people, and inclusive practices that drive innovation and create differentiated value. In order to effectively harness this environment, Cisco participates in a wide variety of social media platforms, such as Twitter, YouTube, Online Communities, and uses their own innovative solutions—such as WebEx, video, and Cisco WebEx Social—to bring people together, collaborate, form communities, generate ideas, and enable the company to better serve customers, partners and suppliers, recruit top talent, and drive innovation. Within Inclusion & Diversity, Cisco has seen how social media can transform the conversation and amplify voices, even those who have traditionally been left out. It allows people to participate in both big and small ways, and enables the whispers of those at the edges to become part of the conversation, front and center, if they so desire. At Cisco, there are a variety of ways people can make their voices heard and champion a new path. For example, employees can join any one of Cisco’s dozens of communities, such as employee resource groups, who use social media to engage with one another to further awareness, understanding, and business initiatives. Or, they may become a mentor or mentee and use social media to create strong relationships across generations, geographies, and time zones to help change their influence and careers. PDJ

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2 0 13 D I V E R S I T Y L E A D E R A W A R D S CSC is in the process of developing a global social media strategy that will communicate and encourage employees to take action in amplifying CSC’s brand and supplement CSC’s official social media presence. Included in the social media strategy is collaborative social media governance meant to empower employees to engage on social networks. Also included in CSC’s social media strategy are global key performance metrics that will allow the company to track the success of this program. CSC uses social listening and analytics tools like Radian 6, and integrates web analytics tools like Adobe to track visitors to and from digital assets on csc.com. CSC reports on these metrics to senior leadership monthly. In an effort to humanize CSC’s brand, the company is actively encouraging employees to become CSC Social Media Brand Ambassadors through regular internal communications. In these communications employees are encouraged to proudly support the company with a consistent CSC social brand. A few of these social branding elements include a profile photo with the CSC logo using a third-party application called Twibbon, a CSC brand compliant Twitter background with a download available in the CSC Styleguide, and basic social media training which includes how to maximize social networking bios and how to share csc.com content with their networks. PDJ

The main social media qualities—connection and inclusiveness—are also important to Ernst & Young. Among other channels, the EY Connects Facebook page—where people post photos and news—has more than 7,700 likes and helps the team feel more integrated. Among others, firm leaders such as Americas Inclusiveness Officer Karyn Twaronite and Americas Director of Campus Recruiting Dan Black are also actively engaging in online conversations through hundreds of tweets and followers. Karyn’s tweets automatically appear on EY Connects Facebook page, keeping people plugged into diversity and inclusiveness information—and enabling Twaronite to see what they “like.” Social media connects Ernst & Young with another audience significant in both size and importance—recruits. It is particularly useful in helping assemble diverse teams, as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest make it easier to recruit sometimes hard-to-reach groups such as minorities, veterans, and others. Ernst & Young’s LinkedIn Careers page,

which introduces recruiters, lists job openings, and allows people to refer connections, has over 311,000 followers. The EY Careers Facebook page, now six years old, has over 94,000 “likes” and videos that highlight the firm’s inclusiveness efforts. To help college students understand how exciting it is to begin a career at the firm, a staff member tweets weekly from the “Life at EY” @EYstaff account. Last summer, an intern in Ernst & Young’s Tax practice blogged about her experience for the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants’ website. And a new Pinterest page just for interns asks them to illustrate the firm’s inclusive culture in a creative way. Given these examples, Ernst & Young is confident their social media activity is helping people and recruits feel more connected and engaged. And others agree—just this year, the National Association of Colleges and Employers gave the firm an Innovative Excellence in Diversity Recruiting award. PDJ

As a firm, FordHarrison has determined that investing in a social media presence and continuing with social media efforts are a must. FordHarrison’s strategy includes broadcasting news about the firm, its practice areas, and the legal industry in a tactical way that supports its online presence and builds a brand that people will trust. Here are a few ways FordHarrison uses social media to compliment its marketing efforts: • Distributing firm news—FordHarrison uses social media platforms to push out firm news such as new hires, recent awards, diversity initiatives, and good works. • Following key industry organizations. By “following” industry organizations, the firm can monitor what they post and interact with them. • Sharing alerts/articles/blogs. FordHarrison has found that sharing recent legal alerts, articles and blogs with followers is a powerful way to interact with a target audience. • Publicizing webinars/events. All FordHarrison webinars/events are housed on the firm’s website and social media platforms are used to push the information out to clients and potential clients. If FordHarrison can continue to create effective content that attracts ever-changing audiences and understands what will provide the best ROI, the firm is sure to have continued success on social media networks such as LinkedIn (873 Followers), Twitter (229 Followers), Facebook (close to 100 “Likes”), and beyond. As social media continues to rapidly change, the impact on FordHarrison’s technology initiatives has been huge. The firm recently revamped its website (www.fordharrison.com) as a multipurpose resource center offering heightened functionality and research capabilities. The cornerstone of the retooled website is the KnowledgeCenter, a collection of digital resources on the firm and the issues of greatest concern to its clients. This virtual library provides access to updated firm news, event information, and a wide range of blogs, alerts on emerging legal issues, and the firm’s popular manuals and training materials for employers. PDJ GE is committed to employing a diverse workforce throughout the world, and to providing all employees with opportunities to reach their growth potential and contribute to the progress of the communities they serve. GE’s achievements reflect a culture of meritocracy where every employee can be a leader. The wide variety of cultural and individual experiences is what makes the GE environment robust and energizing. GE uses social media in a variety of ways to recruit and engage with diverse candidates and alumni. The GE Careers Blog propagates content to all of their other social media and allows the company to amplify diversity achievements and share the profiles of successful diverse employees. Audio & Video: GE posts their latest ideas, technologies and breakthroughs on their Youtube channel, which averages 4,000 unique visitors a month. Twitter: The GE Careers Twitter account tweets about updates to GE Careers. Candidates can join approximately 9,000 others and “follow” GE Careers to receive updates. Facebook: The GE Careers team maintains a page on Facebook to connect with candidates and share photos, links, and the latest news from around GE. It has 15,000 likes. Linkedin: GE hosts a group on Linkedin for people looking for a job at GE and those interested in the latest news about GE Careers, hiring, training, and development. All of GE’s groups amount to over 100,000 members. At GE, diversity is about the power of the mix—combining different ideas and experiences to deliver the best results. GE’s inclusive culture fosters teamwork and innovation to help people, businesses, and communities thrive. Ultimately, it’s an approach that enables GE to develop global leaders who navigate the complexity of these times with clarity, courage, and integrity—advancing a culture that uniquely equips everyone to build, power, move, and cure the world. PDJ

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Gibbons P.C. uses social media to connect with key external constituencies, including clients, potential clients, the legal industry and other professional colleagues, and civic and charitable partners throughout the community. While the firm’s Facebook efforts are in the planning stages, their Marketing Department recently assumed management of firm-wide Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, focusing social media efforts on raising Gibbons’ profile and strengthening various initiatives. Social media have been particularly effective in support of Gibbons’ Diversity and Women’s Initiatives. A major component of both initiatives is affiliation with organizations with similar missions to promote a more diverse workforce throughout corporate America. Twitter and LinkedIn have increased exposure to these audiences in several ways. Gibbons live-tweets firm events, including Diversity and Women’s Initiative events and similar external programs that feature their attorneys, to underscore their depth of involvement in diversity-related issues, and highlight themes that their

speakers believe are the critical takeaways of their presentations. By live-tweeting, for example, the chairman and managing director’s presentation at a recent NAWL event, Gibbons was able to convey to their followers—and, by linking to NAWL’s account and hashtag, to NAWL’s followers—his insights about equity partnership pathways for women attorneys, which then invited discussion over Twitter with the potential to engage Gibbons along with various interested parties. LinkedIn supports Gibbons diversity efforts primarily by providing an outlet for Gibbons attorneys to meaningfully interact with the diversity-related associations to which they belong, or with other members of relevant LinkedIn-specific groups. Gibbons’ chief diversity officer, for example, belongs to several relevant LinkedIn groups, including Diversity Professionals and CDO Forum, that expand his exposure to other companies’ diversity innovations while also presenting Gibbons’ efforts that other organizations might adapt. PDJ

Halliburton uses social media to communicate news, share expertise, and spotlight thought leaders and technology. From a weekly challenge blog (growing in traffic by over 45 percent each month), to YouTube videos, to sharing slide presentations, they are enabling audiences to learn more about Halliburton. B2B social media presents some challenges—getting to the correct customer, creating content that resonates with highly technical individuals in specialized fields, and creating compelling content for the public and potential employees. The acceptance of social media as an effective communication tool continues to grow throughout Halliburton. Their corporate website has a social media hub for employees and clients to easily find and respond to all of updates/posts. In addition, Halliburton uses a company LinkedIn group to allow employees to share their expertise with the online world and to bring value to their own careers and Halliburton. Halliburton’s YouTube channel hosts more than 20 videos that educate viewers on a variety of challenges. Their YouTube audience continues to grow (subscriptions up 27.99 percent quarterly). Halliburton is also reaching potential employees and giving them a way to communicate directly through their Facebook page. Promoting diversity and inclusion is a natural step given the global nature of social media. Halliburton’s interactions on social media include various languages, countries, and cultures. For example, the volume of interactions from individuals in Egypt is growing at a rate of over seven percent month to month; on the city level, Cairo is growing at a rate of eight percent compared to Houston, at two percent. PDJ

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

Harris Corporation recognizes that their customers, employees, and target workforce are made up of a diverse mixture of talent that is committed to staying on the cutting edge of technology. In this way, for the past several years, Harris has been actively utilizing LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to tap into these key audiences. Harris recognize that these tools are fundamentally important in establishing a company presence and connecting with global customers, but they also provide direct reach to diverse pools of talent. Harris can deliver their recruitment message in front of various groups, associations, and societies, allowing the opportunity to inform, engage, and draw in professionals who might not otherwise be aware of the overall Harris value proposition, their globally inclusive culture, and strong commitment to building a diverse talent community. As Harris seeks to evolve and grow in the social media space, they have expanded social recruitment strategy to infuse their corporate and career websites, and various micro-sites, with social media widgets that allow both customers and potential employees the opportunities to connect with Harris and share news, updates, and Harris job opportunities. With an eye on expanding social credibility, Harris also created a “Connect with Harris” portal on their newly revamped careers site. This is an area where job seekers can quickly link up with company-sponsored social network sites in one place. Harris has also devoted a section highlighting various employee resource groups. While Harris keeps a constant eye on social media statistics—numbers of followers/likes/members—and respective results in terms of how they are impacting tactical talent pipelines, they are hyperopic in their approach to measuring this impact, believing that a strategic, well-executed social presence is more about the long-term gain of an expanded global footprint and recognition of corporate and employment brands within their target audience. PDJ

The International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals (ISDIP), the first comprehensive global diversity association spanning all industries and sectors, was founded on Facebook. It began in 2009 as an informal gathering of diversity and inclusion thought leaders, who later formed the advisory board (now called Champions). Shortly after the group’s social-media start, Dr. Cassandra Caldwell, who spearheaded the project, began to get more friend requests. She realized that there was a need for a diversity association and that social media was the perfect platform. The ISDIP’s LinkedIn group discussions and daily tweets were instrumental in attracting members, partners, and champions. Today, ISDIP has more than 450 members, spanning 14 countries and five continents, and numerous corporate, government, and nonprofit partners. Several strategic partnerships were formed through connections made on social media. For example, OppsPlace, an online community created for minorities looking to build net worth, discovered @ ISDIP on Twitter and was one of several sponsors for their inaugural conference. Also, the U.S. Department of State connected with ISDIP on Twitter and later partnered to host the historic “Diversity, Inclusion, and U.S. Foreign Policy” wisdom session last June. The event attracted more than 150 diversity and inclusion thought leaders and media representatives. It spurred a social media frenzy that generated 2.5 million hashtag impressions! In addition to sharing images and information on social media, the organization also uses WebEx technology to hold monthly International Insights webinars led by diversity and inclusion thought leaders from around the globe. ISDIP’s Diversity News Network is a video show on YouTube that is also used to highlight ISDIP’s initiatives. PDJ

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JBK Associates has gained a competitive edge by integrating social media into their efforts to find the best diverse talent for clients, communicate commitment to diversity, and build relationships with individuals and organizations from many perspectives who share JBK’s vision for excellence. JBK takes advantage of LinkedIn to present the company and its focus on diversity in a forum accessible to 161 million subscribers. As the online community with the most mature membership—79 percent of LinkedIn users are 35 or older and the average is 44.2 —LinkedIn brings an audience replete with the kind of highly experienced professionals who may represent future clients or candidates. And LinkedIn’s group pages help build relationships with people from many different perspectives. The JBK Facebook page gives access to an even wider

audience, including millions of groups representing different genders, generations, ethnicities, abilities, interests or experiences. As JBK increases social media presence, they are building relationships and starting to see Facebook likes from representatives of organizations that share values and goals, such as ForbesWomen and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association. JBK’s YouTube channel engages hard-to-reach audiences with the company’s diversity platform, and Twitter gives them a way to strengthen relationships and share news related to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As a platform that performs strongly with minorities as well as the young adults who represent their clients’ future leadership, Twitter adds value to JBK’s diversity communications and branding. PDJ

Jones Lang LaSalle has developed a diverse social media program, engaging on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other multimedia channels. Social media teams across the world deliver content to audiences in real-time, promoting value-driven news related to the industry, including business updates, innovative research, and thought leadership. By showcasing content over Jones Lang LaSalle YouTube channels, which have been collectively viewed more than 225,000 times, the firm effectively introduces its value-driven service offerings and people to clients and partners, as well as the YouTube community. By streaming innovative content, such as interviews with the Americas CEO live from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the firm shows the personal side of the company while also promoting diverse talent and professional innovation. By putting faces to the firm, Jones Lang LaSalle visually brands the firm, its premier services, and its people. Yet, equally important to Jones Lang LaSalle’s social media strategies are the innovative methods it exercises to reach more diverse audiences. With diversity as one of the firm’s core values, Jones Lang LaSalle’s Human Resources teams are committed to recruiting top talent from diverse pools of candidates. Experts have tapped social media channels, the most effective being LinkedIn, to engage with these audiences that were previously difficult to source. With more than 41,000 followers, Jones Lang LaSalle’s current employees, HR professionals, prospects, and even clients actively engage with one another on issues pertaining to the firm, its people, the industry, and growth opportunities. Social media enables professionals to proactively source talent with a new “we find you” strategy. Beyond LinkedIn, HR engages over its independent Twitter handle, @JLLCareersUS, to broadcast opportunities to its nearly 1,000 followers. Most recently, the firm began using Pinterest to target social media-savvy female talent, as the channel boasts an 80 percent base of women users. PDJ

Although still in the early stages, KPMG LLP began using social media, including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, several years ago. Initially conceived as another way to connect with prospective recruits, KPMG has since started to expand their social media presence to help reach current and prospective clients, and instill pride in employees. Since 2009, KPMG Campus has been tweeting about current events at the firm to keep a broad and diverse range of students up-to-date and help them learn more about KPMG’s culture. In the past year alone, the number of KPMG Campus followers on Twitter has grown by more than 200 percent. Simultaneously, KPMG launched a branded YouTube channel, the first of the Big Four accounting firms to do so. Since its launch, the KPMG Go channel has racked up more than 100,000 channel views and more than 400,000 video views. KPMG is currently developing a new Facebook Fan Page, planned to launch later this year, and is excited to add this additional communications channel as another means for sharing and exchanging information with current and prospective employees and clients. KPMG’s LinkedIn presence has also increased in the past year—through several closed groups, they’re able to stay connected with KPMG alumni (the KPMG Alumni Group), women professionals (the KPMG Network of Women [KNOW] Group), and others. KPMG recently finalized and released a formal, firm-wide social media policy, and has built a team of subject matter experts to help continue to expand their social media activities and presence over the next year. PDJ

“Focus Forward” is not just Lewis and Roca’s tagline, it’s a core value that motivates their attorneys to strive for excellence and always keep clients’ businesses and interests moving ahead. When it comes to forward movement, technology is a major piece of the puzzle. In this day and age, social media has become a driving force behind human and business interaction—and the firm uses these online tools to expand relationships with clients and with one another. Through social media and additional online tools, Lewis and Roca is able to communicate with a larger virtual audience than physical interaction may have previously allowed. The firm currently has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Lewis and Roca also maintains two blogs, one focused on intellectual property and another on renewable energy. These tools help strengthen brand recognition, allow easy communication with clients and contacts, and provide a powerful way to deliver an ongoing stream of useful, relevant content into the marketplace. With social media, a regional law firm like Lewis and Roca is no longer restricted to a geographic location; they’re able to gain national and even international reach. By using online syndication services like JD Supra and Lexology that also leverage social media, Lewis and Roca receives statistical information about all of the articles, clients alerts, and other content they distribute. For example, the firm knows that their readership has expanded to include over 200,000 additional subscribers. As a result, Lewis and Roca knows what topics are most heavily viewed, the geographic location of readers, and whether these readers shared content with others through their own social media platforms. Lewis and Roca also reviews trend reports to make sure they write on topics of most interest to readers. PDJ

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2 0 13 D I V E R S I T Y L E A D E R A W A R D S When Moss Adams began evaluating their social media strategy a few years ago, they hit on a way to take it a bit further. The credit goes to one of the firm’s partners, Bill Armstrong. Bill sought a way to simplify complex international tax concepts, present them in bite-size chunks of information conducive to learning, and post them on Moss Adams’ YouTube channel. The videos, which are approximately five to 10 minutes long, use digital whiteboarding technology to walk though each step of a problem or definition—an approach that makes viewers feel as if they are in the room with the instructor. It’s been a big success: Bill’s three-part series on transfer pricing has received hits from more than 6,000 people in over 100 countries. What’s more, many of these countries have no formal accounting training programs, so the videos have helped break down barriers to education. The videos have been a great addition to Moss Adams’ social media outreach—neatly complementing what the firm does on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Those social media platforms are used to compile recent research, provide access to news articles and links to on-demand webcasts, and inform and educate their audience about upcoming regulatory and tax changes. A separate Moss Adams Careers Facebook page is also maintained to reach a diverse audience of college students interested in interning or working for Moss Adams. Through this page, the firm also “likes” minority- and women-focused publications and professional groups to learn more about their upcoming programs and initiatives. The firm also plans to launch Pinterest and Tumblr pages to spur additional dialogue and reach more campus candidates. Thoughtful analysis, innovative ideas from Moss Adams’ professionals, and evaluation of metrics will continue to help guide their social media strategy into the future. PDJ

As an innovative global packaging leader, MWV must stay ahead of the ever-changing markets to provide the best possible solutions for their customers. MWV’s approach to social media is no different. By using social media channels, MWV is able to enrich relationships, increase the value brought to clients and colleagues, and effectively share the company’s culture and commitment to diversity. MWV has established a team that is responsible for the creation and implementation of social media strategy. Currently, MWV has an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. From a diversity and inclusion perspective, the most effective social media channel is video. They’ve been able to highlight interns, co-ops, and lead-

ership associates in local and international locations. These video testimonials display the varied cultures and backgrounds of employees. Facebook and YouTube allow the company to focus on MWV culture, employment, and industry and packaging news. Twitter and LinkedIn focus on providing useful information to current and potential employees, customers, investors, and packaging industry professionals. MWV has adopted social media as a part of their corporate culture. They continue to revise social media plans, strategies and guidelines to remain connected to employees, customers, and industries. PDJ

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

National Grid uses social media as a tool to engage its employees and its diverse customer base with communications that build awareness of National Grid and increase brand sentiment. This includes customer outreach and education, crisis and power restoration communication, customer service resolutions, and recruiting activities. During Hurricane Irene in 2011, for example, National Grid tweeted with more than 7,000 customers and gained 2,500 new Facebook friends in an effort to communicate safety information and to update customers about power restoration following the storm. From a recruiting perspective, National Grid is also placing greater emphasis on social media as a means to find and attract the next generation of employees, particularly engineers, recognizing that this potential future workforce seeks job opportunities via social media. Presently, more than 7,000 prospective employees are following National Grid on LinkedIn. Its wide range of networking capabilities enable the company to connect with the right talent at the right time through recruitment contacts. In the U.S., National Grid is increasingly using social media and new technology to recruit on college campuses, helping to attract a diverse pool of potential candidates. Up-to-date company and recruitment information is available through National Grid’s QR code, a bar code readable by a smartphone, that brings the recruit directly to National Grid’s website, enabling relevant discussions among college students seeking to learn more about the company and its opportunities. PDJ

New York Life has become an industry leader in social media. With more than 300,000 Likes on Facebook, more than 35,000 followers on Twitter, more than 25,000 LinkedIn followers, and 1,063 “pluses” on Google+, New York Life has a more robust social media presence than any mutual life insurer in the United States. New York Life’s products and services help people perpetuate the good in their lives. Social media amplifies what New York Life does, including work with the LGBT community, cultural markets, recruiting, volunteering, and Foundation giving, while providing a platform to customers, employees, agents, and families who may recognize the work they do. In 2010, New York Life was one of the first financial services companies to allow its financial representatives to engage with consumers on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, while closely adhering to the most rigorous standards for compliance, security, and governance. This helps the company maintain its valuable reputation for integrity and fair dealing while creating a better experience for the agents, field managers, and consumers they serve. New York Life’s corporate social media efforts, coupled with the use of social media by many of their 12,250 agents, has expanded social presence even to groups who may not have interacted with New York Life before. For example, the New York Life Foundation recently funded research around childhood bereavement and the support children and families need after the loss of a loved one. The company then hosted a Twitter Chat for bereavement service providers and other interested people to discuss the findings and share best practices. In this case, the important work that New York Life sponsored helped to raise awareness of childhood bereavement, and social media was an important conduit to broaden the discussion. PDJ

November/December 2012

2 0 13 D I V E R S I T Y L E A D E R A W A R D S The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. leverages social media to effectively reach customers, employees, and the communities they serve. From a diversity and inclusion standpoint, this includes regular communication of history and heritage month celebrations, key awards and recognition, and other pertinent information throughout the year via various social channels. Examples include frequent use of Twitter and Facebook. Internally, PNC relies on Connections, a collaboration tool that facilitates information sharing and networking among their more than 57,000 employees. PNC utilizes multiple tools—blogs, wikis, discussion forums, group activities, collective files, shared bookmarks, communities—to encourage peer to peer collaboration and discussion, as well as Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG) participation. Communities bring together employees with common interests and allow them to leverage the Connections tools to interact with coworkers, participate in online discussions, and remain current with the latest updates. PDJ

PwC’s social media approach includes web, social networks, and handheld devices. PwC has a strong following on LinkedIn (290,000 followers), Facebook (70,000 followers), and Google+; their Twitter presence reaches more than 20,000 followers daily. All of these channels are a forum to expand the dialogue about diversity—including PwC’s latest thought leadership, achievements, hot topics, and noteworthy profiles in the media. They also use them to promote their blog, The Gender Agenda, which delves into the complex area of women in business today. PwC’s new YouTube channel has a special area dedicated to Corporate Responsibility, of which diversity is a major component. Viewers will find videos that showcase PwC’s philosophy and commitment to diversity. The most popular videos spotlight PwC’s people sharing deeply personal stories and reflecting the firm’s diversity. iPlace, PwC’s internal ideamanagement platform, gives all their people the opportunity to share ideas—not just with peers, but with the most senior leaders in the organization. PwC professionals submit their ideas, comment on colleagues’ ideas, and vote for their favorites.

Through “Diversity Challenges,” all of PwC’s people are invited to ideas that can evolve into real solutions. This year, PwC launched Spark, an internal social networking and collaboration platform. Spark allows PwC professionals to share ideas, expertise, and collaborate within a secure environment. It even has an app for handheld devices, providing the flexibility to connect any time, any place. Diversity has a prominent following on Spark through national groups centered around diversity and inclusion, women, and GLBT professionals. Members participate in an ongoing dialogue about the latest articles, videos, and programs. Plus, diversity leaders lead structured discussions built around key topics of interest, leader profiles, polls, and more. In addition, Spark lets PwC connect across their global network of firms, providing insights into how other PwC organizations approach diversity. PDJ

Raytheon leverages a variety of social media channels to support top company priorities like diversity, innovation, sustainability, ethics, and STEM education. Externally, Raytheon is active on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tumblr, and Google+. Each channel is used to achieve specific business objectives. Facebook, for example, is a primary channel for engaging potential recruits. Internally, in 2009 Raytheon launched RSpace, a social media platform within the company’s firewall that enables employees to post profiles, blog and microblog, network through communities, and publish wikis. RSpace was the most quickly adopted collaboration tool in Raytheon’s history. Senior leaders’ blog entries on RSpace about diversity and inclusion are some of the most widely read entries by employees. One key benefit of social media is Raytheon’s exposure to more diverse audiences. Some examples of their success: • In May 2012, during National Military Appreciation Month, Raytheon launched the Hashtags4Heroes initiative (#ht4h), which enabled Twitter users to “donate” unused tweet characters in support of Wounded Warrior Project, an organization dedicated to the support of injured service personnel. By the end of the month, more than 300,000 characters were donated, generating a reach of more than 3 million. • Raytheon has held two tweetups in 2012, each garnering tremendous goodwill and visibility for the company. The first event supported the launch of the MathAlive! educational exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. (#mathalive). Through the tweetup, which was organized by Raytheon, participants were provided a behind-the-scenes view of the exhibit. The second event, Raytheon’s first international tweetup, was held at Raytheon’s chalet at the Farnborough International Airshow, where visitors tried out Raytheon technology and viewed featured aircraft. (#meetRay) PDJ

Rockwell Collins’ participation in social media is another way they seek to build trust with stakeholders by sharing information and making connections in new interactive ways. Diversity and inclusion is integrated into their enterprise communication strategy including Rockwell Collins social channels. For example, the company uses a Facebook account to showcase cultures, beliefs, lifestyles, and initiatives going on at Rockwell Collins. They connect these attributes to Rockwell Collins’ strategic imperative to create an environment of equity and respect and how the company values diverse individuals that are encouraged to contribute their perspectives to the overall success of the organization. This gives fans a better grasp of the company’s business goals/vision and employees’ role in achieving them. One initiative, which Rockwell Collins calls the Green Bags, speaks volumes to their work recognizing global diversity and inclusion efforts. Fifty-five years ago, Rockwell Collins started a contest during the company’s annual winter shutdown. Stickers that read, “Hi, I’m from Collins” were distributed to employees, and the two employees who met at the most distant point from headquarters were awarded a prize. In 2011, the idea was resurrected with a modern twist. Employees began submitting photos to post on the Rockwell Collins Facebook page of their home town or of them visiting places around the world with a green Rockwell Collins bag. Today, the concept continues. No matter where you live or travel, you are connected by association with Rockwell Collins. The Green Bag is one way to show pride in the company and to connect fans from around the world. Since its inception, Rockwell Collins has received submissions from employees in six states and more than 10 countries. PDJ

November/December 2012

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2 0 13 D I V E R S I T Y L E A D E R A W A R D S

Sandia National Laboratories participates in social media venues of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr as a means of engaging with a broad audience. Their followers consist of employees, businesses, nonprofits, news media, policy makers, other laboratories, government agencies, and thousands of individuals who are interested in opportunities and news about what’s going on at the organization. Inclusion is a defining principle and Sandia strives to become the employer of choice to a diverse workforce. As a communication tool, social media has greatly enhanced Sandia’s ability to convey this defining element of the organization. Whether amplifying involvement in the community (the Shoes for Kids program, supporting United Way of Central New Mexico, or Habitat for Humanity), the recognition of the accomplishments of minority members of Sandia’s workforce (Asian American Engineers of the Year, HENAAC Engineers of the Year, Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers), or programs to bolster minority involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Manos

supports Hispanic students; Dream Catchers supports Native American students; Hands-On, Minds-On Technologies supports African American students), social media provides an effective means for promoting these successes. In particular, the “I’m a Sandian” series of short videos developed for YouTube celebrates the idea of the individual among the whole. Through each unique personal background, story and motivation, viewers are given a glimpse of some of the extraordinary people that make Sandia an innovative, diverse, and exciting place to work. Sandia’s corporate social media profiles reach nearly 9,500 followers on Twitter, and have resulted in more than two million video views on YouTube, 2,500 likes on Facebook and 23,500 photo views on Flickr. Although these statistics are a strong indication of the popularity of their content on these networks and the diversity that it reflects, Sandia also measures success by the meaningful engagement that content cultivates with audiences. PDJ

Shell looks at social media as a great opportunity to engage with customers and employees to make a human connection. These platforms also provide customers and employees channels to give valuable feedback on how they experience the company and brand. Through these engagements, social media allow Shell to develop a deeper insight into their audiences’ interest and concerns, preferences, and needs. Facebook provides a platform for Shell to build employer brand in key markets by showcasing their employee value proposition. D&I is a key differentiator which is leveraged through testimonials and dayin-the-life videos of real employees. These contents are given credible and positive advocacy through sharing and “likes” by audiences. Potential candidates have the opportunity to get to know the company better and self-select if Shell is the right employer for them. Within the company, Shell leverages similar social media platforms to engage with employees. My News (a personalized newsfeed for individual employees), Shell Tube, Shell Blogs, Shell Wiki, Yammer and Webcasts are some examples of how Shell stays connected with employees. An annual internal communications survey is conducted to understand how employees receive communications, which platforms they use, and what they find most effective. The results from this survey and from their annual Shell People Survey inform and shape internal communications strategy on an ongoing basis.

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A unique communications-based D&I intervention that Shell has is measurement and monitoring of their internal communications “visual optics” which was implemented in 2010. Shell believes how they show up internally firstly provides a reflection of where the company is today (the organization’s unconscious bias), and secondly can be a powerful messaging and role-modelling to the organization of where they want to be in the future ( D&I aspirations). PDJ

SHRM leverages social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube to engage with their members and a range of external and internal audiences. Social Media allows SHRM to quickly connect and engage with diverse audiences that differ in age, geographic location, race, professional experience and other factors. For example, on Facebook, Egypt is the country that houses their second largest gathering of Facebook fans (only second to the United States). SHRM’s networks have grown immensely over the past few years (LinkedIn: 96,000 group members; Twitter: 45,000 followers; Facebook 47,000 followers). In addition, the use of social media has empowered SHRM employees to connect with each other and with members to dialogue about important workplace issues (including diversity and inclusion) and share best practices and solutions, which has increased engagement. PDJ

Sodexo leverages social media as a strategy to increase the visibility of their brand, establish their presence as a subject-matter expert, and communicate who they are as a company. Through the integration of social media channels, Sodexo shares information, engage audiences, and build relationships. Sodexo’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is demonstrated through timely posts with fresh and interesting content. Speaking through an inclusive and diverse voice, Federal Heritage Months, speaking engagements, blogs, first-person experiences, topical news, and award recognitions are shared. Coordinating with external partners and other stakeholders enables a second-tier approach and third-party validation to reach broader audiences. Challenges include the time required for moderation, as well as monitoring the various media channels to ensure open dialogue and timely responses. Addressing comments, whether positive or negative, builds credibility, transparency, and partnerships within Sodexo’s digital communities. A major benefit of social media is the opportunity to push out real time targeted messages to various audiences. Alignment with Sodexo’s corporate brand is achieved through collaboration with Human Resources, Corporate Communications, Public Relations, Talent Acquisition, Sodexo Foundation and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion. Google Alerts, Nutshell mail, and RSS feeds provide an easy way to monitor social media avenues. Insights are available through the Facebook admin panel to see who is reading and replying to posts. This snapshot view of the audience and where they are geographically allows the targeting of specific diversity subject matter. Success is measured by consistent monitoring and evaluation through the admin panel statistics and focusing on target audience and countries. PDJ

November/December 2012

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The patient is the center of everything Sparrow does, and their mission is to improve the health of the people in communities by providing quality, compassionate care to everyone, every time. Sparrow’s online newsroom and Facebook and Twitter pages help share stories with patients, caregivers and the community through networks they already use in their daily lives. Sparrow uses videos, including the monthly Sparrow News Video Edition, to raise awareness of new services and share personal stories of their many caregivers. Sparrow also uses social media pages to raise awareness of upcoming health-oriented community events, such as charity races, their Lunch with a Doctor series, and forums about specific health issues. Sparrow’s main focus is to increase engagement with their caregivers, the community, patients, and their families. By answering questions and asking for people’s opinions, Sparrow is able to establish two-way communication. Using social media this way allows Sparrow to high-

light their diverse caregivers and celebrate the many voices in the community that Sparrow serves, all while working to improve the health of the people they serve. Sparrow’s team is experimenting with new ways to engage on social media pages, and adopting approaches that resonate. In order to determine whether social media efforts are successful, Sparrow tracks the number of likes and followers they have on Facebook and Twitter pages and monitors the number of people who see and engage with the content posted. For example, the Sparrow Health System Facebook page now has more than 1,200 likes—up more than 340 since the beginning of 2012. Sparrow recently hosted their first live Facebook chat and learned many lessons which will be applied to future events. Sparrow is constantly working to find the most effective ways to communicate by expanding and improving the way they use social media. PDJ

Springboard leverages social media to connect with clients and potential clients in terms of educating them about important topics that are relevant to their businesses and at the same time, within the parameters of Springboard’s expertise which is mainstreaming disability in the global workforce, workplace and marketplace. They also use it to announce information about events taking place around the world. For employees, Springboard uses Google+ as a way to stay connected as they are quite a decentralized organization. The only difficulty relative to successful implementation is keeping up with the rapidly changing technology and uses of the media and allocating the time required to do it well. The biggest benefits are the immediacy of the information, whether incoming or outgoing, and the worldwide connectedness. PDJ

Since 2009, The Hartford has been using social media tools to build awareness about the company through closer connections with consumers and customers to create stronger ties and improve communication with the agents who represent the company, and to engage employees. The Hartford’s Achieve Without Limits campaign is an example of

early success in the company’s use of social media. The campaign raised awareness about U.S. Paralympics, of which The Hartford is a founding sponsor, while giving consumers the opportunity to engage with athletes to understand what it means to achieve without limits. The year-long campaign also helped drive an increase in the audience on the company’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, which currently have 110,000 likes on Facebook and approximately 28,000 Twitter followers. While connecting with the public is an important part of the strategy, The Hartford also believes social media engages employees and attracts young talent to the organization. With a robust social media policy in place, The Hartford opened up social media access to employees, giving them access to their personal accounts at work. In addition to the traditional social media channels, employees can engage with each other on WeConnect, an internal social media site at The Hartford that gives employees the opportunity to create communities around common interests. More than 14,500 employees connect with each other on WeConnect. Executives are also becoming more interested in learning about social media and how it can be used from a business perspective with an evolving customer base. As part of The Hartford’s Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, the company developed a reverse mentor program that pairs tech-savvy millennial employees with senior leaders across the company. The program provides seasoned executives with the benefit of fresh, contemporary perspectives, enabling them to find non-traditional business solutions for diverse customers and business partners. PDJ

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn allow Thompson Hine to immediately share items such as bulletins or alerts addressing legal issues or developments that may impact a client’s or potential client’s business, as well as invitations to seminars and other events that provide timely, beneficial information and guidance. Clients have confirmed that they appreciate these real-time, continual updates. Social networks also enable Thompson Hine to highlight significant firm news and information about their culture and values. For example, Thompson Hine has distinguished itself as a firm committed to diversity and inclusion, and reinforces this by sharing communications that emphasize the achievements of the firm as a whole and of individual lawyers and staff, including press releases and the annual reports published by their Diversity & Inclusion Initiative and Women’s Initiative, Spotlight on Women. Thompson Hine does this to convey that they take commitment seriously, hold themselves accountable, and seek to continuously enhance and expand diversity and inclusion efforts. Thompson Hine also follows several diversity thought leaders on Twitter, often retweeting their postings to show support and help advance their vital messages. Thompson Hine currently has more than 850 followers on LinkedIn and more than 300 on Twitter. Thompson Hine recognizes that having a robust social media presence enhances search engine optimization, increasing visibility in the marketplace and enabling them to reach a broader audience. Individual lawyers and staff members also contribute to the firm’s social media efforts by sharing relevant information with contacts through their personal accounts, expanding reach even further. Additionally, the firm is in the process of building a new website with social media integration to enable current and potential clients and others to stay abreast of important legal issues as well as the latest news and developments at Thompson Hine. PDJ

November/December 2012

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2 0 13 D I V E R S I T Y L E A D E R A W A R D S Union Bank utilizes social media to highlight many ongoing community partnerships and activities with multicultural audiences and financial literacy efforts in diverse communities, among other efforts. Social media is also used to support Union Bank’s Diversity and Inclusion efforts, including the bank’s ERGs (employee resource groups), through LinkedIn, blogs, and Webinars. Through ongoing partnerships with public television stations in California, Union Bank celebrates numerous heritage months and throughout the year social media supports these celebrations. For example, the Spotlight section on the bank’s Facebook Community page links to YouTube video profiles featuring many of the bank’s Local Heroes honorees to highlight their admirable work. Union Bank has advertised various initiatives on Facebook, like Black History Month, and based on targeting for audience and geography, gained more than 250 new followers in about three weeks. In less than a year, the Union Bank Facebook page has nearly 2,500 likes, and they have more than 4,200 Twitter followers. Union Bank measures success towards an annual growth goal, response times to posts, and by the level of submissions from across the enterprise. One of the main challenges Union Bank faces surrounding social media is coordination of content across numerous enterprises. They are encouraging more consistent and immediate notification of programs and activities from all business units within the bank. Union Bank is also working to incorporate an increased use of links, photos, videos, etc., and to more quickly capture and communicate tangible, quantifiable results. Their social media team also works with various divisions in the bank to address customer complaints. While social media accounts are designed to promote positive change and successes, many consumers utilize social media to voice concerns, express opinions, or pose questions. The team works very closely with internal partners to respond and resolve issues as quickly as possible. PDJ

UnitedHealth Group not only stays on top of the technology trends but does their very best to get ahead of them. The challenge for all companies is the rapidly changing technology environment, but it’s important to be the best, particularly in such an information-driven industry. UHG’s Talent Acquisition organization has a team of people focused on ensuring they meet —or exceed—the rapidly changing need for new technologies, based on what’s being used by their candidates. The company has introduced several social media strategies into recruiting efforts in recent years, including mobile, chat, and online and email marketing. Recent studies confirm that diverse candidates are using social media in rapidly increasing numbers—for example, African Americans are leading early adopters of mobile technology, and Latinos are three times more likely than the rest of the population to rely on mobile phones to access the internet. Therefore the same tools

and strategies are used across UnitedHealth Group’s candidate base, and are built into their holistic diversity recruiting strategy. UHG has also implemented a “green” approach at recruiting events. They neither accept nor distribute paper, instead using iPads, QR codes, text messaging (with candidate permission), pre- and post-event emails, tweets, etc. The use of tweets at two recent national diversity events brought close to 500 visitors to UnitedHealth Group’s careers website. Through these avenues, UnitedHealth Group is able to quickly develop virtual relationships with candidates and learn about their interests and backgrounds. They find that many candidates today prefer this type of outreach, and can tailor specific messaging and communications based on their unique needs. At the same time, the

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candidates also gain transparency to the company using social media tools, which gives them the opportunity to assess whether UnitedHealth Group is the right company for them. PDJ

Walmart uses the channels that clients, customers, and associates use to engage in conversations that they are interested in talking about. For example, the company uses different Twitter handles for sustainability, community giving, diversity, Walmart news, and financial updates. By segmenting communities based on topic, Walmart is able to connect and have deeper conversations with the people that care most about it. The biggest challenge has been figuring out where social media fits into some of Walmart’s more traditional media efforts. Often times, the company is focused on having a message told through the media and as they’re developing their own distribution networks leveraging social media, they’re still determining the right balance of support to put behind each channel. Social data has the ability to impact decision-making at every level of the company. Walmart tends to use it most to help stay ahead of news stories and help identify the topics that are most important to their audiences. Walmart launched a Diversity & Inclusion community on their internal website where all associates can blog to issue a conversation related to diversity, and find D&I resources. It’s one of the most efficient communication channels to reach a broad associate base. PDJ In 2009, Anthem launched its first Facebook fan page and application in conjunction with a brand pilot campaign, Health. Join In. The campaign was also extended to Twitter and YouTube and was supported by the engagement of Bob Harper, of The Biggest Loser fame. Harper tweeted about it and referenced his own Facebook page and YouTube. As of September 1, 2012, the Health. Join In. Facebook page had 180,000 fans. Anthem goes beyond counting fans and followers to evaluate success and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. In addition, the Anthem brand treats Twitter as a serious channel for customer service through the Twitter handle @AnthemHealth. Anthem proactively monitors Twitter to identify customer inquiries and resolves issues in a timely manner. WellPoint has found that social media complements traditional advertising and allows the brand to reveal a warmer voice. Social media by nature is viral and provides a great opportunity for customers to tell their health stories and inspire their personal fans/followers to improve their health. WellPoint has experienced a great deal of success in leveraging social media to promote its employment, market current openings, and source passive talent. By promoting company news, activities, awards, and recognition WellPoint positions itself as an employer of choice and its commitment to diversity and inclusion. WellPoint continues to evolve its social media strategy by engaging news media through a PR presence on Twitter, engaging with associates through official internal social networking My Site, and facilitating an exchange of ideas among industry professionals on LinkedIn. In addition, they maintain policies that support the social networking activities of associates and business needs, develop social media ambassadors internally, and create training and development opportunities to support WellPoint’s social media interactions and strategy. PDJ

November/December 2012

FEATURE

Were They or By Debra L. Stang

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November/December 2012

Weren’t They? One of the banners frequently flown at LGBTQ pride parades reads, “Unfortunately, history has set the record a little too straight.” The following historical cases seek to rectify that mistake by opening the closet doors on a few notable LGBTQ people throughout history. Case #1 Richard I of England (1157-1199) King Richard, known as the Lionheart, ruled England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He is perhaps best known as the king who led the Third Crusade which tried—and ultimately failed—to recapture Jerusalem from the Muslims. Although King Richard was married to Berengaria of Navarre, the marriage was without love and the couple spent almost no time together. Romantically, Richard has been linked to the King of France (with whom he shared a bed) and various soldiers who fought with him in the Crusade. Even though the Encyclopedia Britannica states of Richard, “. . . he was, there seems no doubt, a homosexual,” some historians have argued that Richard’s relationships with men were no more than “diplomacy.”

Case #2 Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) Florence Nightingale, who modernized and revolutionized nursing, rarely said much about her personal life. However, several sources including Parted Lips: Lesbian Love Quotes Through the Ages, credit her with the following statement: “I have lived and slept in the same bed with English countesses and Prussian farm women . . . no woman has excited passions among women more than I have.” Although that statement seems unambiguous, there are still biographers

who declare that there is no evidence of Nightingale having any same sex relationships.

Case #3 Herman Melville (1819-1891) Herman Melville was an American novelist who also wrote short stories, essays, and poems. Although largely unknown in his time, he is now famous for prose such as Moby-Dick and Billy Budd. Melville was married, but the relationship was not a happy one, and he preferred to spend his time in the company of men. Whether he actually had physical relationships with men is unknown, but many of his stories center around the themes of close friendship and “unnatural crimes” between males. He formed a close friendship with fellow author Nathaniel Hawthorne and seems to have had a crush on him, but Hawthorne, whose interests lay strictly in women, did not reciprocate these feelings. Biographer Rictor Norton states bluntly that Melville was “confused.”

Case #4 Bessie Smith (1894-1937) In her day, Bessie Smith was one of the most famous blues singers. According to biographer Chris Albertson, who spoke extensively to Smith’s niece, Ruby Walker, Smith was comfortable with both male and female partners. Like many of the female blues singers, she also made positive references to lesbianism in her music. November/December 2012

Smith married Jack Gee in 1923, but they separated in 1929, partly because he could not cope with her bisexuality. Later, Smith formed a common law relationship with a man named Richard Morgan, and the two stayed together until her death.

Case #5 Anderson Cooper (1967- ) Anderson Cooper is an American journalist and a well-known television personality who has frequently spoken out in favor of LGBTQ rights. Several witnesses say that they have seen him with male companions at gay functions. For many years, Cooper himself did not publicly acknowledge being gay, declining to talk about his personal life and saying that he wants the news stories he covers to be about the issues, not about his sexuality. He ended years of speculation on July 2, when he sent an email to Andrew Sullivan, a blogger for the Daily Beast: “The fact is, I’m gay.” He also described himself as happy and proud.

Case #6 Jodie Foster (1962- ) Jodie Foster is an American actress, director, and producer. She was unwillingly thrust into the spotlight in 1981 when John Hinckley Jr. became obsessed with her and shot thenPresident Ronald Reagan in an effort to gain her attention. Since then, however, it has been Foster’s talent that has gotten her recognized for her performances in films such as Silence of the Lambs and The Accused. WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

FEATURE: Were They or Weren’t They? Foster has long been suspected of being a lesbian by celebrity-watchers, but she has been fiercely protective of her personal life. In December 2007, she referred to her longtime companion Cydney Bernard as “my beautiful Cydney.” The relationship ended shortly thereafter. Since then, fans have urged her to come out of the closet and comedian Ricky Gervais “outed” her publicly with a crude joke, but Foster herself has remained silent on the matter.

Case #7 Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Peter Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer famous today for many pieces including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet. Although brilliant in his work, Tchaikovsky suffered from severe bouts of depression and nervous breakdowns. His mental health became even more fragile after his marriage. He also developed a passionate crush on an adult nephew, but it is not clear whether this relationship was consummated. Towards the end of his life, Tchaikovsky is quoted as saying, “Only now, especially after the story of my marriage, have I finally begun to understand that there is nothing more fruitless than not wanting to be that which I am by nature.” In recent years, revisionist historians have claimed the composer killed himself to cover up a same-sex affair. The research, however, indicates that he died from cholera after unknowingly drinking bad water.

Case #8 Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) Eleanor Roosevelt was married to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and was the First Lady between 1933 and 1945. But her place in history would be assured even without her husband. She was passionate about racial justice and worked closely with the NAACP

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to improve conditions in the United States for African Americans. During World War II she became involved in the war effort by encouraging volunteerism and founding the Office of Civilian Defense. Later, she became a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly and wrote several books about her life and experiences. Letters and eyewitnesses show that Eleanor Roosevelt had a long-term intimate relationship with journalist Lorena Hickok. There is no proof that they were lovers, but passages from their correspondence strongly suggest that they were. In one letter, for instance, Roosevelt wrote, “Funny, everything I do my thoughts fly to you. Never are you out of my heart.” In another, “I want to put my arms around you. I ache to hold you close.” Sadly, little information remains about their relationship because both Roosevelt’s family and Hickok’s family destroyed letters and pictures in an attempt to keep the affair private.

Case #9 J. Edgar Hoover (1895-1972) J. Edgar Hoover was the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Although he certainly helped build the FBI into a strong, crimefighting agency, he also used his power to harass those he didn’t like. Hoover was openly homophobic and persecuted anyone he knew or believed to be gay. Yet at the same time, according to Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals by Keith Stern, Hoover was reportedly seen at gay parties thrown by Roy Cohn. Some witnesses even reported he was dressed in women’s clothing. More telling, Hoover conducted a 44-year relationship with FBI Special Agent Clyde Tolson. They were together until Hoover died in 1972. At the funeral service, Tolson was given the flag draped over Hoover’s coffin. Some historians have tried to argue November/December 2012

that the relationship between Hoover and Tolson was platonic and “fraternal,” but there can be little doubt that, whether or not he considered himself gay, Hoover was a man who had sex with men.

Case #10 Jane Addams (1860-1935) Jane Addams is credited for founding the profession of social work. She was a Nobel Peace Prize winner (the first woman in the United States to win that award) and she worked closely with those who were poor and underprivileged. She also founded Hull House in Chicago to help immigrants to the United States become adjusted and find work. Although Addams never spoke about her sexuality, historian Lillian Faderman has noted that Addams spent all of her adult life in relationships with women. Her longest relationship, with Mary Rozet Smith, lasted for 40 years. The two owned property together, slept in the same bed, traveled together, and were acknowledged by friends as a couple. Addams frequently called Smith “dearest” and said “I am yours ‘til death.” PDJ

If you’d like to read about more famous people who had same-sex relationships, the following resources are a great place to start: • Queers in History by Keith Stern • Out of the Past by Neil Miller • The Gay 100 by Paul Russell • Odd Girls and Twilight Lovers by Lillian Faderman • Hollywood Gays by Hadleigh

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FEATURE

DoYou

Have

This in My

Color? By Raquel Harrah

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

November/December 2012

Sued by former employees, The Wet Seal Inc.’s legal issues reinforces discrimination and disparities in retail.

he teen “fast fashions” retailer, Wet Seal, joined a slew of retailers tied to racial discrimination cases after a class action suit seeking compensatory damages was filed in an Orange County federal court in July. According to the plaintiffs, policies of discrimination that included repeated requests to “lighten up” and “diversify” the workforce by firing African American workers led the three plaintiffs to file a complaint that Wet Seal Inc. discriminated against African Americans in the hiring, pay, termination, and promotion into store management positions at Wet Seal and Arden B. stores nationwide. In Cogdell et al. v. The Wet Seal, Inc., the three plaintiffs, Nicole Cogdell, Kai Hawkins, and Myriam Saint-Hilaire, represent over 250 class members citing racially discriminatory practices and policies against African Americans at the Wet Seal stores under the highest corporate officials, including the company CEO, senior vice president, and vice president of Store Operations for the sake of “brand image.” In an email sent from former Senior Vice President Barbara Bachman to other corporate officials and employees including the plaintiffs, Bachman wrote under the subject heading “Global Issues,” “Store Teams-need diversity/ African-Americans dominate– huge issue.” The lawsuit

also alleges that Bachman stated to Philadelphia District Manager that former Regional District Manager M. Davey, who filed an EEOC complaint, “must be out of her mind” to hire an African American store manager and that she wanted someone with “blond hair and blue eyes.” The company vehemently denied these allegations in a statement in July. “Wet Seal is an equal opportunity employer with a very diverse workforce and customer base. We deny any and all allegations of race discrimination and will vigorously defend this matter,” a representative said. Wet Seal is known to have a diverse workforce with a majority of African American, Asian American, and Latina workers in the stores targeted by Bachman. Subsequently, this litigation surfaces several questions concerning diversity. Could there ever be a presence of too much racial diversity and could Bachman’s request be protected by equal employment to include white workers? “Let me make clear that our laws protect everybody—whites are protected from race discrimination, men are protected from sexual harassment, Americans are protected from national origin discrimination, etc.,” said Justine Lisser, senior attorney-advisor for the Office of Communications & Legislative Affairs under the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

“In response to the controversial term ‘reverse discrimination,’” Lisser said, “there is no such thing legally as ‘reverse discrimination,’ it is plain discrimination.” Although discrimination is unlawful in all work environments and industries, the retail fashion industry in particular continues to face issues with diversity. When image is for sale, a certain “look” is associated with profitability. In 2003, the retail fashion chain Abercrombie & Fitch encountered a federal lawsuit in Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. when minority workers claimed the clothing company discriminated against blacks, Hispanics, and Asians who didn’t fit the blond, blue-eyed, white American prototype. The plaintiffs contended that the company favored white employees in hiring practices, and delegated minority workers to supply rooms or stocking where they would be out of sight from customers. The lawsuit was settled through a consent decree requiring the company to pay $50 million to the class action. The company also agreed to set up an office of diversity to aid in education and recruitment of more minorities.

EEOC’s Policies on Racial Discrimination

No matter a company or client’s preference for a certain look, discriminating based on appearances and race is un-

November/December 2012

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FEATURE: Do You Have This in My Color?

lawful, said Lisser. All-American does not equal all-white, and an employer’s request for tall, blond, fair-skinned employees denies other Americans fair and equal opportunities. “An employer may request that employees have certain skills relevant to the position in question, but the preference for having a certain ‘American’ prototype or ‘look’ is not a viable job requirement when it serves to deny people employment opportunities on the basis of race, sex, national origin, color, religion, age, disability, or family medical history,” Lisser said. In very few cases, such as a home health aide who will be providing intimate customer care, a request for a certain sex may be allowable. The EEOC refers to this as a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) and are only taken into account for narrowly drawn situations that supersede a customer’s preference. “Customer preference is never a defense to race discrimination. There is no BFOQ merely because customers might feel more comfortable with one sex over another,” Lisser asserts. In cases when a retail employer only hires or fires an individual based on the color of their skin for the presumed preference of the customer, that employer is committing unlawful actions. Harassment, such as racial slurs or derogatory remarks, is also outlawed in work situations. Teasing or ribald joking can be offensive and contribute to a hostile work environment. In Cogdell v. The Wet Seal Inc. the plaintiffs included harassment in their complaint alleging that Director of Human Resources Patricia Sprowell made racially derogatory comments about female African American employees to a newly hired regional manager, saying that these employees

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

will get pregnant “if they touch the counter.”

Understanding Discrimination

Discrimination isn’t a new phenomenon, and its numerous forms stem from several elements. Racial discrimination can originate from personally held stereotypes to policies and practices embedded in institutions or organizations. Cultural racism is recycled through society, associating a certain person’s customs or race as superior to another, said Dr. Tawanda Greer, associate professor of psychology at the University of South Carolina and published author of discrimination studies. Cultural racism can feed into institutional racism, especially within the retail industry. Messages from television shows, magazine articles, and advertisements can reinforce superiority of one culture, particularly a white Western ethnicity, which can influence internalized messages and lead to discriminatory policies within an institution. “It really comes down to socialization. Race, in and of itself, from a biological standpoint doesn’t mean anything,” said Greer. “But [because] race is more of a social construct, we’ve attached meanings to race.” According to Greer, even young children are bombarded with messages about race, creating a basic understanding and construction at an early age. By the time today’s population are adults, racism and discrimination seem almost automatic and natural.

Disabling Discrimination

Greer has served as a psychology professor for ten years, and within that time, has focused her studies on discrimination. In 2009, she published the study, “Gender as a

November/December 2012

Moderator of the Relation Between Race-Related Stress and Mental Health Symptoms for African Americans.” In 2011, she further expanded her results to research coping strategies for the psychological impacts of discrimination on African American women in The Journal of Black Psychology. Her studies concluded that African American women face harsher psychological symptoms than men from discrimination, including chronic stress. The anxiety and stress that African American women face can be so pervasive and overwhelming that over time, if not dealt with, can result in health problems, said Greer. “Nobody can change their race, and often you can’t cope with it. It’s almost as though the person feels trapped in his or her own body. There is not much to be done other than understand it; it is a constant struggle,” Greer said. While the journey may be long and tedious, eliminating discrimination in the workplace is possible. According to Greer, it requires a multicultural understanding that must be a personal choice. One must expose themselves to different cultures and challenge themselves to rescind their former stereotypes. Investing the time and effort into learning about other people, whether it is their language, neighborhood, or customs, is key. “A number of companies are taking steps to increase diversity. You can increase diversity all you want but having a multicultural understanding is a very different process,” Greer said. “The actual working relationships and multicultural appreciation is a very different process than saying we have a diverse workforce. It’s beyond numbers.” PDJ

FEATURE

Is it Time for Asperger’s in the Workplace?

You pass a colleague in the hallway on Monday morning, and in response to your polite, but somewhat rhetorical question of “Hey, what’d you do this weekend?” she spends the next 20 minutes retelling the plot of the movie she saw without taking a breath. When done, she turns and walks away. During a team meeting, while your boss is outlining a new project for your group, the person next to you is rocking back and forth on the back legs of his chair. When your boss asks for comments, he noisily drops his chair to the floor and says “You have structured this all wrong, so this project isn’t worth doing.” The room is drowning in silence. These examples may bring back memories of similar situations you’ve had to resolve. But, what are the origins of these behaviors? Are these individuals just rude, thoughtless, uninterested, insubordinate, or lazy bores? Maybe. But, they may have Asperger Syndrome—a developmental disorder within the autism spectrum that affects a person’s ability to socialize and communicate. Individuals with Asperger Syndrome oftentimes have an intense interest in a specific topic and above average IQs, but they may miss non-verbal cues, misinterpret sarcasm, and lack tact. Today, one in 88 individuals is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and it is estimated that one in 250 people has Asperger Syndrome. So, whether you know it or not, if your company has 1,000 or more employees, it’s likely that you already work with people with Asperger’s. Nonetheless, individuals with Asperger Syndrome are an untapped talent

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pool for employers. Today, 35 percent of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder are attending college, but it is believed that people with Asperger’s have a 75-85 percent unemployment rate. For employers, this is an incredible hiring opportunity. But, how can you learn to successfully manage individuals with Asperger Syndrome?

Enter ASTEP

The Asperger Syndrome Training & Employment Partnership’s (ASTEP) creates and supports programs that promote competitive long-term employment for adults with Asperger Syndrome. ASTEP’s approach is unique in that its target audience is employers, not the individuals with Asperger’s. ASTEP educates employers about the skills and talents of individuals with Asperger Syndrome, the benefits they bring to their employer, and the potential accommodations needed to create a successful workplace environment for these individuals, their managers, and their colleagues. ASTEP is uniquely qualified to be the source for employers on how to successfully include individuals with Asperger’s in their workforce. ASTEP was founded by Marcia Scheiner, a former financial service executive and parent of a young adult son with Asperger’s. Joining her as ASTEP’s Executive Director is Michael John Carley, author of Asperger’s from the Inside Out, founder of the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership—the country’s largest support and advocacy group for individuals on the spectrum— and himself an adult with Asperger Syndrome. Together, their business experience and knowledge of Asperger’s provides employers with business-focused training and strategies to manage and recruit individuals on the spectrum.

Beneficial for the Employer

Aside from the obvious social good, employing individuals with Asperger Syndrome is good for business—it can attract a significant market share, reduce employee turnover, and increase productivity. The one in 88 individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder translates into 1.1 percent of the U.S. population. When immediate family members are included (parents, siblings, grandparents), the number of individuals affected by autism reaches approximately six percent. This is a significant market share for any company looking to

attract issue-sensitive customers. Additionally, SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, estimated that it costs $3,500 to replace one $8.00 per hour employee; for salaried employees, the costs jump significantly. Honesty and loyalty are trademarks of the employee with Asperger Syndrome, and individuals with Asperger’s are known to be wary of change. Provide them with a stable, predictable work environment and they will be long-term employees. Lost productivity is another growing cost for employers. In a survey completed by Salary.com, they found that workers admitted to spending 2.09 hours per day, out of an eight hour day, not including lunch and break, on non-work related activities. Some of the top activities were surfing the internet, socializing with co-workers, conducting personal business, spacing out, running errands off-premises, making personal phone calls, applying for other jobs, and planning personal events. Individuals with Asperger’s exhibit intense focus and attention to detail and, due to their communication challenges, they are less likely to socialize on the job and more likely to stay focused on the tasks of the job.

The New Frontier of Diversity

As the government is discussing requirements for all federal contractors on the employment of people with disabilities (seven percent), employers need to take a hard look at disabilities as part of their diversity and inclusion strategies. Today’s workforce is filled with undisclosed employees with hidden disabilities, and Asperger Syndrome is one of them. Creating an inclusive culture can encourage existing employees to disclose their hidden disabilities, giving employers a more accurate count of how many people with disabilities are employed by their company. It also makes that employer more attractive to people with disabilities looking for work.

What’s Next?

The key to including individuals with a disability in your workplace is education. Learn about the strengths and challenges that accompany specific disabilities, understand the accommodations needed to support the employee with a disability, and work with partners that bring the expertise you need to establish a successful workplace environment for all. PDJ November/December 2012

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FROM THE EXPERTS

EVALUATION BLUES by Craig Storti Director, Communicating Across Cultures DL

ONSCIENTIOUS MANAGERS THROW UP THEIR HANDS WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS FOR A MULTICULTURAL GROUP OF DIRECT REPORTS. They want to be fair to everyone,

but they don’t see how that’s possible because it means choosing between two unpalatable options: evaluating everyone by the same criteria, which might contain unfair cultural bias, or using different criteria for different staff members which is inherently unworkable. The problem is the belief that because the job criteria might be culturally biased, they will therefore be unfair. Culturally biased they almost certainly will be—and should be—but that doesn’t make them unfair. Job criteria naturally reflects the attributes needed to perform a particular job, and there’s a good chance that many attributes will reflect the prevailing values of the local culture. If that culture values people who are self-starters and require minimal supervision, then these factors will be part of the evaluation criteria, and people who are not self-starters will be evaluated poorly. Granted, some people will come by those attributes more easily than others (anyone raised in and conditioned by the local culture), and this will THE BEST MANAGERS give such people inherWILL RECOGNIZE THE ent advantages in performing their job over CULTURAL BASIS foreigners who have OF CERTAIN JOB not been exposed to the same cultural attributes. CRITERIA AND THE While this makes such CHALLENGES THEY attributes culturallyPOSE FOR SOME based, it hardly makes EMPLOYEES. them unfair.

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The best managers will recognize the cultural basis of certain job criteria and the challenges they pose for some employees. They will sit down with those employees, point out the U.S.-centric elements of those criteria, and discuss how to help those employees overcome any disadvantages posed by cultural differences. An example: Yang, raised in a Chinese family in the U.S., is uncomfortable disagreeing with higher-ups in a meeting and prefers to bring up his objections afterwards, one-on-one (because he has been taught that it’s disrespectful to argue with one’s superiors in public). But this behavior would frustrate many American managers who believe the purpose of a meeting is to hear everyone’s views to make the best decision. The more Yang keeps his opposing views to himself, the more he defeats the purpose of a meeting. Sooner or later, Yang is going to hear from his manager that he “doesn’t perform well in meetings” and be evaluated poorly. And none of this, incidentally, is being unfair to Yang. What would be unfair, not to mention patronizing, would be to pretend that Yang’s behavior is ok, that not speaking up in meetings won’t have any negative consequences for Yang’s career. PDJ

Craig Storti, a consultant and trainer in the field of intercultural communications, is the author of seven books.

FROM THE EXPERTS

BUILDING BLOCKS OF CHARACTER by Linda Jimenez Chief Diversity Officer & VP – Diversity & Inclusion, WellPoint, Inc. DL

RECENTLY BECAME A GRANDMOTHER—A JOYFUL AND PROUD MOMENT FOR ME. And now as I watch my youngest

daughter navigate the journey of being a parent to my new grandson, Jameson Leo Ross, I remember the words of my parents—“Blood is inherited but virtue is acquired.” I didn’t fully understand this as a child, but the older I become the more their words ring true. My parents were individuals of tremendous character and spiritual strength. My mother was graceful, dignified, and soft-spoken. My father was well-read and opinionated. Their wisdom was uttered in beautiful Spanish dichos, proverbs, and in English. They were individuals of modest means and limited formal education, but they demonstrated that character has nothing to do with titles or wealth. The best lesson from my mother came from making frijoles. Mom took great care in washing and sorting her beans. After running water over the frijoles several times, she would spread the beans on the kitchen counter, then pick out and discard any imperfectly shaped, shriveled, or discolored beans. My mother would tell me, “!Ten cuidado, mija! Pay attention! One bad bean can spoil the pot.” I have come to realize that her “lesson” for me was not about the nutritional power of beans. It was about character. “Character is everything,” she always told me. My mother saw her duty as nothing less than to shape my character. Honesty, responsibility, respect, and courage were among the virtues she admired in others and insisted upon in her own daughter. Her philosophy was that character comes from constantly weeding out flaws and weaknesses, and choosing right over wrong, just like preparing a good pot of frijoles. My father taught me responsibility and emphasized

the importance of being prepared. He wanted his HONESTY, only daughter to be preRESPONSIBILITY, pared and self-sufficient and not to depend on RESPECT, AND anyone for my wellCOURAGE WERE AMONG being. He assigned my THE VIRTUES SHE brothers and I responsiADMIRED IN OTHERS bilities around the house and we were expected AND INSISTED UPON IN to come straight home HER OWN DAUGHTER. after school and complete them. My parents also taught me to treat everyone with respect, no matter what their station in life was, whether they were a CEO, a rich person, a farm worker, or an uneducated worker, since people’s worth was not in their earthly station, but in their character. These are building blocks of character I hope to instill in my grandchildren—as long as you always do your best, don’t think you are better or worse than anyone else, and do the best you can do, you can hold your head high. Perfection isn’t easy to achieve, but even in the most ordinary daily activities we can develop ourselves, our inner strength, and our potential. We have a model for rooting out all the little negative traits and habits—my mother making frijoles. PDJ

Linda Jimenez is a native of San Antonio, Texas, and attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received her BA with honors. She is also a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law and has spent 20 years specializing in labor and employment law.

November/December 2012

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FROM THE EXPERTS

STOP THE INSANITY! by Trevor Wilson Author and Global Human Equity Strategist, TWI Inc. DL

“ We asked nearly 40 diversity pioneers to look into their crystal ball and tell us where the diversity movement was going in the next 15 years . . .”

N JULY 2007 THE ABOVE SENTENCE INTRODUCED THE COVER STORY OF A SPECIAL ISSUE OF THIS PUBLICATION CALLED THE PIONEERS OF DIVERSITY . Nearly 40 leading thinkers on di-

versity, collectively representing almost 1,000 years of experience, were each asked to write an essay on the state of the nation surrounding diversity. The essay was to start with our explanation of where we thought diversity came from. Most of us acknowledged the source was the 1987 Hudson’s Institute Workforce 2000 study, which predicted that the North American workforce was going to become far more diverse because of the exiting of the baby boomers. The second part of our essay was to answer the question “Where is diversity today?” Again, for the majority of us, the answer was very similar. Most of us indicated that while diversity started with great promise and we were all hopeful of the changes that it would make, we felt that at least over the past decade it had stalled, something I have referred to before as “diversity fatigue.” The majority of the pioneers acknowledged that regardless of whatever success metric you use, not much had changed. The typical basic metrics, such as the representation of women and minorities in senior executive positions, was virtually the same. Catalyst acknowledges every year in their census that the number of women in senior executive positions is still nowhere close to parity. For example, women CEOs represent less than four percent of the Fortune 500 companies today. The Executive Leadership Council has pointed to the fact that the percentage of African Americans in senior executive positions has actually decreased over the past decade. The vast majority of Fortune 1000

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corporations are still dominated by one demographic group, which some now call SWAMS (straight, white, able-bodied males). The last question the pioneers were asked was “Where should diversity go now?” This is where there was virtually no alignment. Some of the pioneers said “Let’s scrap it, it is a failed experiment.” Some of the pioneers said “Let’s go back to the basics and embrace the tenants of equal opportunity and affirmative action.” I introduced the idea of human equity, a management strategy based on positive psychology, dedicated to optimizing the total human capital of all employees through talent differentiation strategies. Five years after that special issue of Diversity Journal, I am convinced more than ever that this is the road to success. While I can’t guarantee this, I can guarantee staying on the same road will certainly lead to more mediocre results. As Einstein once said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting a different result. PDJ

In 1996 Trevor started TWI Inc. to specialize in the area of equity and diversity as a business issue. In the same year, Trevor published a highly acclaimed book titled Diversity at Work: The Business Case for Equity. The firm’s clients include some of the most progressive global employers. TWI’s Human Equity™ approach was instrumental in catapulting Coca-Cola’s South African division to the top-performing division worldwide.

November/December 2012

FROM THE EXPERTS

WHAT IS YOUR COMPANY DOING TO CELEBRATE? by Nadine Vogel President, Springboard Consulting LLC DL

ANY GLOBAL COMPANIES NOW CELEBRATE THE UNITED NATIONS’ INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (IDPD), A DAY ANNUALLY OBSERVED ON DECEMBER 3RD TO FOCUS ON ISSUES THAT AFFECT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WORLDWIDE. This

year’s theme is “Removing Barriers to Create an Inclusive and Accessible Society for All.” Over one billion people, 15 percent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability and face barriers that take on a variety of forms, including those relating to the physical environment, information, communications, technology, or those resulting from legislation or societal attitudes and discrimination. Many of these barriers take place right on company premises, greatly and negatively impacting candidates and employees. Evidence and experience shows that when such barriers are removed, productivity and profitability increase exponentially. At the end of the day, it’s about making life easy and user friendly for everyone. In fact, “Making Life Easy” is this year’s theme for yet another global celebration, World Usability Day, which takes place on November 8th. WUD is an annual event founded to ensure that the services and products important to life (including work) are easier to access and simpler to use. For example, employees need to connect with each other. The technology used to facilitate this communication must be intuitive to use, include easy-to-understand instructions and controls that are accessible to everyone. Doing what’s necessary to ensure this happens, especially in the workplace, is what the IDPD theme of “Removing Barriers to Create an Inclusive and Accessible Society” is all about. So, how can a company celebrate one of both of these events? For IDPD, a company may want to

offer training sessions on Disability Etiquette OVER ONE BILLION and Awareness, now PEOPLE, 15 PERCENT the number one global OF THE WORLD’S best practice, or hold a forum to illustrate POPULATION, LIVE some innovative ways WITH SOME FORM OF that barriers to incluDISABILITY AND FACE sion of employees with disabilities have been BARRIERS THAT TAKE ON removed. For WUD, A VARIETY OF FORMS. a company may want to highlight new accessible technology offerings for employees by creating a technology lab for the day or bringing in a speaker whose expertise is universal design. At the end of the day, the type or size of the celebratory event is not nearly as important as the fact that there is some activity to clearly show that the company acknowledges the importance of these two dates and its alignment with their purpose. PDJ

Nadine Vogel is president of Springboard Consulting LLC. Springboard (www.consultspringboard.com) is considered a global expert, working with corporations, governments, and organizations on issues pertaining to supporting the disability community in the workforce, workplace, and marketplace.

November/December 2012

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FROM THE EXPERTS

A THREE-WORD MANTRA FOR EFFECTIVE MENTORS by Bernadette Pieters National Director of Diversity, Regional Director of Human Resources, BDO USA, LLP DL

HAT SPARK—WE WOULD SEE IT MORE OFTEN IF WE JUST SLOWED DOWN TO LOOK. When we do see the spark, we

know. It’s the light of interest and engagement in an employee’s eyes that promises good things to come, if only we would take the time to fan the spark into a flame. I know what you’re thinking. I’m supposed to find time to fan a spark when I have 107 unread emails, five conflicting high-priority deadlines, two missed flight connections, and only 24 hours in a day? My answer is yes. Think back over your career. Do you remember one or two leaders who really made an impact on you, cheering you on and pushing you beyond your limits to reveal the potential they saw within you? Now, it’s your turn to be that person to someone else. To do this requires carving precious time out of your packed schedule and making the most of that time. Recently, as I waited in a New York City diner for one of my spark-in-the-eyes mentees to join me for lunch, I jotted my mentor mantra down on my napkin: “Present, positive, progressive.” In my mind, these three things are essential in a successful mentoring relationship.

Present

It’s happened to all of us. We’re physically present in a conference room or on a call, but we’re not really there. In order to most effectively guide and counsel a mentee, focus on being mentally and emotionally present every time you meet with them, regardless of what else is going on at work. Turn off your Blackberry if you have to—just make sure your mentee can clearly see you’re listening and you honestly care. They will feel more comfortable opening

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up, which will help you get to the essentials of the mentoring session more quickly.

Positive

Mentoring meetings often cover areas for improvement in a mentee’s career, which is normal considering they’re looking for your perspective on how they can succeed. It’s important to remember, however, to make a point of staying positive throughout the mentoring relationship. Instead of waiting for your mentee to ask for your opinion on an issue they’re experiencing, make an effort to reach out to them for no reason other than to wish them a good day, or find something to compliment them on. This sets an example that positivity is key in professional relationships, and only takes a few minutes of your time.

Progressive

While we want to be careful not to push mentees too much, it is our task to encourage a progressive state of mind within the relationship. Don’t let them settle into contentment with the status quo. It’s ok to remind a mentee once in a while that, while you’re on their side, you’re also there to help them improve, and that doesn’t mean not speaking of the issues. In reality, mentoring can be as much of a learning experience for the mentor as it is for the mentee. I leave it to you to use the short mentor mantra above—or whatever else works for you—to show your mentees what success can look like. PDJ

Bernadette Pieters has more than 14 years of strategic human resources management experience.

AT BANK OF THE WEST, WE VALUE ALL EMPLOYEES. At Bank of the West, we value the unique blend of backgrounds and diversity of thought our employees contribute. Different perspectives generate innovative ideas, which makes us stronger. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive banking environment we must stay a step ahead of the rest and our employees are a key component. For career opportunities, visit us online at bankofthewest.com.

Equal Housing Lender. ÂŠ 2011 Bank of the West. Member FDIC.

THOUGHTLEADERS

THE AMERICIAN DREAM

| In this issue of Diversity Journal, we asked the leaders at world-renowned companies to share personal and corporate stories related to the American Dream and Engaging White Males. Here are their stories.

My American Dream By Amadou Yattassaye, Vice President, Internal Audit, Ethics & Compliance and Chief Compliance Officer, WellPoint, Inc. DL

Nassau Native’s Focus Led to Job at ADP By Patrick Swaby, Division VP/General Manager, Central Service Center, ADP

don’t come from the school of thought that people can do or be anything they want. Sometimes doing a great job and working hard isn’t always enough. But I’m firmly convinced that by focusing on one’s goals and networking effectively, we can each accomplish our version of the American Dream, regardless of our culture or what country we’re from. Growing up as the second of eight boys in Nassau, The Bahamas, I recognized at an early age that I was the natural leader among my brothers. Even when I was young, I truly enjoyed working. Having a strong aptitude for finance, I wanted to obtain a degree in accounting, so I moved to Miami with the intention of obtaining a degree and relocating back to work in the family business. At that time I was not yet a citizen, therefore, I was ineligible to receive grants or loans. I was on my own when it came to paying for tuition, so obviously, I needed to work. I was extremely focused on my studies. When I was a sophomore, I saw a job posting for a division staff accountant at ADP. I decided to walk in without an appointment and fortunately was given the opportunity to interview for the job. I received an offer on the spot. My first salaried position earned me $11,200 a year, so I immediately cancelled my bus pass and purchased my first car. I found that it’s crucial, especially coming from another culture, to have sponsors and mentors to help you along in your career—people who are genuinely committed to helping you succeed. I’ve been fortunate to have people who were willing to spend time and advise me on aspects of the business and offer feedback on how to continually improve. I’m also a firm advocate of taking responsibility for your career. If there are skills that need development, strengthen them. Look for opportunities to leverage your skills in new ways; take on new and challenging assignments. Follow up with your mentors and sponsors to keep them updated on what you’re doing. You have to focus on what you can control if you want to make your American Dream a reality. PDJ

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s a native of Timbuktu in the West African nation of Mali, I came to this country with family values of excellence instilled in me. The fact that I barely spoke English when I arrived in the early ‘90s did not preclude me from expressing my long-term goal of becoming an executive in corporate America and dispelling the myth that an immigrant or a minority could not achieve such levels of success. I was particularly impressed at how open everyone was to helping me reach my goals. I truly believe that this country is filled with an abundance of support and resources that one can access to help achieve their goals (perhaps this is why as a nation we are generous in our global support as well). Ultimately, it is up to each individual to define their dreams and pursue their own sense of excellence. At various stages of my career, I have relied on the wisdom of mentors to help provide added guidance and support. But key to a successful mentoring relationship is also the desire to be proactive with their teachings and the guidance they provide. Another ideal that I think helps shape the American Dream is equity and fairness. While many opportunities may be equally available to all, progress is achieved when individual talents and contributions are highlighted and recognized. Recognition is a wonderful way to showcase that achievement and success are possible. For those of us who are immigrants, celebrating these success stories also provides motivation and encouragement that help us to aspire to achieve greatness. PDJ

Engineer’s Journey from San Salvador to U.S. By Gilberto Aguilar, Product and Test Engineering Manager, Texas Instruments

WAS BORN in San Salvador on November 23, 1959. I lived

there until I was 26 years old, when my passion for electronics brought me to the U.S. Both of my parents were teachers, so my two brothers, sister, and I all understood the importance of education early on. My engineering “calling” came when I was seven-yearsold and was shocked as I rewired Christmas lights. I can still recall the bright green and white flash in my face, the shock, and being thrown back a few feet. This curiosity followed me and while in high school, my parents gave me an opportunity to participate in an Exchange Student program with the U.S. When I was 16-years-old, I spent one year in Scottsdale, Arizona and lived with a wonderful American family. This formative experience helped me learn English and allowed me to be considered for better opportunities once I entered the workforce. I was accepted to Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas into the Electrical Engineering department for college. During these years, civil unrest in El Salvador was continuing to grow. Army raids, shootouts, and even bombing of some student union buildings were part of my college experience. The encouragement and tremendous care of my parents helped me maintain the focus and determination to complete my studies. While in college, working on projects, I got in touch with a neighbor who worked in one of the most technologically advanced companies in the world: Texas Instruments. As I visited their facilities, I had a great desire to work with a company like that. The year I graduated, TI was expanding production in El Salvador. I got an interview with several managers and landed a job at TI. In 1985, TI announced the shutdown of the TI El Salvador plant. Only eleven engineers from TI were offered jobs in the U.S. I felt fortunate to be one of them and was happy to accept this new challenge. Certainly, in many ways, my wife and I have embraced this nation that has so much embraced us as well. In 2000, we proudly became citizens of the United States of America. We do this not so much to renounce our heritage, but to bring in our grain of salt to this great diverse nation, as we continue to pursue our American Dream. PDJ

Cuban Refugee Becomes CDO By Jose Jimenez, Chief Diversity Officer, CSC DL

immigrated to the United States at 11-years-old from Cuba. I was one of the 14,000 children that came to the U.S. without their parents in what became known as “Operation Pedro Pan.” This was a formative experience that shaped my philosophy in life and eventually led me into the diversity field. During the first two years that I was in the United States, I had no control over my destiny. This experience taught me to be self-reliant and develop my path. My first experience with racism was during my first few months in the United States. I will never forget getting on a bus in Florida and moving to the back of the bus to take a seat (I never liked riding in the front). As I was moving to the back, people started screaming and cursing at me. I was clueless! I had never heard of Jim Crow laws and the concept of bathrooms and drinking fountains for “coloreds” only left an indelible impression and a quest for change. Diversity and Inclusion had a personal meaning from that day forward. My goal was to get a good education, work hard, and make a difference. My family and I worked very hard. After coming to the U.S. all our material wealth was left in Cuba and we started again from scratch. Everyone in my family held multiple jobs. I had newspaper routes and cleaned buildings at night, but I got an education and joined the Navy after graduating from college. During my career I have had the pleasure to work in many fields that allowed me to contribute to my organizations. I also felt I have a responsibility to contribute back to society and celebrate my blessings. Over time I have worked with organizations that helped abused and neglected children, the disabled, and other diverse persons. I have had the privilege to live the American Dream: A penniless refugee able to rise and become a contributing member of society. James Truslow Adams’ definition of the American Dream, “Life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement” is one which I firmly stand behind. The upcoming generation of leaders needs to realize the importance of hard work, education, and perseverance. I share my story with the hope that I reach at least one person, encouraging them to make a positive difference in their life. PDJ

November/December 2012

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THE AMERICIAN DREAM

My American Dream Fulfilled By Eddy Valda, Financial Analyst, Development Business, DynCorp International

AM FROM Bolivia. My entire life

I have worked on different projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). While engaged in such work in Bolivia, one of the most challenging projects that I worked on involved anticorruption. It was incredibly difficult, but a calling that I found important to pursue. From this experience, I began applying for related jobs and received a call from Casals & Associates, a DynCorp International company. During my first interview I met with an American woman to discuss potential opportunities. As I left the interview, I was concerned that my English was not strong enough to secure a position. Surprisingly, I received a call for a second interview. This time, I felt more confident. Instead of talking about technical work, the conversation turned into a very informal one, talking about the weather, traffic, and other topics. It was then that I realized that this was a test of my English. After the third interview, I was offered a position on an anti-corruption project. I was thrilled to be able to use the expertise from my previous position to assist on a program where everyone was exhibiting honesty and hard work. After two years with Casals & Associates, I received a call from the home office in the U.S. when I was on a bus. I took the call and when I started speaking in English the driver stopped the bus, turned around to look at me and the bus became silent. I had to ask headquarters to call me back and got off the bus right away. I was being discriminated against in my own country because of my link with the U.S. The purpose of the call was to offer me a position in the U.S. I immediately said yes and shared the good news with my family, knowing this was our path to take. My family and I now live in the U.S. and, with the company’s help I am in the process of getting a permanent residency card and, once we get it, our plans are to continue to pursue citizenship here in the U.S. I have to confess that living in the U.S. was always a secret dream of mine and I feel so fortunate to now be living and working in this great country—it is my American Dream. PDJ

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From Dreams of Baseball Stardom to the C-Suite By Liam McGee, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, The Hartford

he child of immigrants and an immigrant myself, I was brought up to view America as the land of opportunity, where hard work and determination pay off. I was taught that it is not where you come from or what schools you attended that matters in getting ahead. Instead, brains, energy, character, and determination are what count most, as well as the leadership to see opportunity in adversity and go when others are reluctant to. I came to this view through the example my parents set. They were models of courage, determination, and optimism who inspired me to go further than I thought possible. My dad worked for the local transit district, starting at the bottom and working his way up to management. He and my mother instilled the workhorse mentality of our ancestors, exemplified the value of sacrifice and deferred gratification, and communicated their passion for learning. Growing up, my idols were Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, Hall of Fame pitchers with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and I played college baseball at the University of San Diego. My original American Dream was to be a professional baseball player. Over time, however, as I came to know myself better, I really wanted to lead people—to inspire and motivate them to achieve more than they thought possible. My dream evolved to be the CEO of a significant company. After decades of leading large organizations, I got my chance when I was named chairman, president, and CEO of The Hartford, a 202-year-old American insurance company whose brand stands for trustworthiness, stability, and integrity—values that are important to me. I achieved this dream with a great deal of help from so many people, including my wife, parents, siblings, and others who served as mentors at every stage of my journey. I took charge of my learning, becoming a student of effective communication, reflecting on the leadership styles and journeys of other CEOs, and developing an appreciation for diversity and inclusion I witnessed working in one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities, Los Angeles. I came to see how differences in background, perspective, and expertise help organizations connect with their customers and fellow teammates, spur innovation, and drive growth. Everyone in an organization matters and has the potential for greatness. That is why I want The Hartford to be a place where people can succeed because of their differences, not in spite of them. PDJ

November/December 2012

“Can’t Never Could” Inspires Caesars Keeton By Fred Keeton, VP of External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer, Caesars Entertainment Corp. DL

Y DREAM FOR my country, colleagues, company, family,

and myself is to create and sustain a nation where all have the opportunity to live their individual dreams while motivating and supporting others to do the same. Growing up in rural Mississippi during a time when diversity was literally black and white, there were many obstacles that might have stopped my personal and professional growth. My father worked very hard as a railroad maintenance worker and my mother as a domestic maid—“the help”—with both having no options to aspire to something greater. They pushed my brothers, sisters, and me to accomplish things they never had an opportunity to, and instilled vision and determination to never give up. Their rural Mississippi African American “country” wisdom is my foundation. My parents constantly reminded us: “Can’t never could.” We have to believe we can when no one else does. “Nothing comes to a sleeper but a dream.” Faith without works is dead. “If everybody agrees with what you say, you ain’t saying nothing. If everybody agrees with what you do, you ain’t doing nothing.” Counter what is routinely expected and accepted. On my first office job, the supervisor told me I would never accomplish anything. He told my colleagues—all white—they

could accomplish anything. So, I applied my parent’s wisdom and have soundly proved him wrong. Some of us are not immigrants. Our forefathers arrived involuntarily and under markedly different circumstances. However, all are Americans and expect the opportunity to live the dream nonetheless. Many of us experienced the birth of a new country through the civil rights movement, culminating with the end of legal segregation only 42 years ago. Today, I am motivated to help others achieve what they may think impossible. Helping colleagues appreciate their “true selves,” and modeling a path to improvement helps both the business and individual thrive. Leaders must model a growth mindset, one that acknowledges the capacity in themselves and those they lead to both learn and achieve. My advice to those striving to live their “American Dream” is to create it. Establish a specific plan with precise goals that challenge what you and others, even family or friends, might believe impossible and drive your desired results. Remember “Can’t never could,” “Nothing comes to a sleeper but a dream,” and that many will not agree with what you say or do. Say and do anyway. PDJ

A One-Word Definition of the American Dream By Oscar Suarez, Florida Market Leader, Ernst & Young LLP

came to the United States in 1960, when I was four-months-old. My father was a photojournalist in Cuba. After Castro took power, he understood very quickly that the revolutionary government was tying itself to the Soviets and headed in the wrong direction. The news agency he worked for reported on this, and within 24 hours he went from covering Castro’s inner circle to prison, threatened with a firing squad. He was fortunate that a few of his friends let him out with instructions to disappear. In July of 1960, my father became one of the first of what would soon be many Cubans to flee by sea. He left in a 21-foot boat with ten others and had the misfortune to encounter Hurricane Donna and be swept into the Gulf of Mexico. My mother and I were allowed to leave

Cuba a few months later and arrived in America on October 15. I know the date because no matter where I am in the world, my mother calls me every October 15 to wish me a “Happy USA Day.” My parents had lost everything they had in Cuba and started anew in New York City. My father worked two jobs including the midnight shift in a printing factory. He did whatever he could to provide for us, and eventually opened up his own business as a printing broker. My mother would eventually become a banker. They showed me that the American Dream is about opportunity— and not necessarily a fantastic opportunity. My father’s first opportunity was terrible in some ways, but he made the best of it and treated it with respect. That’s the American Dream to me:

an opportunity. And people are still crossing the Straits of Florida on rafts because of the promise these opportunities hold in our country. It’s one thing to receive an opportunity. It’s another—and possibly more important—to give one. I am heavily involved in recruiting for Ernst & Young and I serve on the corporate advisory boards of two universities, helping the schools to better attract the best students from all walks of life. I often tell my family’s story to the young people I meet, because I want them to see that the American Dream is real. But before you can inspire others, you have to inspire yourself. I keep a picture of my father’s boat rescue on the wall of my office. I often think that if he survived three days adrift in that boat then I got it easy. Now I encourage others to take advantage of the opportunity. PDJ

November/December 2012

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THE AMERICIAN DREAM

Grandfathers’ Immigrant Stories from ‘20s Inspire Pemberton By Steve Pemberton, Chief Diversity Officer, Walgreen Co.

hough we often associate the term American Dream with the founding fathers, it was not until 1931 that American writer and historian James Truslow Adams coined the term in his 1931 book, Epic of America. Adams wonderfully captured the sentiment embodied in the Declaration of Independence and John Winthrop’s 1630 sermon, “City Upon a Hill” when he said the American dream is: “…that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement . . . it is a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.” This is the American Dream that has brought so many to America’s shores

over the years. It is this ideal I suspect that was in the hearts and minds of my grandfathers, Joseph Pemberton and Joseph Murphy, when they came to America, one from the West Indies and the other from Ireland. In the 1920s, both of them came seeking freedom and relief from the storms that had engulfed their native lands—the weight of imperialism that consumed the West Indies and the long shadow of famine and war that had surrounded Ireland. Their transition to America would not be as smooth as they had anticipated; they would encounter discrimination, depression, and world war. Yet in their own way, they strove to help build the kind of America that had initially called them. They knew the true measure of the American dream is not whether it is achieved by the individual but whether it is possible for the next generation. They fought against discrimination, here and

By Ricardo A. Torres, Manager, Interpreter Services, Office of Diversity & Inclusion, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

By Eloiza Domingo-Snyder, Human Resources Specialist, Office of Diversity & Inclusion, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

F YOU KNOW where the best coffee in the

world is grown, you will know where I was born 30 years ago: Colombia. At only twenty-years-old, my grandparents sent me to the U.S. Even though I was introduced to the U.S. in the comfort of a plane and with a college education in my pocket, I still felt completely overwhelmed by a world so different than mine, yet still so familiar. Recollections from my childhood, like watching American TV “dubbed” in Spanish, offered at least a glimpse of what it would be like to call the U.S. my new home. Conquering the English language became the first clear step for me to take in—what I knew would be—a long process of learning and adjusting to life as “an American.” This grasp of the English language and my immigrant background propelled my desire to become a professional interpreter for courts and hospitals. Being counted among the first professionally recognized interpreters in Ohio has turned into more than simply an honor, it has evolved into the responsibility of ensuring new immigrants and their families the same enjoyment, benefits and rights I assumed when I moved to the U.S. ten years ago. PDJ

abroad, and they laid the foundation from which their families might one day grow and prosper. The road would not be easy—Pemberton and Murphy would endure considerable tragedy: the devastating loss of their wives and early deaths of children. Still they fought on, holding steady to their convictions of equality, access, and opportunity. Regrettably, in their own lifetimes they never met. They never had the opportunity to share their remarkably similar immigrant histories, shared dreams, love of country, and common values. So now, it is left to me, their grandson, Stephen Joseph Pemberton, to take up the mantle they left behind— to fulfill their wish of a bright future from which future generations can build and prosper and to do my part to build that City Upon a Hill. PDJ

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

N 1974, MY parents moved to the U.S. from

the Philippines to give their not-yet-born children the quintessential “American dream.” Both of them had been practicing physicians in Manila—my mom in internal medicine, my dad in surgery—before they decided to leave their jobs and family behind. This choice to leave one family for the one they were about to have is the beginning of my life as a first-generation Filipina-American. Because my parents raised my siblings and I as if we were in the Philippines, and not in a two-room apartment in Indianapolis, my adolescence and young adulthood were, consequently, experiments in all things American: fast food, dyed hair, tanning, dating, talking on the phone, and practically everything else that Filipino kids weren’t supposed to do. After years of rejecting my own culture and the background I inherited, I found myself drawn to careers within the field of diversity and inclusion, and now specifically, in culturally competent healthcare. The things my parents sacrificed and the choices they made are the figurative “shoulders” I stand on, which I’m proud to say have helped achieve their hope for their kids: living the American Dream. PDJ

November/December 2012

Providing the American Dream for My Children By Natasha Songonuga, Associate, Financial Restructuring & Creditors’ Rights Department, Gibbons P.C. DL

ROWING UP IN Jamaica, I shared a

bedroom with my mother, a single mother of six. I would hear her cry at night over bills and school fees. A decent high school education in Jamaica requires tuition and the island’s only university at the time was far too expensive for her to even consider sending any of us, despite her constant sacrifices and desire to further our education. I moved to the U.S. when my father offered the opportunity to live with him in order to complete my high school education and attend college. I had no concept of the American Dream, but I had dreamt of an education and becoming a lawyer. I decided to be a lawyer at eightyears-old, because the lawyers on television always seemed to help people, and I wanted to help people, starting with my mother. The cost of a college education seemed insurmountable. I saved my pay from after-school jobs and earned partial scholarships. It was during that time that my American Dream started to take shape. I experienced many obstacles, rooted in race, education, and economic disparity that challenged my motivation and resolve to work hard. In the midst of such obstacles, I began to raise a family, and I was uplifted by my children’s innocence. I have been driven to do whatever is necessary or possible to provide a solid economic and financial foundation for my children, so they can stand on my shoulders as they go into the world, rather than starting from the bottom as I did. That became my American Dream. I am proud of my achievements—completing college and law school, getting married, and starting a family. While my American Dream is still a work in progress, it has afforded me great opportunities in life: my family is not struggling financially; my children are proud of their heritage and are excelling in school; and I am reaching out to help people behind me. While I still face many obstacles, I am fortunate to be able to envision my children at the universities of their choice and with unburdened financial beginnings to their lives. PDJ

Descendant of Irish Immigrant Becomes Secretary of Commerce By Donald J. Quigg, Senior Partner, Novak Druce + Quigg, LLP

Y STORY IS one of hard work and

inspiration from my father and grandfather. My grandfather immigrated to Philadelphia from Ireland, where he married my grandmother, who was Dutch. They settled in Kansas City, where my grandfather became master mechanic of the railroad terminal and my father eventually worked in the machine shop. He later opened his own shop in Oklahoma, where I began working after school and on weekends at the age of nine. My father did not graduate from high school. On the day I left for Scout Camp to earn my Eagle badge, my father told me I could do anything that I put my mind to. It was my father’s dream that my brother and I attend college, which we both did. I decided to become a lawyer. I graduated from law school in 1940 and joined a Kansas City law firm. Two years later I was inducted into the U. S. Army where after thirteen months I became an officer in the Field Artillery and was assigned to the 27th Division, stationed in the Pacific Theatre. After the war, I took a position at Phillips Petroleum, where I ultimately became General Patent Counsel. During my time there, the company was involved in a contest for a patent, a contest that continued for 22 years. I wanted to find out why the process took so long. When President Reagan was elected, I decided to make a run for the position of Commissioner of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and ultimately became Deputy Commissioner and later Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks. I thought my outside experience gave me the knowledge and tools to fix the process. I set out to streamline patent appellate procedures, register trademarks within 13 months by 1985, grant patents within 18 months by 1989, and achieve substantial automation of all aspects of the operation by 1989. These goals were achieved on schedule. In 2003, I thought I was ready to retire—I had already worked for 60 years. But then I thought of my father and grandfather, and their work ethic. It isn’t in my personality to retire. So I joined Novak Druce + Quigg LLP. As long as I can try to make a difference, I want to keep doing it. And I am glad I am. PDJ November/December 2012

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THE AMERICIAN DREAM

Common Threads in My and My Ancestor’s Immigrant Stories

My Journey from Poland to America

By Kwame Griffith, Senior Vice President, Regional Operations, Teach For America

By Alicja Biskupska-Haas, O’Melveny Associate, Investments Funds Practice, O’Melveny & Myers LLP

O REALLY UNDERSTAND my story, it is essential to understand

the two defining contours of my family’s immigrant experience. One follows the path of my maternal grandparents and the other follows my personal path as a young person. While distinctly different, there is a common thread of the immigrant story that holds them together—the importance of a quality education, hard work, and giving back to others. My maternal grandparents, one Italian and the other Irish/ Scotch, were first-generation Americans who firmly believed in the promise of opportunity and a better life for their children. Born in 1919, they grew up poor, and quit their education early on to support their families financially. Yet, given all this, they owned their own house, put three kids through college, and quite frankly, were the wisest people I knew. My mother met my father in college and after they married, followed my dad back to Trinidad, where I was born and lived until I was almost five. We then immigrated to the United States where we struggled financially. As a young, black boy with a strong accent, growing up in poverty, low expectations surrounded me—from being told I was not intelligent, to being told I could not speak effectively. Yet through our fight against racial and societal barriers, we navigated bad schools and ultimately gained access to a great public education. My story is unique from my grandparents in that America saw me differently as an immigrant. The expectations of what I could accomplish and the fight required for me to access the opportunities were much more challenging for me as a black immigrant. Our stories also diverge when you think about the impact the benefits of the struggle can have beyond the immediate family. Their hard work and determination led to much of the benefits being for their children and their grandchildren, whereas my fight has led to direct outcomes for my education, security, and success that I strive to apply to my family and the greater good. Despite this, there are some common threads to our story that define me personally and professionally. Education and hard work are essential catalysts in achieving the American Dream, but you do not fulfill the promise of that dream unless you work to apply the very best parts of you to helping others actualize their own potential. PDJ

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November/December 2012

GREW UP in a small town in Communist

Poland. Life was not easy; everything was rationed and even then there was not enough to go around. Political unrest in the wake of the Solidarity movement, followed by martial law, meant that fear was a part of daily life. My parents worked hard trying to make ends meet, but there were months when food was scarce. My “bucket list” of things I wanted to do when I could afford it was rather long. Poland was very much a patriarchal society. Women were expected to be homemakers, and not pursue careers. I was groomed to follow that path, so I became proficient in cooking, baking, and sewing, but I longed for so much more. I came to the U.S. with one suitcase and a master’s degree in economics 16 years ago, taking a job as a project manager with a small law firm. For the first few months, I often sat in my apartment staring at my air mattress and bare walls, questioning the path I had chosen. But I also quickly realized that I felt at home here. I was not an outsider. I forged enduring friendships with people who were willing to open their hearts and homes to a stranger. When I was finally able to enter a U.S. law school, it was a dream come true. My life for three years had a single purpose: to study as hard as I could. It didn’t feel like a sacrifice—it was a privilege and I was determined to make the most of it. Today, I work for a great partner and mentor in the investment funds practice at O’Melveny. My background helps me relate to our clients—at the very least, it makes for an interesting conversation starter. I have a wonderful husband, two terrific kids (my daughter and stepson), and great friends. I have done all of the things on my “bucket list.” This is my American Dream. Most importantly, I’ve achieved it without compromising my values, no matter what it cost me. Confidence in who I am and what I stand for, hard work, determination, and passion for life is what got me here. Just as I was about to start my first job after law school, I opened the letter from INS approving my green card. Across the top of the letter in big bold letters was written “Welcome to the United States of America.” For me, those words meant: You belong here, welcome to the rest of your life. PDJ

Brazilian Becomes American Citizen

Finding Dreams in America By Sonia Sroka, Senior Vice President, Director of Hispanic Marketing, Porter Novelli

By Flavia Campbell, Partner, Intellectual Property and Technology Practice Group, Lewis and Roca LLP

on’t let the name Campbell fool you. It is fully Brazilian. Like the United States, Brazil is a country made of immigrants. Our foundation lies on the miscegenation of native Brazilians, Portuguese colonizers, and Africans that came to work on sugar cane plantations. After World War II, immigrants from Asia and Europe arrived, my greatgrandparents included. I came to the United States almost ten years ago. The trip from Rio de Janeiro led me first to Ann Arbor, where I earned a masters of law degree at the University of Michigan Law School. I then moved to Phoenix, Arizona. The challenges of being an immigrant are readily apparent: English will never be my first language; family and childhood friends are two flights and 14 hours away; familiar foods, smells, and sounds are mostly gone; and fighting stereotypes can at times be exhausting. What may surprise some, however, is that being a Brazilian in Phoenix opened more doors than posed obstacles. I was lucky to find myself in an environment that welcomes and values diversity. When joining the law firm of Lewis and Roca as a first year associate, I was not merely increasing our minority numbers to meet the requirements of clients’ RFPs or make our NALP statistics look better. The firm appreciated my international background and expertise and how it translated into added value to our clients’ needs. It took them patience and support to understand and handle the challenges associated with having a foreign attorney on staff. The fact that after seven years I was named a partner in our Intellectual Property group indicates the firm’s commitment in not only recruiting, but supporting and retaining minorities. On the personal side, friends and colleagues became my family. Their engaging lessons and open-minded curiosity have made me a football fan and turned them into caipirinha drinkers and feijoada fans. Becoming an American citizen in 2006 was a very natural decision. While still very proud of my Brazilian heritage, there is not one part of me that I don’t consider to be American. The swearing-in ceremony is simple and moving. Hearing the “Star Spangled Banner” and pledging allegiance to the flag deeply touched me. Citizenship candidates are invited to share a few words about their journey, if they are so inclined. While I did not speak at my ceremony, I knew what I’d want to say. I am amazed at and so grateful for the generosity of this country and its people. I was warmly embraced and supported by those around me and they are the reason why this transition was seamless, gratifying, and incredibly enjoyable. My friends, colleagues, and mentors are a huge part of where I am today. And even with all the haboobs, rattlesnakes, and 115 degree weather, there is nowhere else I’d rather be. PDJ

GREW UP in El Salvador, surround-

ed by so much love and support that the civil war raged in the mountains outside our home seemed much farther away than it actually was. It all changed the year I turned 13. For my family our security was paramount, so when the war found its way to our neighborhood, we knew we had to leave. In America, everything was different—the weather, the places, the people, the way of life. I had boarded the plane as a confident and ambitious teenager and quickly became just another Latina girl who couldn’t speak the language. In Catholic school in El Salvador, I was expected to have big goals. In English language classes in California, it was just the opposite. Like so many others new to America, I was encouraged to blend in, not to stand out. I also realized that in America, I would have to work harder for everything—to learn the language, culture, the way things were done here. I resented it at first but soon decided that the harder things got, the harder I would work. To me, that’s a realization that everyone must come to: Real and meaningful success is always the result of a battle hard won. As a result, I learned to view challenges as opportunities. They may not be easy—they may even seem insurmountable—but sometimes the most difficult situations are actually gifts. It is through meeting unexpected challenges that we discover our inherent strengths and propel ourselves to new heights. I doubt that it has been easy for any one of the millions of people who have come to America, but I truly believe that if you had the courage and strength to get here, you have the courage and strength to make it. For those who fear that it’s impossible, remember that we all face obstacles, no matter what our stories are. It’s important to look forward, to envision and work toward the future self you want to become. The American Dream is not something you trade your own dreams for—it is the life you find when you don’t give up on the dreams that brought you here. PDJ

November/December 2012

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THOUGHTLEADERS

ENGAGING WHITE MALES

White Males Participate Through ERGs, Mentoring By Dorothy Coleman, Executive Vice President and CFO, Univera Healthcare

T From the Outside Looking In: The Workplace I Want for my Daughter By Gary Crompton, President of Business Dining, ARAMARK

admit that when I began my career, I was conscious of diversity efforts but may not have been as tuned in as I could have been. That changed as I began to think about what the work environment would be like for my daughter. Would she be able to aspire to the highest levels? What would stand in her way? What could I do to create change? On visits to Fortune 500 client companies, I began to notice how significantly white men dominate senior leadership roles. I realized that modeling diversity and inclusion had to start with me. Throughout my career, I have found my greatest satisfaction when I have taken smart risks and accepted a challenge that contained some uncertainty. I’ve learned that from uncertainty comes the opportunity for growth and possibility. I also know that I can be a powerful ambassador for change. I am participating in several efforts that are demonstrating my commitment to gender diversity in our leadership ranks. I was asked to serve as a board member on the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF), a professional organization designed to help advance women leaders. While I had always admired WFF, I initially felt some hesitation. For the first time, I would be a minority—just a few men on a board of women business leaders. The exposure provided me an even greater understanding of the challenges women face and how the right combination of resources and support can help women reach their full potential and career goals. As I bring my learnings back, being that close to the heart of the issues enables me to challenge my peers to do more to support women leaders and advocate for the development of women. I am also the Executive Sponsor for our company’s Women’s Business Resource Network, which allows me to ensure the strategy aligns with our business goals around the world. I have had a chance to interact with talented women from all parts of our organization and I’m inspired by what we can accomplish. ARAMARK has a strong and unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion. However, it’s through leadership and role modeling the right behaviors that this commitment comes to life. I am proud and energized to be a part of ARAMARK’s diversity and inclusion journey. We have made significant progress and we continue to gain momentum year over year. It is that kind of headway that has made my involvement so personally and professionally rewarding. I think my daughter would be proud. PDJ

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November/December 2012

O HAVE AN inclusive

culture, our goal is to engage all employees and groups within our organization. Engagement of white males in our organization is demonstrated by their participation in our various diversity and inclusion employee diversity networks, as well as events sponsored by these groups. These include an array of activities coordinated by our LGBT employee resource group, African American group, Latino group, Asian group, and Vegetarian and Wellness group. In addition, our senior leaders incorporate minorities and females in succession plans and mentor diverse employees with high potential. As an example, Chris Booth, our health plan president and COO, is a mentor to one of our employees, Mona Chitre, director of Clinical Services, who is of Indian descent. Members of our management team also volunteer their time to serve on committees and boards of organizations in our communities. Another example is that I have been named chair of our Diversity Advisory Council that meets twice a year to implement a sustainable diversity and inclusion plan that supports our mission and vision, engages our senior leaders, and fully utilizes our employee resource groups. While we are satisfied with the progress we have made thus far, we know that like most large organizations, we still have opportunities to improve in this area. Nonetheless, there is widespread awareness of opportunities for improvement and we are developing initiatives to achieve progress. PDJ

8 Ways to Engage White Men By Kathleen B. Nalty, J.D., Executive Director, Center for Legal Inclusiveness

ngaging white men is imperative for any successful D&I program. In the legal profession, white men make up the majority of practitioners and almost always are the crucial decision-makers whose buy-in is necessary for substantive D&I progress. At the Center for Legal Inclusiveness (CLI), we have been working the last five years to close this gap. CLI educates law firms and law departments about inclusiveness. Inclusiveness focuses on valuing everyone’s strengths, including white men. With this new understanding, they are increasingly helping create workplaces where everyone can do their best work and thrive. CLI has been fortunate to have developed relationships with many white men who are D&I allies and champions—serving on CLI’s board of directors, partnering on initiatives, and ardently advocating D&I in their law firms and law departments. Programmatically, CLI has developed several resources on how to engage white men. For legal leaders, CLI’s General Counsel/Managing Partner Retention Roundtable (comprised of mostly white men) created a Diverse Attorney Retention

Model for Leaders with specific action items in five areas: 1) Personal Leadership, 2) Team Leadership, 3) Next-Level Leadership, 4) Urgency/Business Case, and 5) Including White Men. Legal organizations can use this CLI model to ignite action in their leadership. For additional ways to enlist white men in D&I efforts, CLI created the following go-to list. 8 Ways to Engage White Men 1. Talk about inclusiveness, not just diversity. 2. Help them build relationships across difference. 3. Identify influential white male leaders to help champion your efforts. 4. Include them on your D&I committee and encourage a powerful white man to chair/co-chair it. 5. Educate them about the business imperative. 6. Help them become aware of bias and hidden inequities. 7. Give them a list of tasks. 8. Provide incentives organization-wide for D&I efforts. PDJ

White Males Become Allies for Minorities, Women By Sandy Hoffman, Chief Diversity Officer, Cisco DL

S CHIEF DIVERSITY officer at Cisco, my

focus is on ensuring the engagement of our entire global diverse workforce. Evolving beyond required compliance efforts, our I&D approach focuses on promoting a creative, innovative, and collaborative work environment supporting employee engagement. “White male power” is a tired concept, leaving feelings of exclusion, anger, confusion, or indifference to their company’s diversity initiatives (Nikravin 2012). Successfully harnessing this majority power is critical for change but how to do this in a systematic way is constantly debated. In a recent Cisco co-sponsored white paper, Jennifer Brown, founder and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting states: “An ally in the workplace is any member of a ‘majority’ group who uses that position to further equality for ‘non-majority’ populations. Brown indicates that allies are not only identifying

themselves as such but also . . . wanting structured avenues for contributing their support.” By engaging the majority and providing structures to become allies, advocates, and sponsors for underrepresented populations, we can build a bridge towards greater equality. An ally for the women’s network at Cisco, vice president of Corporate Quality Rich Goldberg, is an executive Caucasian male who sees himself as “advocating for people who may not have a voice of their own, or may not have an audience . . . Advocacy means you are willing to fight alongside someone.” Goldberg is able to tap into the structure of a solid network of over 40 women’s chapters worldwide, with HR guidance and programs behind him to help amplify his advocacy work. Banding male advocates together can also be powerful. Cisco’s Connected Women Advisory Group (CWAG), comprised of male and female execu-

tives, works with various functions to incorporate gender talent management strategies into recruitment, development, and retention. This advocacy group is further supported through mentoring programs, career development initiatives, sponsorship and advocacy of female senior leaders, and an “all-inclusive” gender development program. The 21st century requires new leadership traits—innovation, agility, speed, and emotional intelligence—to strengthen global marketplace competitiveness. In fact, a Credit Suisse study found that companies with gender diverse boards out-performed male-only boards by 26 percent, especially during bad economic times. While we hope executive white males will become early adopters of realizing a vision of a gender-parity work environment, we must work together to fully embrace the strengths of our entire workforce. PDJ

November/December 2012

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THOUGHTLEADERS

ENGAGING WHITE MALES

By Todd Burns, President of Project and Development Services, Jones Lang LaSalle

What’s Missing From the Diversity Dialogue?

By Julie Kampf, President and CEO, JBK Associates, Inc. DL

Our Industry Has Far to Go oday, diversity is a top-of-mind concern for executives in every industry, including not only the commercial real estate industry that our firm operates in, but the corporate and institutional organizations that make up our client base. The tremendous progress made by women, people of color, and members of other once-discounted groups might prompt many business leaders to say “look how far we’ve come.” But the reality is that we still have a long way to go. And our industry, which touches virtually every other industry and employs skilled people across a range of disciplines, has a key role to play in the advancement of diversity goals. Executives who turn their backs on meaningful diversity and inclusion practices are facing irrelevance and inviting failure. The pool of great candidates for any given job is small enough without limiting it further by ignoring anyone based on identity factors. More importantly, proactively embracing diversity, while integrating it across all business practices, is just the right thing to do. Getting this point across to fellow white men is a matter of encouraging them to disregard traditional “metrics” and focus on strengthening client relationships. While in a business pitch years ago, I realized firsthand that the clients weren’t just seeking number-crunching and dollar-driving solutions. What they wanted were peers as diverse as they were, who appreciated one another’s approaches and had common shared goals. Commercial real estate, though, has a reputation, driven by an extremely conservative school of thought, generally taught by older white men. To keep our company relevant in today’s business world by doing our part to shift the “white man paradigm,” my Recruitment Action Team was formed to attract and source talent from a broad pool of candidates by visiting diverse universities across the nation. Many of my peers entered the business wanting to make a difference and leave a legacy—for clients, colleagues, and mentees. I believe there is no better way to do that than to ignore metrics that previously defined the industry and instead engage in a new, diverse school of thought. Making a difference—together—is the right thing to do. PDJ

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

ARLY IN MY career, I had some experiences

common to women. I once worked for someone who told me to ignore a childcare emergency. I once worked for someone who handed me high-level responsibilities without the title or pay of the last person in the job. Each of these bosses was a white male, as were most executives at the time. I promised myself that I would help create a different, better business environment. Today I run a company that helps organizations find and keep diverse talent. I see many companies talking diversity, but only to a point. A company might prioritize diversity for a mid-level position but go silent when a senior-level spot opens. It might bring in a chief diversity officer and then limit the power of that position. And, as in the past, a company might use race and gender to choose between two equally qualified candidates, only today the disadvantage more often goes to the white male. In each case, the decision-makers believe they are advancing diversity, but the resulting business environment does not help employers attract the best diverse talent. More often, it compartmentalizes people based on race or gender and leaves simmering resentments between groups blocked from power and insiders who fear giving offense. I believe that roadblocks to diversity won’t budge until there is a real dialogue with business leaders, and that has to include white men. They are the leaders and will be for some time: research from the social science project The Society Pages suggests that white males make up about two-thirds of those who are one step away from a Fortune 500 CEO office. Besides, inclusion means including everyone. Leaders need to ask the right questions. The most effective organizations are the ones that ask bigger questions: Who do we need to run this organization? What does our bench strength look like? How do we create a workforce that uses the best talent on the market and includes a mix of backgrounds, genders, races, generations, lifestyles, and experiences? The answers may be hard, but they can drive real change. I have seen white-male-dominated cultures shift, sometimes following a single senior-level hire. Companies that have the crucial conversations with people from all groups stand the best chance of attracting the diverse talent that drives profitability— a result that any business leader can champion. PDJ

November/December 2012

Gender Diversity: Getting Men on Board

From My Perspective as a White Male

By Andy Warren, Partner, Moss Adams LLP DL

By Robert V. Jewell, Managing Partner, Andrews Kurth LLP DL

hile “diversity” as a strategy has come into popular culture during my career, I have appreciated the benefits of diverse perspectives for much longer. I have also seen these benefits translate into business advantages at our law firm. Let me first acknowledge the accomplishments of my late mother, who was the first woman to get her pilot’s license in New Jersey. Her intellectual curiosity and willingness to stretch herself helped her achieve that goal. Mom had diverse interests and wanted to explore them to their fullest extent. These same qualities frequently drive successful business entrepreneurs. People who venture beyond their comfort zones are willing to allow their intellectual curiosity to lead them to new discoveries. In the legal field, we have seen the willingness to look at business problems from different perspectives lead to creative solutions that in turn produce business opportunities. As managing partner, I try to maximize the benefits of the intellectual curiosity of individual lawyers by fostering an environment that values collaboration. Thus, we call upon lawyers with diverse backgrounds, talents, and perspectives to collaborate as a team and explore the boundaries of their thinking to reach a solution. This is both why and how I became engaged in diversity and inclusion strategy. Yes, from a social science point of view, it may be the “right” thing to do, but from the broader and more compelling business perspective, embracing diversity and inclusion as core values means driving innovative business results. By focusing on the business advantages of diversity and collaboration, I was able to engage my partners, many of whom are also white males. Once my partners understood that the implementation of diversity and inclusion strategies could contribute to our overall success, i.e., the business imperative, we were able to move full speed ahead. In fact, the firm’s strategic plan incorporates key elements of diversity and inclusion, as does the firm’s vision: “Andrews Kurth will be a nationally prominent law firm with market leading practices and international reach. We will . . . promote our culture of collaboration, diversity and inclusion, personal commitment, and professionalism.” In the end, we have seen that our commitment to diversity and inclusion has helped us attract new clients and deepen our relationships with existing clients. Once again, the business imperative prevails as a very convincing force. PDJ

N AN INDUSTRY in which more than half of the hires

are women, only 18 percent of partners at public accounting firms, on average, are women. Why? To find out, Moss Adams embarked on a journey both to understand the reasons women leave and to use that knowledge to support them throughout their career and try to reverse this phenomenon. One common misstep with diversity efforts focused on women is that they exclude men. We knew that, for any diversity effort to succeed, we had to engage men across all levels in the organization—particularly those in leadership roles—to act as champions of change. How did we get men on board? By clearly communicating that diversity is about the bottom line. As a founding member of the firm-wide Forum_W Advisory Board, I experienced firsthand how communicating a strong business case inspires men to be involved. Here’s the case we made to our male audience: We’re losing women at a faster rate than men. Research shows that companies with a high representation of women on boards or that have women in upper management performed better financially. Our clients value diversity and want to work with a firm that shares those values. Diversity in the workforce and in leadership brings a healthy balance of perspective and styles. Women are increasingly becoming the buyers of our services. It is vitally important that we attract and retain skilled women accountants and consultants. Men want to contribute to diversity efforts, but sometimes they don’t know how. That’s why it’s important to have men take an active role in co-leading women’s networks. It’s also helpful to provide simple but impactful ways men can contribute to women’s career development, from introducing a woman to their external network to providing regular recognition and feedback. Since we launched our company initiatives in 2008, men are more actively involved in it and women are more engaged in their career. We have more dialogue with women about their experience with the firm, their networks have grown, mentoring has increased, and more women are pursuing leadership roles. PDJ

November/December 2012

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Global Diversity

| Spotlight on Sweden with Global Diversity Consultant Melissa Lamson

or Diversity, Against Discrimination is the current slogan for the EU Commission, a European organization that promotes policies and programs in diversity while encouraging Europe to take an active stand against discrimination. In 2006, the European Commission declared that all union state members (countries who are members of the EU) should establish legislation that supports and promotes diversity and simultaneously eradicates discrimination. Each member state created their own strategy and legislation based on individual country needs and concerns. Several European nations wrote extensive anti-discrim-

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

ination law, more detailed than the laws in the U.S., England, and South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;countries where anti-discrimination law has existed for years and with tough consequences. The legislative focus of individual European countries mirrors the focus inside European companies. It is often the case that diversity programs address one or two specific dimensions of diversity. This is an interesting difference to the U.S. approach, as it is more common to look at diversity management as a whole, and not segment certain populations. Europe also sees a direct link to discrimination, where the U.S. traditionally keeps anti-discrimination legislation in the November/December 2012

legal department, separate from diversity, which tends to be in a human resources or learning and development department. Today, for example, Germany is focusing its efforts on ethnic and religious discrimination. Ireland focuses primarily on gender and marital and family status. Sweden, known for its equitable approach to gender diversity, is paying special attention now to ethnic, racial, and religious diversity.

Swedish Culture

Sweden is a large country (relative to other European countries) and other than the major cities, is not densely populated. There are many

forests, lakes, and a lovely countryside. The Swedes are known for smiling often, but speaking less. The general attitude is, If there’s something interesting or important to say, say it, otherwise talking for talking’s sake is overrated. (Of course there are exceptions in any culture.) According to the intercultural theory put forth by Geert Hofstede, there are five cultural values that impact Swedish business behavior. Here are three: 1) Low Power Distance, which means power in the organization is decentralized. An employee has easy access to their boss and a manager isn’t necessarily seen as an expert but more of a coach. The communication style in meetings is direct and participatory. 2) Femininity, which means work/life balance is important and is even a measure of one’s success. Strong competition is not highly valued in a feminine society and managers strive for consensus in decision making. 3) Uncertainty Avoidance: In Sweden, it is low, meaning that they have a more relaxed and flexible attitude about life and work. Risk taking is seen as positive and rules are made when necessary, but bureaucracy isn’t highly desired. Swedes are fans of innovation and change does not scare them easily.

Europe Looks to Sweden as a Leader in Gender Equality

Ask someone from another European country and they’ll tell you Sweden is a leader in gender equality. In part due to the culture and the value placed on work/life balance, however, the Swedish society actively teaches equality to children in school, and the government mandates equal opportunities, equal pay, and equal access to education. In the Swedish business world, companies must have active programs supporting equal opportunities for women and men, and with respect to parental leave, either parent is entitled to 480 days of

| Q&A with Sari Brody, Global Diversity Responsible, IKEA Services AB In her leadership role at IKEA, Brody explains the progressive views of D&I at the Swedish company, the extensive metrics the organization has used to define D&I, and how to move forward with goals of improvement. Why does IKEA think diversity and inclusion are important? A: Diversity is in line with IKEA’s culture and values emphasizing togetherness, respecting others, and fostering team spirit. It is the foundation of our vision to be “for the many.” As mobility increases in the world and open international borders are the new reality, inclusion of diverse coworkers enables us to gain a competitive advantage, attract competent coworkers, increase coworkers’ contribution, and broaden our customer base. How do you analyze diversity at IKEA? A: We analyze our organization on primary and secondary dimensions; primary dimensions include gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability, while secondary dimensions include work experience, education level, parental status, skills, sexual orientation, and other non-visible dimensions. What are IKEA’s metrics for D&I? A: We are looking for gender balance in management positions, coworkers of multinational descent, (mirroring the global IKEA), an even age distribution (focusing on young potentials and 50+), recognizing “other” abilities, and mirroring our markets in terms of ethnicity. In terms of secondary dimensions, we are looking for different work experiences from various organizations and parts of IKEA, different educational backgrounds, all parental statuses, a mixture of learning styles in each team, and a variety of functional specialties in work teams. How do you analyze diversity at IKEA? A: It starts with the strategic plan of the organization, the vision, the values, and the strategies it employs to build and grow its business. In terms of diversity, it’s making sure that the people who are impacted by the decisions are at the table, and those decisions are vetted so that you understand the impact of what you’re doing in the communities. It’s also about telling your story and working to build effective relationships with those communities where we operate—it’s the communities, public policy makers, customers, investors, and employees. What are some ways you are creating inclusivity? A: Our goal is to create an inclusive organization through formal as well as informal channels. This includes practices, policies, and systems which recognize the diversity of our coworkers and value their differences. It starts with an inclusive infrastructure that encourages coworkers to be themselves and apply their uniqueness at work. Coworkers can and should have different life styles. All segments of the population are represented in management positions. Jokes about gender, race, ethnicity, are not welcome, as are cliques. Awareness of different religious holidays and customs is important, as is flexibility and accommodating of different needs. PDJ

November/December 2012

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Global Diversity | Fleishman-Hillard Introduces First Class of China Masters Exchange Program Initiative Will Help Agency’s Ability to Serve Clients in Booming Chinese Market

t is well known that China is the new market, and one of the largest PR firms in the country is working to strengthen ties with the country. Fleishman-Hillard International Communications has recently launched its China Masters Exchange program. Three students were selected and will work in the agency’s offices in St. Louis, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. “The China Masters Exchange program is one of many initiatives we have implemented to fortify FleishmanHillard’s ability to serve Chinese enterprises locally and globally, as well as enhance cultural collaboration companywide,” said Dave Senay, president and CEO of FleishmanHillard. “I am impressed with the caliber of talent I see represented in this inaugural class of the China Masters Exchange program and look forward to the many outstanding contributions I know these talented young professionals will make to our firm and the industry at large.” The 2012 recipients of the China Masters Exchange program are Martina Mok, Jing Kuai, and Archer Zhang Erchi. Mok, who grew up in Bangkok and Hong Kong and speaks three languages, holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. She will work at the agency’s St. Louis headquarters. “The program is the type of opportunity that many international students dream of—training and real-world experience with an American multinational, which they can take

leave. (And the men will take their parental leave, different from other countries where stigma can override taking advantage of the possibility.) Over 25 percent of companies in Sweden are women-owned and those with female board members are also close to 25 percent. Half the parliament members are women as well. These percentages are what many European (and American) companies are striving for.

Other Aspects of Diversity in Sweden

Due to high rates of immigration and an influx of employees from other parts of the world, Sweden, especially

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

Martina Mok, left, and Jing Kuai, right, China Masters Exchange recipients, with Dave Senay, center, president and CEO of Fleishman-Hillard.

back for the benefit of businesses in their home countries. I’m thrilled to apply that experience to Chinese clients expanding overseas,” said Mok. Working in the Washington, D.C., office, Kuai is a native of Hefei, Anhui, China, and holds a master’s in global communications from George Washington University. Zhang Erchi will work in the agency’s San Francisco office. He has an undergraduate degree from City University of Hong Kong and a master’s in communication from Stanford. Launched in conjunction with Fleishman-Hillard’s Global China Practice, the China Masters Exchange focuses on identifying and nurturing Chinese students who are seeking careers in communications. Incubating high-potential Chinese students in Western business hubs will help these individuals fast track their careers by working with senior public affairs and corporate communications counselors. After a year of on-the-job training in the United States, these “China Masters” will transfer to the firm’s China operations, where they will be uniquely equipped to contribute a global perspective. The program is open to Chinese-speaking students studying abroad and provides recipients $5,000 scholarships for their final semesters at partner universities. PDJ

in urban areas, has become highly culturally diverse. In fact, it is estimated that 11 percent of Sweden’s population today was born outside the country. There have been some incidents of extreme racism, but for the most part, basic general questions and concerns about cultural integration and the impact on Sweden exist. Today, Sweden actively works on this issue and takes a strong public stand against racist or intolerant policies and individual actions. In fact, cultural sensitivity workshops are sponsored by the government and a website exists for “myth-busting” information about immigrant populations in Sweden. November/December 2012

Sweden as a Role Model for Diversity

Given its cultural background, government, and societal activities, as well as best practices in the workplace, the statistics show Sweden could be a solid diversity role model for the rest of the world. What makes Sweden so special? And what can we learn from their approach? By looking at Sweden’s methods, we may find more innovative approaches to diversity, perhaps seeing a direct solution in our societies and workplaces to intolerance, inequities, or in extreme cases, discrimination. PDJ

$5,000 for college. $5,000 for those in need. A brighter future for everyone. Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarships reward students* working to end hunger in their communities. To support their efforts, winners also receive a $5,000 matching grant to donate to the hunger-related charity of their choice. (Kindergarten â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Graduate School)

To apply, and for more information and official rules, visit SodexoFoundation.org. Application Period: October 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; December 5

Digital Diversity FROM OUR FOLLOWERS

LEXICON TERMS

@RedMeansLethal_: If only you could see what I see. #Diversity would open up your world. @EChitwood2007: We cannot celebrate #diversity out of ignorance. Genuine celebrating comes from genuine #appreciation. This requires #learning & #understanding. @joanncorley: “You don’t get harmony when everybody sings the same note” ~Doug Floyd #diversity

Minority Group — A group with a lower position in a societal hierarchy because they have less power and privilege and more disadvantages. The term does not refer to being few in number, but the excessive disadvantages and a lack of equality. To order copies of the Lexicon, please visit diversityjournal.com.

@DiversityJrnl

@Mentorings

DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM CULTURE, VALUES AND THE IMPACT AT WORK Writes contributor Sunniva Heggertveit-Aoudia, “Values vary enormously, especially across national cultures. We have a tendency to judge other’s behaviour based on our own cultural norms, the ‘lens’ we see through. And here we have lots of opportunities for potential conflict, misunderstandings and miscommunication. Different values lead to different behavior, behavior you may not understand. It is important that we try to learn and appreciate these differences in order to work effectively with people from other cultures.”

CREATING VALUE Writes contributor Maria Collar, “The ‘me’ employee thinks about themselves first and everyone else second. For them, it’s all about ‘me.’ What they want and need comes above all else. They are convinced to have all the answers and tolerate, just barely, input from others. They would never accept input as valuable. Cross training nurtures team-oriented environments. By encouraging crosstraining, talent gets a chance to see what others do and become involved with one another in supportive roles. When talent has an opportunity to learn from each other’s jobs, greater understanding of the business process is reached which, consequently, increases commitment, shared responsibility, and mutual accountability.” To read more, please visit diversityjournal.com.

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

November/December 2012

“Formula for #success in an organization? Build & sustain #relationships, embrace #diversity, seek solutions, create #change.”

At HCA, our focus on

diversity, inclusion, & cultural competence influences our leadership, business practices, and, most importantly, directly impacts the care we provide our patients. Be a part of this exceptional team of employees, physicians, and partners. Learn more about career opportunities at HCAHealthcare.com.

Ronnie Bond, M.D. is a physician at HCAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Orange Park Medical Center in Orange Park, FL. Other HCA employees pictured (from left to right): Renan Parawan, RN at Valley Regional Medical Center in Brownsville, TX; Allie Henderson, M.D., hospitalist at Summit Medical Center in Hermitage, TN; and Viren Shah, M.D., hospitalist at Horizon Medical Center in Dickson, TN. Visit HCAHealthcare.com for additional employee photos and profiles.

HC AHEALT HC AR E . C OM

Diversity History NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

November 14 Hijri New Year

Fun Fact: The Islamic new year is not celebrated on the same day each year.

November 28:

November 8, 1793 The Louvre was first opened to the public.

Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão de Magalhães in Portugese) reached the Pacific Ocean, after passing through the strait which now bears his name, in 1520.

Engaging

Diverse

Perspectives

Women

Worth Watching

Congratulations to Kimberly Price, VP Community Affairs, on being named one of this years’ Women Worth Watching

Ideas as diverse as the people behind them. With more than 84,000 employees in more than 65 countries, collaborative, high performing teams are part of our culture. Curious? Join us. 3M.com/careers-diversity

December 1: World AIDS Day

December 3 The first American flag was raised aboard the USS Alfred in 1775 December 12, 1870:

Property: All properties Project: Diversity and Inclusion Job#: 55682.1 4:53 PM Show: Ship: 8/15/11 Insert: Vendor: dMax: Joseph Rainey Trim: 8.5” x 5.375” Live: x VO: x Bleed: .125" becameFinal the Mats: first PDF African File Art: Carrie Rev: 2 Desc.: Profiles in Diversity 8.5” x

American in the House of Representatives.

December 20: Dreamgirls opened on Broadway, 1981 PDJ

Savvy Women. Smart BuSineSS.

Encore PIONEERING COMEDIAN DIES AT 95

hyllis Diller, the pioneering female comedian, died at the age of 95 on August 20th. Along with other female comedians of her generation like Lucille Ball, Diller’s influence on women in comedy can still be felt, inspiring everyone from Ellen DeGeneres to Tina Fey, and helping break down gender barriers in comedy. Her standup act, which centered on jokes about her (lack of ) domesticity, femininity, and the aging process, was self-deprecating and zany. Part of her character also included a wild wardrobe and outlandish hair. Diller was born in Lima, Ohio. She later attended Columbia College and Bluffton College. Diller, true to her character, was originally a housewife. She began her career in Oakland, California, working on the radio and later television. She began performing standup in the mid-‘50s, and when she moved to St. Louis in the ‘60s had honed her now-famous act.

INSIGHT

“

”

starting with our own Most people at the Lifetime Healthcare Companies focus on the wellness of our customers. But some of us direct our attention to the core principles of a healthy company. Open opportunity and inclusive programs. We know that diversity and inclusion in our offices means more understanding and compassion in the communities we serve. Learn more about our diversity and inclusion programs by contacting diversity@lifethc.com.

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

— George S. Patton

Diller was featured on television and films throughout the ‘60s, often performing with Bob Hope. She continued to work in films, television, theater, and standup for the rest of her life. Diller is survived by three children. She was an accomplished pianist and painter.

Promoting healthy workPlaces

If a man does his best, what else is there?

November/December 2012

DID YOU KNOW?

Arby’s namesake comes from the the initials of its founders, the Raffel Brothers, (not roast beef).

The original name of 3M was Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. The most productive workweek day is Walt Disney World covers 40 square miles, about the size of San Francisco.

Tuesday .

Google’s first ever Twitter post, sent in February 2009, read “I’m 01100110 01100101 01100101 01101100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101100 01110101 01100011 01101011 01111001 00001010. Its meaning: “I’m feeling lucky.” PDJ

Corporate Index 141 Eyewear www.141eyewear.com......................24 3M www.3M.com.............................40, 86 ABC www.abc.com...................................14 Accenture www.accenture.com...................40, 41 ADP, Inc. www.adp.com.......................40, 41, 68 Aflac www.aflac.com..........................40, 17 Agence-France Presse www.afp.com......................................7 AIMD www.aimd.com.................................40 Allstate www.allstate.com.........................18-20 Alpha Brand Media www.alphabrandmedia.com.............18 American Association of Advertising Agencies www.aaaa.org...................................28 American Express www.americanexpress.com..............16

Andrews Kurth LLP www.andrewskurth.com........40, 41, 79 Aol www.aol.com....................................16 AQIWO www.aqiwo.com................................92 Aramark www.aramark.com............................76 ASTEP www.asperger-employment.org ....................................................60-61 Bank of the West www.bankofthewest.com.........40, 67 BB&T Capital Markets www.bbtcapitalmarkets.com...............6 BDO, USA, LLP www.bdo.com...............40, 41, 66, 90 Booz Allen Hamilton www.boozallen.com..........................40 Caesars Entertainment Corporation www.caesars.com..............40, 71, 87 Campus Pride www.campuspride.org......................32 Catalyst www.catalyst.com.............6, 26, 40, 42

Center for Legal Inclusiveness www.centerforlegalinclusiveness.org .........................................................77 Charles Schwab www.schwab.com...............40, 42, 51 Chevron www.chevron.com..............40, 42, 59 Cincinnati Children’s Medical Hosptial www.cincinnatichildrens.com......40, 72 Cisco Systems www.cisco.com.....................40, 42, 77 Citi www.cityslips.com.............................40 CitySlips www.cityslips.com.............................20 Comcast www.comcast.com............................14 Cowgirl Crush www.cowgirlcrushxo.com.................18 CSC www.csc.com................25, 40, 43, 69 CVS Caremark www.cvs.com............................40, 13 Dell www.dell.com....................................16

Diageo www.diageo.com..............................28 Dow Chemical www.dowchemical.com......................6 Dyncorp International www.dyn-intl.com..............................70 Edison Electric Institute www.eei.org........................................6 Energizer www.energizer.com..........................40 Ernst & Young LLP www.ey.com....................16, 40, 43, 71 Fannie Mae www.fanniemae.com ................................... Inside back, 40 Fleishman Hillard www.fleishmanhillard.com................82 Ford Harrison LLP www.fordharrison.com................40, 43 Fox News www.foxnews.com............................14 General Electric www.ge.com...............................40, 43 Gibbons P.C. www.gibbonspc.com.............40, 44, 73

“The more diverse our backgrounds, the deeper our insights” People who know, know BDO.

BOLD denotes Advertiser

Google www.google.com..............................28 Glitterbandz www.myglitterbandz.com.............19-20 Halliburton www.halliburton.com...................40, 44 Harris Corporation www.harris.com..........................40, 44 HCA Healthcare www.hcahealthcare.com..........40, 85 Highmark Inc. www.highmark.com..........................40 Ikea www.ikea.com...................................81 Ingersoll Rand www.ingersollrand.com...........40, 21 Intuit www.intuit.com..................................16 ISDIP www.diversityandinclusion professionals.org...............40, 44, 89 JBK Associates www.jbkassociates.net.........40, 45, 78 Jones Lang Lasalle www.joneslanglasalle.com....40, 45, 78 KPMG www.kpmg.com..........................40, 45 Kraft Foods Inc. www.kraftfoods.com.........................40 Lewis & Roca LLP www.lrlaw.com......................40, 45, 75 Lifetime Healthcare Companies www.lifetimehealth.org............40, 88 Lockheed Martin Corporation www.lockheedmartin.com .....................................Back cover, 40, McCann www.mccann.com.............................28 Microsoft www.microsoft.com...........................16 MoralEyes www.moraleyes.com.........................24 Moss Adams LLP www.mossadams.com..........40, 46, 79 MWV www.mwv.com............................40, 46 National Grid www.nationalgrid.com.................40, 46 National Hispanic Media Coalition www.nhmc.org..................................14 Netflix www.netflix.com................................16 New York Life www.nylife.com..................29, 40, 46 Nielsen www.nielsen.com..............................40 Novak Druce + Quigg www.novakdruce.com.......................73 OgilvyOne www.ogilvy.com................................28

PwC www.pwc.com.............................40, 47 Raytheon Company www.raytheon.com.....................40, 47 Restoring Vision www.restoringvision.org....................24 Rockwell Collins www.rockwellcollins.com............40, 47 Ryder Sytem, Inc. www.ryder.com.................................40 Sandia National Laboratories www.sandia.gov..........................40, 48 Shell International www.shell.com....................40, 48, 55 SHRM www.SHRM.org..........................40, 48 Sodexo www.sodexo.com .......................Inside front, 40, 48, 83 Sparrow Health System www.sparrow.org................40, 49, 91 Springboard Consulting LLC www.consultspringboard.com....40, 49, 65 Startup American Partnership www.s.co..........................................16 Teach for America www.teachforamerica.com...............74 Texas Instruments www.ti.com.......................................69 The Employment Law Group www.employmentlawgroup.net...........6 The Hartford www.thehartford.com............40, 49, 70 Thompson Hine LLP www.thompsonhine.com.............40, 49 TWI, Inc. www.twiinc.com................................40 Union Bank, N.A. www.unionbank.com...................40, 50 UnitedHealth Group www.unitedhealthgroup.com .............................................39, 40, 50 Univera Healthcare www.univerahealthcare.com.............76 University of Pennsylvania www.upenn.edu...........................30-32 University of South Carolina www.sc.edu.................................57-58 Univision www.univision.com...........................14 Vanguard www.vanguard.com..................33, 40 Verizon www.verizon.com.....................27, 40 Vision Spring www.visionspring.org........................16 Walgreen Co. www.walgreens.com...................40, 72 Walmart Stores, Inc. www.walmart.com................9, 40, 50

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Melveny & Myers LLP www.omm.com...........................40, 74 PNC www.pnc.com.................7, 15, 40, 47 Porter Novelli www.porternovelli.com......................75 Priceline www.priceline.com............................16

Warby Parker www.warbyparker.com......................24 Wellpoint, Inc. www.wellpoint.com ...................................5, 40, 50, 63, 68 Wilson HCG www.wilsonhcg.com...........................7 White & Case LLP www.whitecase.com.........................40

This is why you belong... Sparrow Health System, the perfect choice for your career in health care. Our Quality: Sparrow has achieved Magnet recognition for excellence in nursing services, placing the hospital among the top 6% in the nation. Caregiver Satisfaction at Sparrow is in the top 5% of all hospitals in the United States. Our Work Environment: Sparrow continues to be committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We believe that, through our similarities, we can create the common ground to bridge our differences and enhance our ability to serve a broad Patient base. Our Commitment: Sparrow is committed to providing our Caregivers with the resources necessary to fulfill their professional goals and to accomplish superior outcomes for our Patients. Our Opportunities: As mid-Michiganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading tertiary care provider, Sparrow provides diverse career opportunities in all specialty areas.

Learn more at sparrow.org or call us at 517.364.5858.

November/December 2012

WWW.DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

| QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

We spoke to Steve Mills, CEO and president of AQIWO, a distinguished Native American small business owner in honor of Native American Heritage Month, this November. In addition to his business acumen, Mills is also a noted philanthropist. Q. Tell me about your Native American heritage. I am Chumash; they are from central California. And they are part of a larger group called Mission Indians. Our heritage is coastal Indians, who are known for fishing [and boatbuilding]. The word ‘aqiwo’ means ‘shooting star’ or ‘light.’ Q. Why was it important to incorporate your Native American heritage in your business? I’ve got brown skin, and I came from a mixed family where my mom is white and my dad is not. A lot of my upbringing was from my white side of the family. I always knew I was different, and I thought, later on, there may be an opportunity to show that difference, and be proud of that, proud of my heritage and who I am as a person. Family is important and so is being proud of who you are. Q. What was your business startup journey and what gave you the idea for an information services firm? I’d gone through college, received my MBA, and I think I have the kind of personality that likes to achieve a lot, but I’m also diplomatic. I’ve been a leader on sports teams and different groups, and that doesn’t mean I’m always the best, but I like to pull all of it together. From a business perspective, I had an IT background, product management background, and consulting background, and I knew my strengths and weaknesses. I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I got into the government services arena, and I learned the ropes. I started my company in 2002 and we’ve been going strong since then. 92

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

Q. What has being a proud member of the Native American community given you and how do you give back? Any group is looking for examples. I hope to think that I’m one example. When I talk to young Native Americans, or anyone with a challenge, I always give them suggestions on how to be an entrepreneur. I say this is how I did it, and how I was successful. You don’t have to do this, but this is how I did it. Q. What do you think the greatest challenge facing Native Americans is today? It’s hard to stay optimistic. It’s hard to stay a good person. There’s that saying, “Nice guys finish last.” It’s not the case, but it seems like it is. So to stay true to your principles and beliefs, and live that out throughout your life is a hard thing to do. You have to be a strong person in the face of adversity, you cannot crumble up. You can’t do that because you have responsibility. I think staying true to who you are is a hard thing. Q. Mentoring is a large part of your philanthropy efforts. Why do you think it’s important to educate students and small businesses about government contracting? Mentoring and taking the extra time to talk to folks, that’s very important. Being proud of who you are and sharing it [is important]. It’s not work [to me] when I get a moment to share how [others] can be successful too. I’m going to start doing more of [speaking and mentoring] with tribes. PDJ

November/December 2012

There’s Never Been a More Important Time to Work at Fannie Mae.

At Fannie Mae, we value every employee’s contributions, and are committed to

diversity and inclusion

in our workforce, our workplace, and the marketplace. Join us as we work to solve today’s challenges and build a better housing finance system for the future for Fannie Mae, our customers and industry, and the families we touch in communities across America. We’re looking for qualified and ambitious professionals at all levels in a variety of roles – including: Business Analysts • Financial Economists • Financial Engineers Technical Architects • Operational Risk Analysts Project Managers • General Accountants IT Auditors • Sourcing/Procurement Specialists Capital Markets Analysts • Risk Analysts • Financial Analysts HR Professionals • Underwriters To apply online, go to www.fanniemae.com/careers, and connect with us via:

Join the Fannie Mae Talent Community

ÂŠ 2012 Lockheed Martin Corporation

FRESH PERSPECTIVES

CREATED DAILY

At Lockheed Martin, diversity is more than a goal. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a necessity. When facing down the most important projects in the world, every idea counts. Every viewpoint matters. Diversity not only makes our team more agile, it provides the energy and new perspectives that lead to original solutions. www.lockheedmartin.com