Diversity and inclusiveness

WHY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS

Diversity, equity and inclusion belong in every facet of our lives – including the workplace. As an organization focused on business, we embrace these ideas as foundational for economic growth and prosperity. As human beings, recent events have left us shaken. They highlight the gap between what we desire and the reality in which we work and live. We recognize we have members of our community in pain and that pain comes from a deficit of the very foundational ideas we hold dear.

At the Greater Green Bay Chamber, we cannot fulfill our mission to strengthen member businesses by enhancing economic and workforce development, resulting in improved quality of life in our community and region, without ensuring all have a voice. We have a long history as a convener and facilitator of critical conversations that lead to transformational action, and that is where we will focus our efforts. We will hold ourselves accountable to driving positive change. 

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVENESS IN THE GREATER GREEN BAY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN

A part of this necessary change can come through our Greater Green Bay Economic Development Strategic Plan Initiative #10: Ensure diversity & inclusiveness. More than 300 of our community leaders came together in 2017 to create a community-owned and -driven plan. We recognized then the challenges our communities faced regarding diversity and inclusiveness. Our community wants to do better – can do better – and that’s why the focus on diversity and inclusiveness resides in a holistic plan to move all of our community forward

The diversity and inclusiveness initiative, steered by a diversity and inclusiveness task force, was proactive. We’ve has made progress related to:

1. Promoting and encouraging companies to embrace and sign onto the national CEO Action pledge for Diversity & Inclusion™ to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. (See participating companies below.)
   
   
   
2. Creating and deploying several working groups to work on topics rooted in broadening diversity and inclusiveness in our community for:
   • community boards of directors
   • accessible housing
   • small business diversity

LOCAL COMPANIES THAT HAVE SIGNED ON TO THE CEO ACTION PLEDGE FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION  

If you're interested in learning more about the pledge for CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, click here. 

If you would like to get engaged in our diversity and inclusiveness efforts, contact Lauren Cooling at lcooling@greatergbc.org.

National Chamber initiative to address equality of opportunity

Additionally, our Chamber recently signed onto the U.S. Chamber’s national initiative to address inequality of opportunity in education, employment, entrepreneurship and criminal justice reform. As a partner on this important initiative, we will host local and industry dialogues to further the discussion.

Diversity and inclusiveness task force members