Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division
Mission
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Division is the place for chamber of commerce professionals to network with peers, connect with industry leaders, share information and learn best practices about diversity, inclusion and minority business development.
Goals
- Leverage members’ combined experience and knowledge to advance diversity and inclusion programs and practice throughout the chamber profession.
- Provide chamber leaders with access to information, individuals and ideas that will help them build more economically and socially inclusive regions and organizations.
- Become a forum to discuss new diversity and inclusion ideas and initiatives for ACCE and the chamber of commerce profession at large.
Focus areas
- Workforce - Concerted effort to recruit qualified employees from traditionally underrepresented groups.
- Workplace - Adopting policies and practices that include people who have historically been absent from your organization.
- Marketplace - More deeply involve minority-owned enterprises in the regional economy and recognize the enormous purchasing power of minority groups.
Division leadership
- Chair: Ken James, Director of Inclusion, Grand Rapids Chamber
- Past Chair: Brian Hall, Executive Director, Commission on Economic Inclusion, Greater Cleveland Partnership
Resources
Roundtable Calls
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - December 15, 2020
- Continued discussion about what chambers are focused on as we move into 2021
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - November 17, 2020
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - October 20, 2020
- Presentation from Dr. Jocasta Olp, Diversity Coordinator at the Anchorage Chamber, on the Anchorage Gig Economy Network (AGEN), a new arm of the chamber's DEI program
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - September 15, 2020
- Roundtable discussion about goals, successes, challenges and maintaining momentum around DEI work
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - August 18, 2020
- Roundtable discussion on DEI speakers and how chambers are addressing issues surrounding racial equity in their communities
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - July 21, 2020
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - July 7, 2020
- Roundtable discussion on how chambers are addressing issues surrounding racial equity in their communities
- Resources shared by participants
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - June 16, 2020
- Roundtable discussion on how chambers are supporting racial equity with an overview from Valerie Patton, Senior Vice President, Inclusion and Talent Attraction at the St. Louis Regional Chamber, on their work with the Ferguson Commission
- Resources shared by participants include the St Louis Regiona Chamber's DEI programs, the Omaha Chamber's CEOs for CODE (Commitment for Opportunity, Diversity and Equity) statement and ACCE's recent blog posts on DEI
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - May 19, 2020
- Roundtable discussion on addressing DEI-related impacts of COVID-19
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - April 21, 2020
- Roundtable discussion on internal efforts around board DEI and addressing DEI-related impacts of COVID-19
- Resources shared by participants
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - March 17, 2020
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - February 18, 2020
- Roundtable discussion on current initiatives and challenges around DEI
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - January 21, 2020
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - December 17, 2019
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - November 19, 2019
- Discussion on working with volunteer leadership with the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - October 15, 2019
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - September 17, 2019
- Discussion of minority business accelerators with the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - August 20, 2019
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - June 5, 2018
- Discussion on DEI within the chamber workplace
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - May 1, 2018
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - April 3, 2018
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - December 5, 2017
- Discussion on what to include on a decision sheet for C-Suite engagement
- DEI Division Roundtable Call - November 7, 2017
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - September 12, 2017
- Prioritization of discussion topics for future calls based on this list.
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - August 1, 2017
- A recap and debrief of convention programming and discussion on topics to cover over the next 12 months
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - June 6, 2017
- Discussion on D&I strategic planning
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - May 2, 2017
- Discussion on Minority Business Development programs and Entrepreneur services
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - April 4, 2017
- Discussion on incorporating inclusion principals throughout an organization - special guest Greg Aguilar - Quad Cities Chamber
- D&I Division Rountable Call - March 7, 2017
- Discussion on measuring success
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - December 6, 2016
- Discussion on partnering with other community organizations
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - November 2016
- Discussion on how the election climate has impacted chamber D&I work
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - October 2016
- Discussion on Communication Strategies
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - July 12, 2016
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - June 7, 2016
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - May 3, 2016
- Large-scale Diversity Summits - special guest Lisa McGinty, Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - April 5, 2016
- Identifying and lifting up best practice Small and Medium size organizations that are finding success in D&I
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - March 1, 2016
- Relationships between Niche and General Market Chambers & Supplier Diversity Programs
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - February 2, 2016
- Eddie McBride, Lubbock and Annette Medlin, Corpus Christi both shared about merging with local Hispanic Chambers
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - January 12, 2016
- Member goals and new programs for 2016
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - December 1, 2015
- Staff Training and Development
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - November 2, 2015
- Tom Baldrige of the Lancaster (PA) Chamber shares how their board came to support a statewide measure for LGBT protections
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - October 6, 2015
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - September 1, 2015
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - June 2, 2015
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - May 5, 2015
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - April 7, 2015
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - March 3, 2015
- D&I Division Roundtable Call - January 6, 2015
Past newsletters
Join today
To inquire about the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Division, contact Amy Shields at ashields@acce.org or call 703-998-3530 with your question. You can also update your profile status online to receive Division communications.