Accelerate January 2021 Magazine

One of the greatest societal opportunities that may arise from 2020 is the sense of urgency that has been brought forth across America in addressing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. DEI means many different things to many different people, and often, conversations around the topic can be difficult to navigate. In remaining consistent with the vision of making Waukesha County the best place to do business for employers and employees alike, the Waukesha County Business Alliance board of directors convened a DEI task force to review what DEI means to the Alliance. Specifically, what roles are appropriate for the Alliance as it relates to facilitating DEI conversations with members. The task force established three principles: 1. DEI actions must remain consistent with the Alliance’s mission and vision. 2. DEI actions must be sustainable and driven by member engagement, not Alliance staff. 3. Build momentum with a few meaningful, measurable actions in the first year. Given the complexity of DEI, the task force set off on an exploration process in which many perspectives were considered. Some notable steps included: • A survey of the Alliance board of directors which showed strong support for DEI as a strategic priority for the Alliance. • Research completed on DEI initiatives already underway by groups such as the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Milwaukee Urban League, MRA, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. • Presentations provided to the Alliance board of directors by Dr. Eve Hall, MUL President & CEO, and MMAC representatives Cory Nettles and Chris Rowland. • Participation by task force members in the MUL’s State of Black America Conference, MRA’s DEI Leadership Conference and the U.S. Chamber’s LEAD Conference. The task force was also provided an opportunity to work with MRA as part of a visioning session to review several potential policy options to present to the Alliance board of directors. In an effort to build momentum around a few meaningful steps, the Alliance board unanimously WAUKESHA COUNTY BUSINESS ALLIANCE, INC. | WAUKESHA.ORG DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION TASK FORCE SETS PRIORITIES JEFF HOFFMAN Principal, Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke Chair, Alliance Board of Directors 14