Partners for Workplace Diversity

Accomplishments 2009-2010

Membership:

The Partners for Workplace Diversity began in 1996 when 13 area organizations provided representatives to plan three half-day workshops for more than 100 of their employees/members. That was the first step in creating a network of diversity expertise on workplace diversity in the Valley. Today’s membership includes more than 30 organizations: the two major health systems in the area, General Motors Lordstown Complex, several area banks, agencies, professional associations, the two major Universities and other schools, the 910th Airlift Wing, the Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way, YWCA of Youngstown and of Warren, and Sam’s Club. Participation in Partners’ programs is much more extensive. Our full set of programs in any given year generally reaches more than 1000 people.

Achievements this past year:

Diversity Works 2009-2010:

            This year was a strategic planning year for the Partners for Workplace Diversity. A year-long set of planning meetings were held and members were surveyed about their vision and recommendations for the Alliance for upcoming years. Outcomes included creating a board to oversee key functions and to provide leadership and vision since McMahon will be retiring. Committees were created to focus on programs and visibility. Strategies were adopted to address the fact that our size now prohibits a “group of the whole” approach to all decisions. A set of six key programs were chosen for the year 2010-2011. These programs will be aimed at creating stronger relations with the area’s business communities and stronger bonds among the Partners themselves.

Other highlights of the year included continuing programs begun during the last two years:

• The Partners expanded a program with women owners of small businesses. The women owners participate in designing the activities of this program through participation in events, working with the Youngstown Business and Professional Women’s Club and through Williamson College of Business Administration. These events were supported by an emerging markets initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Education awarded to the Williamson College of Business Administration at YSU (CFDA No. 84.153A). The events were participating programs in National Entrepreneurship Week, Global Small Business Week, and National Businesswomen’s’ Week.
• Other Programs with the area’s business community included a diversity workshop, participation in the annual Society for Human Resource Management’s Human Resource Management Conference and the YWCA’s Women’s Leadership Conference.
• Programs with the area’s students included a student initiated program on diversity in the Youngstown City Schools, recognizing the students honored at the Annual YSU Hispanic Heritage conference
• Revised our web site that provides introductory information and materials for diversity programming to the members and to the community.   The web site has brought contacts from around the country and Canada requesting permission to use our materials. www.ysu.edu/workplacediversity  

Long Term Achievements:

Partners for Workplace Diversity has:

• Brought together professionals from Valley businesses and educational programs to develop and deliver more than a dozen training programs serving more than 500 individuals in more than 25 organizations.

• Sponsored annual Diversity Works celebrations each fall that encourages every workplace in the Valley to recognize how diversity and diversity competencies support mission effectiveness. Diversity Works events have involved not only intensive education and celebration in the various Partners’ organizations, but have provided community wide awareness and education programs. Promotional materials for Diversity Works are displayed nationally.

• Initiated “spotlight on diversity” at our meetings to learn about diversity-related accomplishments by Valley organizations. The program has been written up in the Ohio CEO Magazine. In 2005, the Partners were invited to help with the program sponsored annually by the Cleveland City Club, leading to Dr. Sylvia Hyre’s (from YSU) becoming one the key speakers in the series on diversity.

• Brought to the Valley nationally known guest speakers addressing women’s leadership in business, race and ethnicity issues in business, understanding the business case for diversity, new laws impacting business on diversity topics, and on cultural issues in health care delivery.

• Created a network of educated professionals who develop opportunities for their organizations and for their partners in business and education. Professionals in the Partnership often assist each other with intra-organizational challenges and training.

• In addition to being recognized by Ohio CEO Magazine, the Partners’ programs have gained national visibility by:

• Presenting papers on campus-community alliances for educational programming and cultural change at four national professional conferences in higher education.

• Publishing three articles in the business press on the merits of community alliances as a tool for diversity education and programming in business.

• Service on the Executive Committee of the National Workplace Diversity Committee of the Society for Human Resource Management, the premier professional association of human resource managers. For 5 years, Anne McMahon, organizer of the Partners for Workplace Diversity, volunteered on that committee.