Diversity, Equity & Inclusion - Vol. 9/Issue 2

The Black Bill of Rights, A Journey Page 60

Bear the Truth Page 24

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Maintaining DE&I in Your Workplace During the COVID-19 Crisis Page 28

Vol. 9/Issue 2

Women, Peace & Security Page 55

From the LA Riots to Covid-19, FACE Addresses Ongoing Racial Discrimination Against Asian Americans Page 35

Elizabeth Tumulty Page 38

$20 USD

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Volume 9, Issue 2

Borrowing a phrase from Davia Temin, CEO of Temin & Company, from Crisis to Chaos, we are experiencing multiple transformations at epic portions more than ever before in modern history! Already in 2020 we have seen so many “Breaking News” stories, where the media hasn’t always closed out the news piece and so many “Breaking News” are left on the cutting floor to be only covered by the local news. There are not enough hours in the day or bandwidth to cover all the major news from any one network given so many logistical issues.

Here at NAWRB, we are proud of our boutique intense operations bringing hard hitting issues to the forefront leveraging resources and relationships making impactful changes while promoting positive news.

Introducing our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Volume 9, Issue 2 NAWRB Magazine, with an in-depth look into how the recent COVID-19 pandemic has affected diversity, equity and inclusion in many facets of the housing and real estate ecosystem. This issue features the voices of different minority groups, who have all been affected by the current public health and economic crisis in unique ways, from Blacks and Asian Americans who have suffered from perpetual racial bias and discrimination in our nation’s troubled history to the adverse impact the pandemic has had on the aging population and the economic growth and security of women.

NAWRB’s sheCENTER(FOLD) Elizabeth Tumulty, Former President of CBS Television Network, for the first time, in an extremely personal and extensive interview, shares how her upbringing and the obstacles she faced became her core pillars of strength, climbing her way up from being a secretary to a powerful negotiator and senior executive in the network television industry.

We shine a light and introduce so many firsts, Black Bill of Rights from Jasper James, Co-Founder of Activism Articulated; insight into the important work being done for Women, Peace and Security by MAJ Army Veteran Erica Courtney; a geology major’s adventure traversing the Juneau Icefield of Alaska; and a guide for increasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace during this unprecedented time.

We all are in this together to uphold and enrich the Quality of Life for all!

Thank you for your continued support, contributions, and bringing us to the table in achieving greater diversity, equity and inclusion.

Desirée Patno, CEO & President of NAWRB Chairwoman of NDILC

WOMEN IN FRANCHISING:

What Glass Ceiling?

One of the biggest challenges facing those bitten by the entrepreneurial bug is starting from scratch with a dream and then building an infrastructure for it to thrive as a viable business. Many successful entrepreneurs become part of a franchise organization to benefit from an established business model, brand recognition and systems which provide a proven track to run on, so they can blast off the blocks with a solid head start.

The secret sauce of any successful franchisor is its ability to balance an easy-to-implement business model with the flexibility to allow free-spirited entrepreneurs the freedom to build their own business - to put their stamp on it - and develop a culture that fosters growth, profitability and personal fulfillment.

The rest of your life is waiting! Learn about our by-invitation-only growth strategy at joinexitrealty.com

This is not intended and shall not be deemed to constitute any offer to sell a franchise. Franchise offerings shall only be made by a Franchise Discloser Document. Please disregard if you are currently under a contract with another brand.

Updated Resources for Women Entrepreneurs

&

Business Owners during COVID-19

Entrepreneurship is a tried and true way of generating wealth and women are driven to self-employment for its other benefits as well, including the ability to be their own boss, work flexible hours and do something that they are passionate about and enjoy.

vices sold in the nation grows the economy, and makes the nation more competitive in meeting needs of consumers. Moreover, when businesses thrive, so do the owners’ financial positions and their employees’ incomes.

Women entrepreneurs have notoriously faced hardships in gaining access to capital, from lack of information and resources and local and state government assistance, to facing cultural biases from investors. Without adequate capital, women cannot make their creative ideas a reality, nor can they afford to maintain the businesses that provide jobs for a significant portion of the population.

No "One-Size-Fits-All" Approach to Helping Women-Owned Businesses

Pre-Existing Disparities in Revenue between Women-Owned Businesses & All Businesses Women-owned businesses make a sizable contribution to the nation’s economy and are continuing to drive economic growth, according to American Express’s 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report. At nearly 13 million in number, they represent 42 percent of all businesses, employ 9.4 million workers and generate revenue of $1.9 trillion.

However, there are still glaring disparities between these businesses and total businesses in terms of size and revenue. The revenue disparity between women-owned and all privately held businesses has increased since 1997. For every dollar that a privately held company generated, women-owned businesses generated 37 cents in 1997 and 30 cents in 2019. In 2019, women-owned businesses had average earnings of $142,900 compared to $474,900 for all privately held businesses and $1.4 million for all firms.

Closing this gap could benefit everyone as more goods and ser-

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Increasing the economic potential and opportunity for women-owned businesses requires change on multiple fronts, including policies, practices and attitudes. Indirect help to women-owned businesses can mean family leave and affordable childcare, both of which impact all working women. Direct help for financial growth might include training, access to capital and markets, which can be targeted towards segments of business.

Most importantly, industries and actors within the entrepreneurial ecosystem must consider the unique needs and circumstances of women-owned businesses, since not every business or business owner faces the same obstacles. Below are a few resources that women-owned businesses can utilize to help them recover from economic loss faced during the COVID-19 outbreak.

COVID-19 Relief for Small Businesses: EIDL Loans & PPP

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities (CARES) Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020, provides $349 billion in relief for American workers and small businesses. The CARES Act also established several new temporary SBA programs to address the COVID-19 outbreak: SBA Economic Injury Disaster (EIDL) Loans & PPP (Paycheck Protection Program).

Access to Capital At time of writing, the SBA had run out of these funds within two weeks of providing financial aid to small businesses, and the federal government is working on funneling more money to the SBA to carry on their funding programs. However, U.S. Congress reached a deal on a roughly $480 Billion coronavirus relief funding package to continue helping small business and hospitals, and expand COVID-19 testing. This new funding package comes after the initial funds set aside for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) were exhausted in just two weeks — due to over 1.66 million loans for more than $342 billion.

EIDL Loans & PPP

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reopened the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance program portal on June 15, 2020, to all eligible U.S. small businesses, private non-profit organization or 501(c)(19) veterans organizations, who are experiencing economic impacts due to COVID-19.

The EIDL program, established by the CARES Act, offers longterm, low interest assistance that can alleviate temporary loss of revenue and help cover payroll and inventory, pay debt or fund other expenses.

The EIDL Advance provides up to $10,000 ($1,000 per employee) of emergency economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties. These emergency grants do not have to be repaid!

“The SBA is strongly committed to working around the clock, providing dedicated emergency assistance to the small businesses and non-profits that are facing economic disruption due to the COVID-19 impact. With the reopening of the EIDL assistance and EIDL Advance application portal to all new applicants, additional

"The SBA is strongly committed to working around the clock, providing dedicated emergency assistance to the small businesses and non-profits that are facing economic disruption due to the COVID-19 impact."

small businesses and non-profits will be able to receive these long-term, low interest loans and emergency grants – reducing the economic impacts for their businesses, employees and communities they support,” said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza in the official press release.

“Since EIDL assistance due to the pandemic first became available to small businesses located in every state and territory, SBA has worked to provide the greatest amount of emergency economic relief possible. To meet the unprecedented need, the SBA has made numerous improvements to the application and loan closing process, including deploying new technology and automated tools.”

Small business owners in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance of up to $10,000. As stated on the SBA’s website, “This advance will provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. Funds will be made available following a successful application. This loan advance will not have to be repaid.” Please note that “successful application” does not mean you have to be approved for the loan. Moreover, loan approval is not necessary to receive the loan advance.

To apply for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan, go to https://lnkd.in/gkjJVFE. For more info, visit https://www.sba. gov/page/disaster-loan-applications.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

The Paycheck Protection Program provides loan forgiveness for retaining employees by temporarily expanding the traditional SBA 7(a) loan program. Just like the aforementioned EIDL Loan Advances, the SBA will forgive loans received through this program if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.

As stipulated by the SBA, small businesses can apply for PPP through “any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other regu-

NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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lated lenders will be available to make these loans once they are approved and enrolled in the program. You should consult with your local lender as to whether it is participating in the program.”

New Law Adds Flexibility to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

President Trump has recently signed into law, H.R. 701, the “Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (PPPFA),” which makes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) more flexible for PPP loans originated on or after June 5, 2020. The SBA will now forgive loans received through this program if all employees are kept on the payroll for 24 weeks, and if 60 percent of the funds is used for payroll. The other 40 percent can be used for rent, mortgage interest, utilities and other costs.

"The SBA will now forgive loans received through this program if all employees are kept on the payroll for 24 weeks, and if 60% of the funds are used for payroll."

• •

The loan deferral period authorized in the CARES Act to ten months from the end of the loan’s covered period; and The deadline for rehiring individuals to June 30, 2020.

These changes to the PPP follow two Interim Final Rules (IFRs) issued by the SBA that went into effect May 28, 2020, which you can read here: https://bit.ly/2Z4O45L The PPP was created to help small businesses recover from Covid-related economic loss, and provides loan forgiveness for retaining employees by temporarily expanding the traditional SBA 7(a) loan program.

As stipulated by the SBA, small businesses can apply for PPP through “any existing SBA 7(a) lender or through any federally insured depository institution, federally insured credit union, and Farm Credit System institution that is participating. Other regulated lenders will be available to make these loans once they are approved and enrolled in the program. You should consult with your local lender as to whether it is participating in the program.”

In response to the PPP Flexibility Act of 2020, signed into law

by President Trump on June 5, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) posted a revised, borrower-friendly Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application. In addition to revising the full forgiveness application, SBA also published a new “EZ version” of the forgiveness application. “These changes will result in a more efficient process and make it easier for businesses to realize full forgiveness of their PPP loan,” states the SBA’s official press release.

EZ Forgiveness Application

Changes by the PPPFA, include: •

•

• •

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Extending the “covered period” during which businesses must disburse their PPP funds from eight weeks to 24 weeks (although businesses with PPP loans can opt to retain the eight-week covered period); Reducing the proportion of PPP funds that must be spent on payroll in order for the loan to qualify for forgiveness from 75 percent to 60 percent; and Amending some CARES Act PPP provisions to extend: The period for which funds may be repaid to five years;

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The EZ version of the application applies to borrowers who: • •

“Are self-employed and have no employees; OR Did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%, and did not reduce the number or hours of

their employees; OR Experienced reductions in business activity as a result of health directives related to COVID-19, and did not reduce the salaries or wages of their employees by more than 25%.”

In contrast to the regular application, the EZ application requires fewer calculations and less documentation for eligible borrowers.

Interested applicants can find more detailed information about the applicability of these provisions in the EZ application form. Both applications give borrowers the option of either using the original 8-week covered period, or the extended 24-week covered period, as offered by the PPP Flexibility Act (explained in full below).

For PPP data disclosed to date and funds remaining, click here: https://bit.ly/39kiwwv

View the EZ Forgiveness Application: https://bit.ly/2VTcMUJ View the Full Forgiveness Application: https://bit.ly/3gAHl9R

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs) received 4.27 percent ($20.6 billion) of federal small business eligible contracts. Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB) were awarded 9.65 percent ($46.5 billion) of small business eligible contracts.

•

SBA & Treasury Will Increase Transparency of Paycheck Protection Program Loans

On June 19th, 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury made a joint announcement that they will make additional data public regarding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), in agreement with leaders of the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee. In doing so, they will make a concerted effort to facilitate the interests of both transparency of data and protection for small businesses who receive PPP loans.

The SBA will now disclose information about the recipients of PPP loans, including: businesses names; addresses; NAICS codes; zip codes; business type; demographic information; non-profit information; jobs supported; and loan amount ranges.

Loan amount ranges that account for almost 75 percent of loan dollars approved include: • $150,000-350,000 • $350,000-1 million • $1-2 million • $2-5 million • $5-10 million For loan amounts below $150,000, the following data will be released: totals aggregated by zip code, industry, business type, and various demographic categories.

Government Contracting In March 2019, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that the federal government presently awards $22.9 billion in federal small business contracts to women-owned small businesses. It achieved its small business procurement goal for the sixth year in a row, awarding 25.05 percent ($120 billion) of federal contracts to small businesses.

As with the SBA, there are government contracting opportunities for women entrepreneurs with diverse agencies: In FY 2018, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) "obligated" about $44.9 million of its total contracting dollars to minority- and women-owned businesses, an approximate $1.2 million increase from FY 2017.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) awarded $212.9 million in contracts in 2018, of which $38.4 million went to women-owned businesses (WOB) and $56.7 million to minority women-owned businesses (MWOB). In FY 2017, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) total spend was $169,441,229, of which $51,995,823 (30.7 percent) was spent with minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

From public utility companies to Federal agencies, the entities searching for diverse firms are extensive, and business certification can help bring you to the forefront. Here’s the most important part: agencies and entities cannot utilize you based on your di-

"Women-owned business can represent significant appeal to buyers wanting to work with women."

“We value transparency and our fiduciary responsibility to ensure American taxpayer funds are used appropriately. This responsibility goes together with the steps we are now taking to provide needed public information in step with protecting entrepreneurs’ personally identifiable information associated with their business loan,”said Administrator Jovita Carranza. “Small businesses are the driving force of our economic stability and are leading the way to allow our nation to rebound safely.”

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Premier

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

DesirĂŠe Patno

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kendall Roderick

Executive

CONTENT WRITER

Burgandy Basulto PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS

Jay Jones

/NAWRB

/NAWRB

NAWRB Magazine is a quarterly publication with gender lens perspective, featuring unique content, articles on diversity, inclusion and engagement in the housing ecosystem, exclusive interviews with industry professionals, business development tools, book reviews, feature stories and more. All materials submitted to NAWRB Magazine are subject to editing if utilized.

The articles, content, and other information in this publication are for information purposes only, but do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of NAWRB. NAWRB assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

Order Your Subscription Today!

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| NAWRB MAGAZINE

versity if they do not know you exist. The importance and value of certifying your business cannot be overstated.

A pivotal benefit of leveraging your business’s diversity classification is the network you will create. As you solidify yourself in a community of diverse entrepreneurs, you can benefit from referring and being referred for business opportunities and government contracting. With their potential to fuel business sustainability, the prospects that come from diversity classification cannot be ignored.

Knowing that you’re a women-owned business can represent significant appeal to buyers wanting to work with women. According to Bloomberg, women make 85 percent of all purchasing decisions—and 91 percent of new home purchasing decisions— in the U.S. If you leverage your women-owned business certification, you are giving yourself a leg up on the competition before even shaking hands with your client.

In addition to government contracting, diversity classification can open your business to newfound streams of funding, from banks to venture capital dollars. A diversity certification is a denotation awarded to businesses that are at least 51 percent owned by a disadvantaged member of the population. For instance, a women-owned business must be 51 percent owned, managed and operated by women.

The Federal Reserve Board's Main Street Lending Program The Federal Reserve Board announced that it is expanding its Main Street Lending Program to allow more small and medium-sized businesses to receive support.

The Board has "lowered the minimum loan amount, raised the maximum loan limit, adjusted the principal repayment schedule to begin after two years, and extended the term to five years, providing borrowers with greater flexibility in repaying the loans."

"Supporting small and mid-sized businesses so they are ready to reopen and rehire workers will help foster a broad-based economic recovery," Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell said. "I am confident the changes we are making will improve the ability of the Main Street Lending Program to support employment during this difficult period."

Small and medium-sized businesses are a vital part of the economy and employ tens of millions of people, and, because their needs vary widely, the Board has extensively sought feedback and revised the Main Street program accordingly.

The changes include: • Lowering the minimum loan size for certain loans to $250,000 from $500,000; • Increasing the maximum loan size for all facilities; • Increasing the term of each loan option to five years, from four years; • Extending the repayment period for all loans by delaying principal payments for two years, rather than one; and • Raising the Reserve Bank's participation to 95% for all loans.

Once they have successfully registered for the program, lenders are encouraged to begin making Main Street loans immediately.

"Women make 85% of all purchasing decisions—and 91% of new home purchasing decisions—in the U.S." The Main Street Lending Program intends to purchase 95% of each eligible loan that is submitted to the program, provided that the required documentation is complete and the transactions are consistent with the relevant Main Street facility's requirements.

The Main Street Lending Program will also accept loans that were originated under the previously announced terms, if funded before June 10, 2020.

Nonprofit organizations play a critical role throughout the economy, and the Board is working to establish a program soon for these organizations.

The Main Street Lending Program was established with the approval of the Treasury Secretary and with $75 billion in equity provided by the Treasury Department from the CARES Act. Additional frequently asked questions and answers for lenders and borrowers are also available. The form participation agreement and other legal forms will be updated to align with the announced changes.

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Diversity in Leadership & Board Positions: Women Face the “Broken Rung�

In 2019, women represented 48% of the corporate pipeline, of which 30% were white women and 18% were women of color, according to the 2019 Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey & Company. In contrast, men comprised 51 percent of entry level positions. In the following, you will see the representation from the managerial level to the C-suite.

Over the last five years, the representation of women in the C-suite has increased from 17% to 21%. There are three primary reasons for this increase, including:

1. More women being hired at the director level and above in the past few years; 2.

Senior-level women are being promoted at a higher rate than their male counterparts; and

3. Men at the Senior Vice President and C-suite levels are slightly more likely to leave their companies, which are creating more open positions for women to fill.

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Leadership 12%

14%

17%

Men of Color

Men of Color

38%

34%

Women Overall

45% White Men

Manager

White Men

27%

12%

Sr. Manager/ Director

51%

Men of Color

Women Overall

9%

Women of Color

Vice President

57%

24%

White Men

26%

White Women

30%

Women Overall

White Women

White Women

Women of Color

10%

10%

Men of Color

64% White Men

Men of Color

26%

Women Overall

Senior Vice President

White Women

18%

White Women

68% White Men

5%

Women Overall

C-Suite

21%

7%

Women of Color

21%

4%

Women of Color

Women of Color

What explains the gap in women’s representation from the workforce to leadership roles?

It is likely that women in design face similar challenges as women in other industries rising from entry level to higher management roles. The first step up to manager is the “broken rung,” which has become more of a challenge for women than the “glass ceiling.”

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Crisis Leadership: How To Build Tru st In An

Untrustworthy

World

By Davia Temin

As we careen from crisis to crisis — from global pandemic to political turmoil; from imperiled economic outlook to profound social re-evaluation — we are all looking for who to listen to, and who to believe.

We’re looking for a trusted voice in the storm to help guide us, one that can steer us toward the truth as it unfolds, and away from lies and misstatements, be they well-meaning or malicious. This is the leaders’ task – to provide that “True North” to employees, community, customers, investors, and stakeholders.

But this is an almost impossible task in such a topsy-turvy landscape, where it can be impossible to distinguish sky from ground.

Sequestered – quarantined by choice or fiat, avoiding exposure by working from home, or gingerly restarting our public lives – our choices for who to listen to have changed. No more can we comfortably sit across from our boss in a group meeting and use all of our senses to tell whether he or she is telling us the whole truth. Working remotely, half of the sensors we are used to using are missing.

And while we’re incredibly lucky to have video and teleconferences, podcasts and webinars, live streaming, virtual chat rooms, and virtual galas, salons, board meetings and policy meetings – still that personal touch is missing, and with it many of the clues we use to determine integrity and truthfulness.

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So who do we trust? And how can leaders establish trust?

As the paucity of believable messages from political leaders grows, and political considerations may also taint our respect for health organizations, it becomes the responsibility of corporate and academic leaders worldwide to help fill the void. In other words, business leaders need to become the adults in the room.

Here are some suggestions on what it will take:

First, stay on point. Now is not the time to talk to the public

or your own teams about things that are extraneous. Communications need to be about, or take into account, the pandemic, financial security, strategies for growth, diversity and inclusion and other critical issues of the day. Anything else can feel callous, superficial or just off.

Even ads are more irrelevant or annoying if they don’t take the new reality into consideration.

Eventually some semblance of normalcy will return... but not yet. For now, it is best for leaders to admit that information is imperfect, and plans uncertain, but that they deeply care about the physical, financial and emotional health of their constituencies, are working as hard as they can, and will update communications in real time. Aspiration, intention and compassion matter in times of grave crisis.

unemployment subsidies have run out, more tough news will start to be delivered – inviolable rules, scarcity, new laws, layoffs, financial rout. Now the pain will begin as more folks around the country are getting ill in the resurgence of the virus, and fear mounts, tempers fray, bank accounts empty, and death has becomes more common.

It was the same right after 9/11. Communications had to be at a higher, more inclusive and caring level, as well as commercial. And so our public communications need to be at the highest levels today as well. Communicate about offering help in the crisis, about commitment to equality and dedication to economic recovery, or hold off and be silent.

Second, communicate more frequently than ever before

with your teams. At the outset of the pandemic many leaders instituted a daily early morning briefing call with their entire teams. Some have now transitioned to twice weekly or weekly.

Often they are preceded by an even earlier morning briefing with the crisis or executive team. Part boosterism, part information, and part indoctrination, these briefings cascade key messages to employees, and through them to clients, customers, vendors, and all contacts for the day. The best financial leaders did this in 2008 during the recession, helping their employees to stay on message, stay calm and clear, and stay armed with data.

Third, know how to deliver bad news. Today, written com-

munications have taken on the status of art forms. And they follow the cycles of the unfolding crisis. The first communication from a CEO or college president during this pandemic was about support for the community, commitment to help ride it out, and courage.

The second communication often has been about decisions, such as making work, courses, lectures or exams virtual, and allowing staff to work from home, or students to leave the campus, while staying flexible to constituent preference.

Here the trusted voice to deliver bad news is straight-forward, kind, but purely truthful, powerful and ready to lead the fight. We all need more than ever to see that we have a common enemy in the contagion, and not in one another. Rather like Andrew Cuomo, now we need a benevolent field general who can give us tough love, and lead us into battle. That is what the evolving voice of trusted leadership needs to be in the third phase of the communication cycle.

Finally,

the antidote to inevitable panic, fear, and mass anxiety is unassailable expertise and science. Dr. Anthony Fauci has admirably played that role so far, and it is critical that he continue. We need experts who appear to be above politics and self-interest, keeping the public interest foremost at all times.

So think about tapping the expertise in your own organizations – if you have physicians or scientists who can add to the conversation, add professional calm, and give us continual insight as events unfold, then by all means, think about showcasing them in your communications. Their gravitas and credibility will also help your efforts to build trust with every constituent.

Be safe out there.

Davia Temin is global crisis, risk, and

reputation strategist working at the highest levels to help create, enhance and save reputations and coach organizational leaders.

She is the founder of Temin and Company, a boutique management consulting firm focused on providing world-class marketing and media strategy, crisis and reputation management, thought leadership, and executive leadership and communications coaching.

The third wave of communications is more about racial equality, institutional diversity and renewed culture. But now that NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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http://bit.ly/NDILC Teresa Palacios Smith started a series in Real Living that has been approved by the CEO, called “Women Who Lead.” It will be hosted every Wednesday, and it will be debuted the third week of June. It will feature women in their network and those they are proud to work with, and she is excited to have NDILC members be a part of it. It will be up to an hour broadcast that will be shared within their network, and they will engage in a “cafecito” discussion about women’s issues and topics in women’s leadership. Special guests include Desiree Patno, CEO & President of NAWRB, and Erica Courtney, CEO of 2020vet, Inc. Erica Courtney’s company 2020vet, Inc., a California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) focused on hiring, developing and retaining military veterans and women, has partnered with Truline and Arbill who have specialized in safety products for over 75 years to offer an affordable COVID-19 Employee Safety Kit manufactured in the U.S. by women business owners that can be personally branded and distributed globally. A portion of the proceeds go to community organizations helping women and veterans as they are disproportionately affected by this crisis.

Tami Bonnell CEO of EXIT Realty Corp. International, “I recently had the opportunity to speak to the California Association of Realtors Staff. They have an amazing team and excellent leadership, and I was impressed with what I witnessed. It was Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day. It is celebrated across the United States, celebrating the day in Texas when the Union Army General Gordon Granger announced Federal Orders in Galveston, Texas, on June 19,1865 proclaiming that all slaves in Texas were free. Before I spoke, a few of the employees of color showed films educating us on Juneteenth. It was very informative, but the best part was when they shared their own personal stories—one member had a grandmother that had been a slave, another a great grandfather. When you could visualize how they lived and how important this holiday is to their families, it was so touching. I honestly believe when we connect on a more human level and we share our stories, our history and our values, we realize we are all connected. My hope is we engage in meaningful conversations that bring us all closer with a strong appreciation for our differences. This is a wonderful opportunity to go from Unconscious Bias to Conscious Understanding.” Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3atmboJeqro&feature=youtu.be Dr. Chitra Dorai shared the information she gathered about the effects of COVID-19 on the Aging Population. Many states don't have explicit segmentation of data focused on the population over the age of 60, so she wanted to see what was going on in her own research. The chart on COVID-19 cases among the aging population per state is available on amicusbrain.com, and the info is updated weekly. People with dementia in nursing homes have no other choice but to stay there and be at risk for infection. She did a podcast with Desiree for Know the Rules of the Game® Podcast for Defining the Future Kellie Aamodt, Board Member of Marine Applied Research & Exploration (MARE), assisted in MARE’s first expedition on June 15th off of San Diego to measure ocean health from SD to Catalina. The procedures have changed to adapt to COVID-19 safety standards. She also started writing for her church’s newsletter on women in corporate America. She has her second volume out now and has had positive feedback.

Who do you know that is a perfect NDILC fit?

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Leadership is “Essential”

As America began to mount a defense and a response to Covid-19, the word “essential” suddenly became ubiquitous.

Whether Real Estate agents were deemed essential was neither immediately clear nor consistent throughout our country.

What also was unclear was whether one’s Real Estate brokerage or brand leader was more symbolic or indispensable, more ceremonial or essential.

In our organization’s case, our Chairman Gino Blefari and the CEO of both the Berkshire Hathaway Home Services network, Chris Stuart and Real Living Real Estate, Allan Dalton, exemplify essential leadership, especially in times of crisis.

Regarding serving those in need, from the moment it became clear that this pandemic would be shutting down most businesses in order to keep our country safe, our organization began providing informational bridges between our networks and the range of relevant government relief programs (C.A.R.E.S. Act, SBA and PPP) helping more than 133 of our franchisees with guidance and support.

We produced over forty videos in the past several weeks alone. These videos sent out to the networks provide not only educational and governmental updates but also provide a sense of community and encouragement for our network members. In addition, many of these videos have been converted into Spanish which has been welcomed by many of the network’s agents.

Our commitment to the community has never been stronger as our leadership has participated in numerous trade organization events where their expertise and industry knowledge could be shared with their membership including AREAA, NAHREP,

NAGLEP, NAMBBA and NAWRB. Gino, Chris and Allan have also interviewed experts who could share their insights and perspectives including Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research with the National Association of Realtors; Tim Wilson, President of Prosperity Home Mortgage and Mike Dawson, Vice President of Freddie Mac Single Family Housing.

Our collaborative leaders work daily and closely, albeit virtually, with our division heads such as Rosalie Warner, Senior Vice President of Network Services, Wendy Durand Vice President of Marketing and me in the creation of meticulously sensitive and relevant marketing, and messaging campaigns. These campaigns in turn are delivered to our domestic and global networks through our world class consultants.

While it may be essential that there be leaders, not all leaders are essential.

Teresa Palacios Smith

Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Home Services Serves on NAWRB Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council (NDILC)

NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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Vol 9 / Issue 2

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

TABLE

of

CONTENTS

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Access to Capital 24 4 28 Leadership 31 10 35 12 sheCenter(fold) 14 38 15 Technology Real Estate 48 18 Government Profile 55 20 60 22 Updated Resources for Women Entrepreneurs & Business Owners during COVID-19

Diversity in Leadership & Board Positions: Women Face the “Broken Rung”

Crisis Leadership: How to Build Trust In An Untrustworthy World

by Davia Temin

Bear the Truth

by Sydni Wynter

Maintaining DE&I in Your Workplace During the COVID-19 Crisis NDILC Responds to Systemic Racism & Sexism

From the LA Riots to COVID-19, FACE Addresses Ongoing Racial Discrimination Against Asian Americans

By Hyepin Im

NDILC in the News

Leadership is “Essential”

by Teresa Palacios Smith

The Attraction to Homeownership for Women has Changed During COVID-19

sheShowcase - Women on The Move

Character Revealed by Exit Realty

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sheCENTER(FOLD) Elizabeth Tumulty

Summer on an Icefield: A Field Story

by Jackie Bellefontaine

Women, Peace & Security

By Erica G. Courtney

The Black Bill of Rights, A Journey

By Jasper James

Business Ownership 61 DC Finance Hosts Live Discussions During the COVID-19 Crisis

65

Media

Quarantine & Chill

Aging Population

66

Racial & Ethnic Disparity in COVID-19 Impact Among Older Adults

Quality of Life

68 69

Play is Safe

By Tami Bonnell Women Helping Girls: How A High School Alumnae Association in the U.S. is Fighting Covid-19 In Africa

By Esther Ayuk

Reach your peak.

Joalice Ryan

REALTOR ®

Your success is our focus.

Our team of dedicated Quicken Loans Agent Relationship Managers provides updates every step of the way on your clients’ mortgages, giving you more time to live the healthy lifestyle you want.

RealEstate.QuickenLoans.com

Quicken Loans, LLC; NMLS #3030; www.NMLSConsumerAccess.org. Equal Housing Lender. Licensed in 50 states. AL License No. MC 20979, Control No. 100152352. AR, TX: 1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226-1906, (888) 474-0404; AZ: 1 N. Central Ave., Ste. 2000, Phoenix, AZ 85004, Mortgage Banker License #BK-0902939; CA: Licensed by Dept. of Business Oversight, under the CA Residential Mortgage Lending Act and Finance Lenders Law; CO: Regulated by the Division of Real Estate; GA: Residential Mortgage Licensee #11704; IL: Residential Mortgage Licensee #4127 – Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation; KS: Licensed Mortgage Company MC.0025309; MA: Mortgage Lender License #ML 3030; ME: Supervised Lender License; MN: Not an offer for a rate lock agreement; MS: Licensed by the MS Dept. of Banking and Consumer Finance; NH: Licensed by the NH Banking Dept., #6743MB; NV: License #626; NJ: New Jersey – Quicken Loans, LLC, 1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226, (888) 474-0404, Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance.; NY: Licensed Mortgage Banker – NYS Banking Dept.; OH: MB 850076; OR: License #ML-1387; PA: Licensed by the Dept. of Banking – License #21430; RI: Licensed Lender; WA: Consumer Loan Company License CL-3030. Conditions may apply.

NAWRB MAGAZINE | Quicken Loans, 1050 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48226-1906 ©2000 – 2020 Quicken Loans, LLC. All rights reserved. Lending services provided by Quicken Loans, LLC, a subsidiary of Rock Holdings Inc. “Quicken Loans” is a registered service mark of Intuit Inc., used under license.

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Across the nation, people are spending more time in their homes than ever before due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Homeownership allows individuals to design a space where they live, work and perhaps homeschool their children, and where they feel safe and in control. Gone are the days when women felt they had to wait until marriage to buy a home; women are compelled to create their own sanctuary, means of self-expression and financial wealth through homeownership.

Being More Relatable to Women’s Desire of Homeownership

Stay-at-home moms almost outnumber stay-at-home dads four to one: 7.9 million moms compared to slightly over 2 million stay-at-home dads. Women are very focused on what a community offers from healthcare and childcare, to government oversight and local support systems. They place a higher value on private external space, which is almost as valuable as internal space. From social media platforms to pulsing community engagement, women are looking deep into resources to plant their stake.

This is the perfect opportunity for lenders to engage with women about the benefits of owning a home, such as the ability to design their home to fit their needs without having to ask for permission. Women value creating a unique space from which to retreat from the outside world—one in which they control the climate, the decor, the layout. Although homeownership comes with its own set of responsibilities from managing the associated costs and maintenance, the freedom of owning your own home far outweighs these added duties.

Mothers will value family time while working on a house project together, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

I will never forget when my mother was in the middle of remodeling her home. I had my first newborn son in my arms when I had to dodge the rain from hitting him while in the house!

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Accessibility To Real Estate Properties

When buying a home as a single woman with or without children, most women want to touch, see, hear, smell and experience the zen the property generates. This presents its own challenges with limited inventory and not all properties are accessible in person. My suggestion, especially for single mothers, is to have someone go with you as not having that second opinion or fall back while in the property can make all the difference.

How COVID-19 Has Changed the Mortgage Industry

Lenders in the mortgage industry are facing their own challenges as COVID-19 has had a direct impact on their ability to originate a residential mortgage loan when a borrower’s employment and income status may quickly change regardless of their career success. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all loans have moved completely online and with all-time historically low interest rates, lenders have their hands full.

"With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all loans have moved completely online.. " To accommodate this new normal, GSE’s, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have announced temporarily-relaxed standards for appraisals and

Real Estate

Stay-at-home moms almost outnumber stay-at-home dads four to one:

7.9 Million

2 Million

employment or income verification requirements to accommodate social distancing guidelines and employees whose workplaces are temporarily closed or are working remotely.

Meanwhile, the GSEs have created more stringent underwriting requirements to ensure borrowers have continuity of income for new originations.

Serving Women through Personalization & Diversity

Lenders can help serve women homebuyers through personalization and diversification. First, single women homebuyers might be overwhelmed by the process of applying for a loan, especially during this time of uncertainty. How do they overcome being confused or insecure? Thousands of women do not even dream of homeownership, yet qualify for a loan.

There are several different first-time buyer programs, grants and multiple platforms for assistance.

make someone feel that matters in the long run.

Diversity in the workplace leads to diverse thought, solutions and plans. Companies generate a more well-rounded understanding of the consumer that contributes to innovation. The better you understand your consumer, the better you serve them.

According to Bloomberg, women make 85 percent of all purchasing decisions—and 91 percent of new home purchasing decisions—in the U.S. This means there are millions of clients potentially looking to work with women. If you are a women-owned business, leverage your certification and brand to get a leg up on the competition.

Having a diverse workforce helps you serve the needs of diverse customers, whether to relieve a language barrier or attend client preferences, and grow your bottom line. If you’re serving minorities, you can leverage the minority workers; if you’re working with women buyers, women lenders can possess a unique understanding of what these clients want and need throughout the home buying process.

The pull to own a home is especially intense for women seeking to create a sanctuary for themselves, and stability for their children, that it leads them to make sacrifices and attempt to make smart decisions when buying a home.

Many women may not know about resources out there to help them in their home buying process, so share this with a single mother you know on the path to homeownership.

Having access to the right information could make a huge difference in her life.

There is a great opportunity of educating the potential buyers on so much more than the financial aspects for homeownership and providing support through the process of applying for a loan in order to achieve their dream of owning a home.

The loan officer needs to be the trusted partner in this business endeavor with a vested interest. What are the advantages of homeownership in terms of short and long-term gain? There are emotional and physical benefits in addition to the financial advantage of wealth building. Women are always asking their friends who they know and trust! The special time of being relatable and compassionate will always be memorable to your client. It's how you NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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SheShowcase

Michelle Corridon The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has promoted Michelle Corridon to Director of Originations and Processing, after serving four years as USDA Deputy Director of Rural Development. Corridon previously worked as Senior Policy Analyst for the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Loan Specialist at the USDA before obtaining her current position.

Shannon Odell Shannon Odell was named Chief Nursing Officer at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami, Florida. Odell will be responsible for the leadership and management of the nursing department, and for the clinical practice of nursing throughout the hospital and its network of outpatient centers. Odell brings more than 20 years of leadership and management experience.

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Teresa PalaciosSmith NDILC Member Teresa Palacios Smith has been named Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at HomeServices. Teresa previously served as Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion for the franchise’s networks since 2017. Her new role will include elevating, expanding and aligning the national scope and impact of HomeServices's collective diversity and inclusion initiatives across its company and subsidiaries.

Joanna Gunn Joanna Gunn has been appointed Chief Brand Officer by the Rosewood Hotel Group. In this role, Gunn will oversee marketing direction for ultra-luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts®, deluxe New World Hotels & Resorts and business lifestyle KHOS hotels.

Gunn previously served as Chief Brand Officer for Lane Crawford, a luxury multi-brand retailer, and has 23 years of luxury experience.

Carmen Vann Carmen Vann, LEED AP BD+C, a 20-year industry veteran, has been named Regional Project Executive for BNBuilders. Her previous leadership experience includes the San Diego Central Library, Sempra Energy Headquarters, Ten Fifty B, and Stella & Bluewater. Vann brings her expertise in complex, multi-family, affordable housing, K-12, and urban high-rise projects.

Shaivi Vasanadu Shaivi Vasanadu has been named Partner at Aldrich CPA + Advisors LLP. In this role, she brings 15 years of experience in public accounting for closely held businesses. Vasanadu’s focus is on clients in construction and related industries, and she specializes in providing assurance services, including audits, reviews and compilations, and accounting and business consulting.

Profile

WomenMaking On the Move things Happen!

Patrice GillespieSmith Patrice Gillespie Smith was appointed as Chief Operating Officer for Friends of the Underline. In this role, she will lead with more than 20 years of experience as an urban planner. Smith previously worked as Senior Manager of Planning, Transportation and Resilience for the Miami Downtown Development Authority, and developed the Safer People, Safer Streets Action Plan.

Lynn Owen Lynn Owen has joined Avenue5 Residential, a Seattle-based multifamily property management services firm as EVP of Client Strategy. Owen brings more than three decades of multifamily and commercial property management, asset management, and construction management expertise. Previously, she held leadership roles at Compass Acquisition Partners and TruAmerica Multifamily.

Karen Barroeta Telemundo Global Studios has named Karen Barroeta Executive Vice President of Production and Development, effective July 6.

Barroeta previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and Creative at Telemundo.

Before that, she headed all revenue efforts at Telemundo Internacional pay TV channel in Latin America.

Tiffany Curry Tiffany advanced from a Top Producing agent on the BHHS National REThink Council specializing in Global and Luxury real estate. Tiffany Curry becomes the first 100% African American owner of a Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in the world and will operate as BHHS Tiffany Curry & Co., REALTORS®. Curry was inducted into The National Civil Rights Halls of Fame in 2018.

Ursula Brandon Ursula Brandon has been promoted to Vice President of Personal Lines at JAG Insurance Group, a full-service commercial insurance agency. Brandon, who was previously an Account Manager at JAG’s Coral Gables office. Before joining the agency 12 years ago, Brandon held administrative positions at State Farm and Hub International.

Sonja Larimore Sonja Larimore has been appointed as Chief Compliance Officer of Reilly Financial Advisors. She is responsible for overseeing and ensuring compliance with SEC regulations, as well as addressing regulatory risks, reviewing and updating the firm’s policies and procedures, and managing day-to-day compliance activities and controls.

NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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CHARACTER REVEALED Author James Lane Allen wrote, “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” The real estate industry is no stranger to adversity in 2020. Allen’s quote implies that who a person or organization is at their core is revealed when the proverbial stuff – or pandemic – hits the fan and that is proving to be true. Neighbors are helping neighbors. Level 5 leaders are leading.

Companies with a people-first focus aren’t laying off but rather fortifying people instead.

When it became clear that 2020 was going to present a new kind of adversity, EXIT Realty Corp. International focused on providing full, unwavering support to its brokerages and agents who continued to transact real estate in a safe and responsible manner, and also on providing additional tools and training to bolster their business now and in the future. “We recognized that this was a unique window of opportunity for everyone at EXIT to work on their business,” said Tami Bonnell, CEO. Within days of the first stay-at-home directives being issued, the company announced a $50 million corporate stimulus package. The EXIT Realty Take Action Stimulus Package was a coordinated effort

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providing business tools, enhanced technology and exclusive training at no charge to EXIT Associates.

Highlights included personally branded lead generation technology providing every agent’s clients the ability to text for information on any listing for sale on the MLS. Also included was free training and coaching provided by the company’s exclusive international MIND-SET trainers, Angel Tucker, Erica Nasby, Ifoma Pierre, Key Yessaad, Rick O’Neil, and Stan Bishop, on sales and marketing, leadership, growth strategies during changing market conditions, understanding personality types, learning to let go and be present, and more.

If character is to be revealed, not made, during adversity, the implication is that character is forged long before adversity hits. Since the company’s founding in 1996, EXIT Realty has purposefully set out to build a culture that attracts and keeps likeminded people. For example, most of EXIT’s executive team are the same people who successfully lead it through the economic challenges following 9/11 and during the recession. “One of the benefits of working with a group of leaders with more than 460 combined years of experience in the industry and more than

16 years on average with the company is that we instinctively know how one another will react in a crisis,” said Bonnell. “We figuratively link arms to form an impenetrable shield against adversity, each one in our own lane of expertise relying on proven dedication and commitment.”

From the company’s inception, the real, live human beings of its Franchise Support Department (not artificial intelligence or digital robots) have supported broker/owners and their administrators on all things EXIT. In 2010, the company saw an opportunity to add value, so at a time when most companies were tightening their belts and cutting back on the live support they provided, EXIT expanded its Franchise Support Department to include agent support. Any EXIT Associate can speak to a member of its expert support team to get answers. “We are connected to thousands of associates this way because we want them to know they have a voice and we’re listening,” said Bonnell.

Any EXIT Associate can raise funds for a local, approved, registered charity and apply to have those funds matched from the company’s pledged pool of funds. Non-profit organizations that have benefited from the Spirit of EXIT include those supporting the victims of domestic violence, food banks, veterans’ charities and relief funds, cancer research, Habitat for Humanity, animal welfare organizations, and many more. To-date, the company has pledged more than $5.5 million to charity.

EXIT’s unfair competitive advantage – the thing that sets it apart from every other real estate company - is the EXIT Formula. Only EXIT Associates have the opportunity to earn single-level residual income now, when they want to retire or take a break from selling real estate and they can even leave a legacy.

“Our Associates are creating lives for themselves with the freedom and flexibility to travel, take time off for parental leave, care for aging parents and pay their bills when they’re sick. The EXIT Formula is the foundation upon which our Associates can build family

“Our Associates are creating lives for themselves with the freedom and flexibility to travel, take time off for parental leave, care for aging parents and pay their bills when they’re sick. The EXIT Formula is the foundation upon which our Associates can build family wealth and financial freedom,” said Bonnell.

In 1996 when EXIT Realty’s fee structure was established, two unique components were built in. First, a portion of every transaction fee received was set aside in order to pay it forward in the form of an administrative bonus to the support staff in the offices where the transactions were closed. “These individuals are not employed by EXIT Realty Corp. International, yet we pay them a bonus because we believe that a strong administrator and support staff are the backbone of a successful real estate brokerage and we want them to know how much we value their contribution to our success,” said Bonnell.

Second, a portion of every transaction fee received

by EXIT Realty Corp. International is pledged to charity.

“We originally worked solely with Habitat for Humanity because their philosophy of providing a hand up rather than a handout fit so well with ours. EXIT Realty is an ever-evolving work in progress so we kept asking effective questions like, How can we reach more people? How can we make a greater impact?” said Bonnell. The answers came in 2017 when The Spirit of EXIT Dollar-for-Dollar Matching Program was launched.

wealth and financial freedom,” said Bonnell. Because they’ve taken advantage of the EXIT Formula, many EXIT Associates continue to receive an income even though their ability to transact real estate has been impacted by restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.

“If a company is focused on answering to shareholders and investors, it’s more likely to lay off staff by email at the first hint of disruption, whereas if a company is privately owned, nimble and focused on people first, it will act quickly to increase opportunities and services during turbulent times. That’s how EXIT Realty has done business since the company’s inception, through every market fluctuation in the past 23 years, and will continue to do business – by humanizing real estate,” said Bonnell.

Please visit joinexitrealty.com to find out more.

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Bear the Truth

In the beginning of June, as the nation found

their respective homes would take vastly dif-

but a reflection and a testament of society’s

itself amassed in struggle: from enduring a

ferent courses.

prejudices against you because of the color of

pandemic to protests arising in every state

your skin. In Lily-Mae Young’s home, as the

against racial injustice and police brutality, a

In Sabaea’s home, as the mother of a young,

mother of a young, White boy, the conversa-

large portion of Americans found themselves

Black boy, the conversation would resem-

tion was focused on promoting equality, and

unable to find their footing and voice in the bat-

ble those that have taken place in the black

ensuring that the prejudices that America has

tle for the betterment of our country, while also

community for centuries: that the way society

held against our Black brothers and sisters,

prioritizing the safety of their loved ones. Two

views you is not a testament of your character,

does not become ingrained in him as well. The

moms in Sherman Oaks, Sabaea Wynter and

question then arose: how do they get families

Lily-Mae Young, found themselves in conver-

of various races, ethnicities, and religions, to

sation about how they could become involved

begin having these conversations with their

in the protests, while also protecting the health

children as well?

of their two year old sons and ensuring they will not face these same problems growing up.

A few people had reached out to Sabaea to ask her if and how she was explaining recent

24

While they found it difficult to explain to their

events to her young, Black son. Her immediate

toddlers the complexity and nuances racial in-

response was that she was not going to, be-

justice in our country, they also realized that

cause she didn't believe that at such a young

it is never to early to start these difficult, but

age, he would be able to grasp the complex

necessary conversations with their families,

subject. However, Lily reached out to her to po-

so their children would not have to unlearn

tentially partner together on a project that would

the same internalized and subconscious prej-

make this information tangible to the youngest

udices they had to as adults. The two mothers,

generation. Born out of this discussion was

however, realized that the two conversations in

Bear The Truth, the solution to the various

| NAWRB MAGAZINE

quandaries the two mothers were facing.

these qualities are what make them unique, but do not take away from their value and

The idea began as a way for families and chil-

worth. Being able to instill these qualities in a

dren to become involved in the Black Lives

young child can help prevent these same is-

Matter movement, while also being safe and

sues from permeating their futures and gener-

socially distant out of concern for the health

ation as well.

of their family members. As a society, we often dismiss young children in our discussions about policy, politics, legislation, and protest, because we believe that there is not necessarily a way to communicate these ideas to them.

However, just because we have not found

The protest had four main objectives,

1) 2)

To allow children and families a safe way to

protest and become involved in the movement to teach children the power of their voice

and the power of collective action, while allow-

ways to convey these ideals, does not mean

ing a tangible way for kids to understand racial

we should deny children their voice. Therefore,

inequality

Sabaea and Lily wanted to shift this thinking and find a way to include young children in the fight, and in the conversation, while also being representative of all of the children in the city.

3)

to remind policeman and legislators of the

generation that their actions and policies affect the most: the children and

4)

to honor the black children who have lost

their lives to racial injustice. 1,200+ donated Designed as a “teddy bear picnic, but protest

bears later, this beautiful vision was created.

style,” Bear the Truth was an art installation held in front of City Hall, representing children

It’s a reminder that it is in our hands to make

and families in the fight for racial injustice and

sure that the youngest generation doesn’t have

in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. For Sa-

to experience the fear and pain that we in the

baea and Lily, allowing children to decorate

black community have faced for far too long.

their bears with personal messages allows

No longer should our young Black daughters

for parents to have a dedicated time with their

and sons be forced to grow up in an America

children to not only be creative and have time

where the blackness of their skin is seen as a

to bond, but to also have a space and time to

weapon. Where they are judged not by their

begin these conversations at a level suitable

character, but by the color of their skin; where

for their child’s age. Using teddy bears and

they are afraid of playing his music too loud,

stuffed animals is a tangible way for young

or wearing their hoodie up, or taking a jog, or

children to begin to understand the complex-

getting pulled over.

ity of what is happening in the world today.

No matter the generation, teddy bears have

In less than two weeks, with the help of NYU

always symbolized a child-like innocence, and

student and Creative Director, Sydni Wynter,

are often a child’s first toy in which they gain a

along with the incredible artistic vision, direc-

sentimental attachment to.

tion, and execution by local artist and fellow mother, Ava-Mae, a curation of nearly 1,200

They have been used as a vehicle to teach

donated teddy bears stood side by side in the

young children the power of love, nurture,

space between City Hall and the Los Angeles

companionship, compassion, and are argu-

Police Headquarters. After the pop-up, the

ably key in developing a child’s character. One

team is working to partner with a museum or

of the key takeaways from this movement is

art gallery here in LA to create a semi-perma-

that racism, injustice, and hate are qualities

nent exhibition where children and families can

and feelings that aren’t inherent or innate, but

continue to come, contribute bears, and learn

are rather learned. Therefore using something

about ways to prevent racial injustice from per-

tangible for a child, such as a teddy bear, acted

meating the culture and legislation of theirs,

as a way of being able to explain to a young

and future generations.

:

child the complexity of what is happening. Because teddy bears come in all shapes, colors,

In these spaces, the artwork can be contex-

and sizes, they can be used to explain that

tualized and used as a tangible, educational

NAWRB MAGAZINE |

25

tool to teach children about these issues, the

n***** themed prom after-party, came dressed

have a conversation with their children about

power of their voice, and the power of protest

as various black stereotypes and received no

what is happening in the world in a manner

and collective action both now and in histo-

consequences for it. For her, it was a rude

that is visible and palpable.

ry. Long term, Bear The Truth hopes to cre-

awakening that as a country, we are far from

ate curriculum, illustration books, and activity

free of prejudice and racism, and that we are

Bear The Truth aims to not only create a tangi-

books to help children across the country, and

not doing enough in our education systems to

ble way for children to understand racial injus-

perhaps even the world, understand the power

actively inform students of the effects of their

tice in our country, and the purpose of recent

of their voices, and the importance of equality.

words and behavior.

events that have unfolded around the country,

Ultimately, however, the organization will look to donate or recycle all of the donations after the project officially closes.

Due to COVID-19, many donation centers are closed, so recycling the materials will most likely be the most viable option. However, just in case, they are working closely with donation programs in case anything changes in regards to the pandemic situation. In the moment, they are also working to find local museums or gallery spaces that will house this exhibit, so the project can continue to grow and the momentum it has gained in recent weeks, to truly expand the number of children and families it impacts.

As a young adult who grew up in the conservative South, and attended private, predominantly white institutions for the majority of her life, racism was woven into the fabric of her everyday experience. The most notable example of her experience was her sophomore year of high school (which was a small, private, Christian high school), when students threw a

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This speaks to the generational appeal of Bear The Truth stopping the language, microaggressions, and ignorance around racism at a young age so these behaviors will not have to be unlearned at an older age, and so young Black Americans will not have to be forced to continually be subjected to this mistreatment and to be the ones to educate others on the history and hurt behind their actions. By educating children about our nation’s dark past with prejudice, we are preventing it from continuing for generations.

but also allows for children to not only have a voice in their own futures, but to also learn the power of their voice, and the power of protest.

We aim to start difficult, yet necessary and important conversations in homes and families across the country, so that the children of this generation may grow up in a better, and more equal America than we have now.

This project is meant to give a voice to the youngest generation, and instill in them the values to take their futures into their own hands, while also giving them the tools to create a better America for themselves: the power of collective action, of their voice, and of love.

Bear the Truth is a positive gateway for children to use their voices for impactful change.

Each bear represents a child in this city, who together stand united to demand a future free of racial inequality. The main takeaway from

by Sydni Wynter, Creative Director of Bear The Truth

this campaign is that it is never too young to teach children the power of love, compassion, service, and ally-ship. The purpose of this campaign is to allow for a space for families to

Watch KTLA Video Coverage: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/over-1000-teddy-bears-outside-l-a-city-hall-supportblack-lives-matter-in-bear-the-truth-demonstration/

NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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Maintaining DE&I in Your

Workplace During the COVID-19

CRISIS We would be remiss if we did not address how the current global health pandemic will likely change the way we incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplaces. We are living in unprecedented times and are in the midst of adjusting to a new normal of social distancing and economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, unconscious bias is becoming more prevalent as the COVID-19 outbreak and media coverage is triggering racial tensions. In this section, we will review some challenges that employees might be facing and suggest solutions for staying on course for increasing diversity in the workplace.

Brown University released a list of things organizations should be mindful of during the global health pandemic that has resulted in many employees transitioning to remote work.

Tips for Maintaining DE&I

in Remote Workplaces

1. Be Mindful

Everyone is being affected differently by the virus outbreak, so do not assume that everyone is experiencing this global health crisis the way that you are. As Brown University

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poignantly states, “Be mindful of the ways in which a crisis can impact various communities and how individuals from different backgrounds (race, ethnicity, age, religious affiliation, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) may have varying responses to the same situation based on their lived experiences.”

Also, be aware that the global crisis is bound to increase tensions and induce heated discussions, as many are dealing with emotions such as fear, anxiety, depression, and so on. In an environment like this, unconscious bias might appear in the workplace. If so, it is important to notify your staff of whom they can speak to if this occurs, such as the HR department or someone in leadership they can report bias incidents to without fearing repercussions.

2. Use Good Judgment in Language & Word Choice

Communities of Asian descent are experiencing more racial bias and aggression as the COVID-19 virus has been loosely referred to as the “Chinese Virus.” Use good judgement when speaking about the pandemic with your employees and use scientifically-based, objective terminology

in both oral and written communication. Most importantly, do not use derogatory terms that are offensive to or target certain communities, especially those of Asian descent.

3. Make Materials Accessible to All Employees

Make sure that your employees are equipped with everything they need for a smooth transition to remote work, especially for individuals with disabilities or those who are “differently-abled,” as noted by Brown University. For instance, companies who are utilizing Zoom and other video conferencing software for meetings can record the meeting and enable captions for when it is downloaded. This will make it easier for employees who struggle to use or communicate through Zoom.

Through Zoom, employees can also use the chat box feature that enables notes to be saved and shared afterwards.

This creates more opportunities for employees to contribute to meetings as video conferencing can sometimes make it more difficult for all participants to contribute equally.

COVID-19 Crisis Playbook Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) hosted a webinar in May 2020 which addressed stages for companies to adapt to changes caused by the global pandemic, and ultimately redefine the real estate finance ecosystem, in their “Crisis Playbook.” The first stage of the playbook focuses on the workforce, the second on your company culture and the third on your business’s competitiveness. Below are some key takeaways for companies to incorporate into their own business structure and practices for sustainability, some of which will look familiar to what we discussed above.

Stage One: Your Workforce • Accessibility

•

4. Be Kind, Flexible & Adaptable

Leaders should remember that employees may be operating from home with limited resources and could have additional stressors during this time, such as an ill family member, a loss, a job or wage loss in the household, and more. Employees are not only facing unique challenges working remotely but also juggling more responsibilities at home, especially if they are parents of children who are being homeschooled and are caring for household members physically and/or financially.

Employers and leadership should not only be understanding of their employees’ struggles but also be flexible so that employees can give their best performance at work and at home. Examples of adaptability might include letting employees have flexible work schedules so that they can balance their responsibilities in a productive manner while also maintaining quality of life.

"Unconscious bias is becoming more prevalent as the COVID-19 outbreak and media coverage is triggering racial tensions."

•

>Digital technology skills required of workforce >Provide technology and equipment stipend >Increase professional development resources Equitable Solutions >Provide flexible work schedules >Have wellness coaches >Review and revise benefits (e.g., EAP, accommodations, job resources) >Conduct frequent employee surveys to see what works and what doesn’t Performance Assessment >Help managers build skills necessary to lead in new environment >Redesign jobs where needed >Implement feedforward

Stage Two: Your Company Culture • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Learning

•

•

>Address Conscious Bias & Provide Tools to Mitigate >Create a dialogue about diversity and identity Belonging & Trust >Create a psychological safe space for employees to confide >Lead with empathy by >Considering others’ perspectives >Not being judgemental >Recognizing others’ emotions >Communicating your recognition with your team Create Culturally Sensitive Engagement >Through tools, resources and re-entry plans

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Stage Three: Your Business's Competitiveness • Leverage Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for market insights

• Provide support for women-owned and minori• • • •

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ty-owned businesses in supply chain Preserve your branding Maintain stakeholder relationships Reposition your business to thrive in a “new normal” after COVID-19 Communicate DE&I values in your company’s strategic plan

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During the current global health crisis that has impacted the workforce on various fronts, we hope that this can serve as a guide for companies on how they can maintain diversity, equity and inclusion in this unprecedented environment.

As the MBA’s Crisis Playbook suggests, leaders within your company can start on the right path to strengthening DE&I within the workplace by attending to their employees’ needs, leading with empathy and repositioning themselves for continued success when transitioning after the COVID-19 health crisis.

NDILC Responds to Systemic

Racism & Sexism

The NAWRB Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council (NDILC) is united against racism, racial discrimination and bias, sexism, and the ways in which race and gender intersect to impact of lived experiences of women of color. The NDILC understands the importance of this time for the progression of racial and social justice, and together share their wisdom for how leaders can do better to support diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, and in the real estate and housing ecosystem. Below are personal reflections from some of the NDILC Members.

Tami Bonnell

CEO of EXIT Realty Corp. Intl.

“Tami Bonnell recorded the following video https://youtu.be/aXwQX37L-cE on working together during this time to combat racism and promote equality and inclusion. Her company released the following statement: We at EXIT Realty stand in unity with you. We hear you. We would like to express our deepest sympathies to all the individuals and families affected by the pain that is racism. Our neighbors in the communities where we work and live across Canada and the United States should feel safe and free from discrimination. Fair housing, equality and inclusion are among our core values. We ask that you listen, learn, and work with others to be a part of the solution. Be a leader in your community and promote equality, inclusion, and acceptance. #togetherwearebetter We are here to talk. Please feel free to reach out to us at exit@exitrealty.com”

Desirée Patno

CEO & President of NAWRB Chairwoman of NDILC “The protests happening now are the result of people voicing their outrage against racial injustice that has occurred unchecked for centuries. History is demanding to be heard and we need to answer the call by educating ourselves in how systemic racism has influenced our society.

Only by educating ourselves about the mistakes of our past will we be able to create a more equitable future. We teach our children to be better than us, by passing down the legacies, our mistakes, and future paths so they grow and advance for the greater good.

We need to have open discussions between lawmakers and citizens about physical commemorations of our history and decide how to move forward, together.

We must listen to the stories of the unheard. As I watch the various news channels and media outlets covering the stories of the multiple inequalities as history repeats itself time and time again, I find myself yearning to hear the depth of each of the stories to make sure they are not lost in the mix. We need to discuss accountability without polarization or fear of speaking up.

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By bringing the stories to the table, showing the patterns that have marked our history of racial oppression, and listening to the necessary changes, we can and must make this better.”

Rebecca Steele

President & CEO of National Foundation for Credit Counseling “At times like this it’s important not to stay silent on the issue of equality and inclusion. We, as the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, are not a neutral party and we want to share and speak up. The work we do has been and continues to be focused on leveling the playing field for black and brown communities and all who face the grim reality of economic marginalization in our society. We do this by providing open access to everyone who needs financial guidance as they struggle with debt and barriers that stand in the way of their goals.

Increasingly, we see communities of color burdened with disproportionate levels of high-interest debt, record low levels of homeownership, and higher barriers to entry when growing small businesses. There is no quick solution and no easy answers, therefore, we will continue to aggressively pursue opportunities to reach those who struggle and provide the tools and means for financial empowerment. We strive to level the playing field to help heal the wounds of division and create financial stability. We will not rest until there is financial health for all.

Please help us accomplish these important goals by sharing the positive impact of credit counseling. Together we can all be part of the solution.”

Marcia Davies

COO of Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Founder of mPower This has been a tough week for me, and suspect many of us in this community. A purported "leader" in the industry did and said some truly despicable and misogynistic things about the wife of one of our colleagues. And while he has been rightfully castigated by some and ultimately forced to step away from his position, I have been saddened by the willingness of too many in our industry to excuse the behavior and instead try to sweep his actions under the rug, I can only assume in the interests of maintaining a business relationship.

Our industry needs to be better than this. We cannot wax poetically about the nobility of our industry's mission and then turn a blind eye when someone in a position of power and leadership demonstrates such a vile and disgusting behavior.

For those individuals and companies who were in a position to say, "we will not tolerate this" and then put action behind their words, I applaud you and thank you for holding him and his organization accountable. You have made our industry, in this moment, a more inclusive and better place. For those who didn't, and went on with business as usual with this man and his group, I have to wonder what it will take to get your attention to the injustices in our world.

We built this mPower community in part to make ourselves and our industry more accountable and a more welcoming place. I can't think of anything less welcoming and more discouraging than the events that unfolded this week.

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Kellie Aamodt

Board Member of Marine Research and Exploration (MARE) Retired UPS Vice President of Corporate Inside Sales “As a member of the NAWRB Diversity & Inclusion Council, we work to ensure the elimination of all ‘isms,’ racism, sexism, ageism, classism etc. We will not accept a world where these continue to be allowed and accepted.”

About NDILC The NDILC is dedicated to raising the number of women leaders and growing women’s employment and empowerment at all levels in the housing ecosystem. The Council, composed of senior executive women, works diligently toward gender equality and obtaining equal opportunity for women across America.

To learn more about the NDILC, please visit www.NAWRB.com/NDILC/.

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Access at nmplink.com/MostPowerful 34

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From the LA Riots to COVID-19, FACE Addresses Ongoing

Racial Discrimination Against Asian Americans

They say It’s too late to make friends when you need them.

During this current Covid-19 and racial environment, the truth of this statement is even more evident. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been over 2200 reported hate incidents and attacks on Asian Americans. Closures of businesses and unemployment in our communities have been disproportionate with extreme hikes.

In key communities including LA County, Asian Americans have had the highest death rates of any group. Yet such struggles of the Asian American community are rarely highlighted, if not marginalized or demonized. It is such times as these, when we need friends who see us and can hear us.

In 2001, with many miracles, I started FACE, a national, award winning, faith-based organizations that has garnered over 700 partners from White House to Fortune 500 companies since 2001 and has implemented numerous initiatives that have helped numerous families with homeownership, affordable housing, financial literacy, employment, mental health, leadership development, at-risk youth programs and more.

For the Korean American community, the importance of friendships was a lesson they learned the hard way during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots when over almost 50 percent of the billion dollar property damage were incurred by Koreans. Yet, they were left alone, with no friends to defend them or cry with them. Instead of being treated as victims, the community was demonized and revictimized.

As a Korean American, knowing our community was so much more than the negative soundbites of politicians and the news headlines was painful and a burden that I carried with me. Why didn't we have friends or allies to come along us in these moments of struggle? How can we change these false labels and narratives that are told of us? Why aren’t we recognized and valued and welcomed for our contributions? Why are we consistently missing at the decision-making tables?

Few years later, I came to work for the prominent African American mega church, First AME Church, as a venture capitalist.

Here I saw an extraordinary model that seemed to provide a solution to the burden I had carried from the LA Riots but also as a pastor’s daughter. Growing up, I saw my parents struggling to help respond to basic needs of my immigrant congregants such as for housing, jobs, healthcare in addition to their ministry of providing spiritual care. I wondered if there could be a better way.

At First AME Church, I witnessed how churches can create partnerships with government and corporate entities by creating an affiliated nonprofit. Using this structure, the church’s offering was $3 million, but through our partnerships, we raised an additional $12 million! As a result, the church was able to increase their impact by leveraging the resources, expertise and network of their partners, hire experts and pay their workers, increase their influence and welcome, honor God, and be invited to decision making tables.

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"At First A M E Church, I witnessed

how churches can create partnerships with

government and corporate entities by creating an affiliated nonprofit"

More importantly, I saw that because of the partnerships, the partners had a vested interest in seeing the church’s success and were lauding the work of the church in rooms and places where God or minority communities are ever mentioned. The model of mutuality through partnerships was a winning model that I've incorporated into all the work I have done.

As a former U.S. Presidential Appointee, I have had the privilege of being in numerous rooms with influential leaders, whether it is the Oval Office or United Nations conferences or corporate board rooms. Yet, more times than not, I have found myself to be the only one in the room. Just as during the LA Riots, I have seen too many times where others have defined for the Asian American community who they are and what they need or more likely, what they don’t need. “ The model minority myth of Asians - that we are successful and enjoy white privilege, masks the suffering that Asians face from discrimination and/racial injustice, and the related economic and health challenges whether it is in housing, employment, mental health, criminal justice systems, education, promotion and leadership opportunities, and funding, amongst others.

With the goal of changing the narrative told by decision makers or by other minority communities, I sought to shine the strength and contributions of the Korean and Asian community. Since starting FACE in 2001, I have trained over 5000 faith and community leaders to foster partnerships and to

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advocate for the faceless and voiceless members that they serve through numerous initiatives and trainings, including the National Lighting the Community Summits I hosted with White House and other federal agencies as well as my C2 Leadership Institute.

By highlighting to elected officials and corporate leaders the power of the numbers in my faith community in congregation size and offering as well as commitment to service, I have garnered the attention of the White House, government agencies, elected officials and corporations who have sought partnerships with my agency for their initiatives.

Such relationships have come in handy. During the recent protests against police brutality, I was able to call upon the LAPD Deputy Chief to successfully advocate for the curfew to not just cover downtown Los Angeles as originally intended but also to cover Koreatown to prevent any chance of the LA ‘92 Riots. By also highlighting the common struggles that Asian American communities face with other minority communities, I have gained the friendship and trust of other communities of color as well as other religious communities who have sought to work in solidarity to advocate for greater needed resources.

I am grateful to First AME, where I was able to see a model, where you can shine your God given light and not hide who you are – whether it is your faith, ethnicity or whatever it may be, but be able to set such a table where others feel welcome and seek to have a seat. I think we can all learn from this model especially now during this racially charged environment.

Hyepin Im

President of Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE -formerly Korean Churches for Community Development)

NDILC’s Ten Women Leadership Principles NAWRB's Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council (NDILC) Ten Women Leadership Principles help women in the workforce become more effective leaders at any stage of their careers, and empower other women to reach their full potential. This is a universal guide for all levels of leadership, and any woman can benefit from applying them to her everyday life.

Acknowledge Trailblazers: Know and learn from the women who came before you.

We are all standing on the shoulders of giants.

Keep Achieving: Effective leaders always keep learning. There is always something to learn and improve upon.

Believe: Whatever the mind can conceive, it can achieve.

Pass the Torch: Give opportunities to future generations of women. Your legacy will be the people you help along the journey.

Know Yourself: Be authentic and lead in a way that is true to you. Own your unique talents and strengths, and empower those around you.

Speak Out: Unconscious bias is present, but ignoring it only perpetuates it.

Take a stand and speak out.

Listen: Never assume anything about anyone. Everyone has their own story that makes them who they are.

Be Present: Sharing your time is one of the most valuable gifts you can give.

Do it with intention by truly being present.

Prepare for the Future: Women with advanced skills today will be ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

Lead by Example: Inclusion isn't enough. Press for parity & strive for excellence in everything.

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sheCenter(fold)

Elizabeth Tumulty For the first time, in an extremely personal and extensive interview with NAWRB, Elizabeth Tumulty, Former President of CBS Television Network, shares how her humble upbringing of being raised by a hardworking, single mother and the obstacles she faced became her core pillars of strength, climbing her way up from being a secretary to a powerful negotiator and senior executive in the network television industry.

Interview by Desirée Patno

Section 1: Background, Diversity and Equality NAWRB: What led you to a career as an executive working behind the scenes in network television?

Elizabeth Tumulty (ET): My life circumstances especially our financial status, my mother, watching a lot of TV, and my innate curiosity led me and contributed to my career in television.

NAWRB: Tell us about your life circumstances.

cold because the gas bill had lapsed or we would see a big red embarrassing eviction notice slapped on the door. We especially hated not having electricity because keeping the lights ON meant the cockroaches stayed out of site plus we could watch TV. Because of that cycle we often moved. Looking on the bright side, these circumstances taught me to quickly adapt to changing environments.

One of the reasons we felt so much love is all my mother ever wanted was a family. She grew up in an orphanage ET: I grew-up with my mother and Mother & daughters left to right, Maryjayne younger sister. Mom worked three Brannan, Maryanne Finney & Elizabeth Tumulty and didn’t graduate high school. She never had a role model or experienced jobs yet we were still always broke.

Broke for us meant I was the kid that salvaged for gym real family life. Her only example of love was from my father shoe’s out of the school’s lost-and-found box, and the girl whom she met at the age of 14. that came to class asking to borrow your pen, pencil or piece of paper. I didn’t fit-in so I was constantly bullied. If we were My mom wasn’t on drugs, an alcoholic or a gambler. She lucky, home ended up being a section 8 apartment. That’s a just did what she had to do and that was work… three jobs. fancy term for a project apartment or what many call “the She did the very early breakfast shift at Denny’s restaurant, projects.” Most people don’t know that it’s actually very dif- went to an office job during the day followed by the dinner ficult to obtain Section 8 status. The waiting list can take through closing shift at Red Lobster. Everything we had deyears and they truly check you out to make sure you qualify. pended on tips. Some weeks were better than others.

In any event, we lived in a constant cycle between eviction notices, and cut-off utilities. My sister and I dreaded coming home from school because we knew the apartment would likely be dark because the electricity had been turned off, or

By the time she was in her 30’s she had debilating rheumatoid arthritis and she died young of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in her 50’s. I believe those three low paying jobs, constant stress, poor nutrition, and having less than 4 hours NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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"When my mom worked at Denny's and Red Lobster her tips were bigger than her black co-worker's." of sleep most nights drove her an early grave. She couldn’t afford to ever miss work because she needed every dollar.

NAWRB: Given the circumstances in which you grew up and the experiences of your mother do you have any takeaways in terms of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion?

ET: Absolutely! I didn’t understand it then but I do now that I enjoy different treatment based on the color of my skin. When my mom worked at Denny’s and Red Lobster her tips were bigger than her black co-worker’s. It was sometimes her experience when white diners were sat in a black woman’s section they’d asked to be moved for no reason.

And her black co-workers received more complaints about the food coming out more slowly. That wasn’t true. While leaving a breakfast tip at Denny’s was nothing more than pocket change, and a few dollars on a Red Lobster tab, at the end of the shift Mom came out a little more ahead compared to her black coworkers.

When I worked fast food and retail it was apparent to me why I was always put on the register while my Black or Hispanic co-workers were in the back flipping burgers or unpacking boxes. Then when I began working in corporate, every person who I interviewed with happened to be a white man. It has been shown some people hire employees that

resemble themselves. So although I wasn’t a man I did have an advantage because I was white.

Because I didn’t share the same background I never discussed the circumstances of my childhood or lack of education. I never lied either. It wasn’t until I left CBS, I’ve opened up about it. Since then I’ve shared extensively about some of the painful, compelling stories during my speaking tour, but this is the first time anything is in print.

NAWRB: Did you see or experience any inequalities in the corporate world?

ET: Yes, I did. I’m proud to have made a difference but I was powerless to do more. I was deliberate in trying to hire people who weren’t like me. That was very difficult based on the resumes funneled my way or the number of people I was directed to hire due to nepotism.

"Being a woman was a larger financial inequality than I had thought."

The further I moved up it became abundantly apparent there were greater pay disparities. Being a woman was a larger financial inequality than I had thought. There were two companies where I inherited my entire team and in both instances I had men working for me that made more money than I did. It’s not just women either, financial inequality also impacts people of color, people of certain religions, people that are overweight people with physical disabilities and more.

That’s a problem.

Section 2: Why A Career in Television?

NAWRB: Now, lets talk about why you chose a career in television.

ET: It was the 1970’s, we were given a black and white TV, and my little sister would have to hold the antenna to maintain a clear picture. It’s so funny to think about it now! (Laughter) I didn’t have the money to go, or do things like my friends. But watching TV was the ONE thing I could do that put me on an even playing field with all my classmates.

This was before cable, satellite or the internet. So everyone could consume the same content at the same time. We gabbed about TV every morning on the school bus.

During these conversations is the only time I truly fit-in with my classmates. We wished for teachers like those on “Room 222,” and families like, “The Walton’s.” We wanted to be pretty like Diahann Carroll on “Julia” and cool like, “The Mod Squad.”

Moreover, I admired the unmarried career women, like “Julia.” More important-

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This is Us star Justin Hartley & Elizabeth Tumulty

CW Network launch event with (left to right): Elizabeth Tumulty; Nancy Tellum, former president CBS Television Studios; Bruce Rosenblum, former CEO Warner Bros TV Group; John Maatta, former COO CW Television Network; Dawn Ostroff, former President of Entertainment CW Television Network; Barry Meyer, former Chairman Warner Bros; Les Moonves, former Chairman and CEO CBS Corporation; Julie Chen, television personality and Les Moonves' wife.

ly, I saw goals beyond being pretty, marrying a rich guy or becoming a bored, unhappy housewife like I saw on soaps like Dynasty and Dallas. My game-changer was Mary, from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” That program was about an unmarried, independent woman focused on her career in television. How perfect!

That innate curiosity I mentioned at the start of our interview set in motion the drive to learn everything about television. When I was 10 I made a plan. First, I needed to understand how TV shows were transmitted to everyone’s TV set on the same day, at the same time, through the air. I thought it astonishing from a technology standpoint. Then, I needed to make sense of why watching TV is a “free to me” business model.

I had a paper route at 8. But before I started working long hours in fast food and retail at the age of 14, I would skip school to hang out with the engineers at WTTW-TV Chi-

cago. I often think about those guys and what they thought of the little girl, asking if she could watch them work. Recently, I tracked down one of those engineers, Barry Blue, to say thank you and let him know about the positive impact he made. Surprisingly, Barry is still working at WTTW! Then after barely graduating high school and managing to talk my way into university due to my lack of decent grades and an inferior score on my ACT, I thrived away from home, and finally fit-in because nobody knew about my past. I created a better way of learning for me, achieved straight A’s and became a tutor.

Two years later, I had to give-up school and move home to help my mom whose disease had progressed. My dream began to slip away as I worked crappy jobs and began planning my best possible future through marriage …but I had forgotten about landing a rich guy. (laughter.)

Section 3: Career in Television NAWRB: I understand why you wanted a career in television. Is it difficult to break into the television business? How did you do it?

ET: My friend from High School had graduated from a secretarial program. She had just become a secretary to an

executive at Columbia. She introduced me to her boss and after hearing that I was so eager that I was willing to scrub the bathrooms with my toothbrush, he introduced me to another executive that was hiring. (laughing) I landed my first job in television as a secretary at age 22. I NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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literally worked my way up the TV ladder by taking various promotions, at different companies around the country. My experience growing up and changing schools and housing made it easy and exciting to relocate.

a famous CEO. So I made the leap, understanding ahead of time my tenure would be short lived. I was hired to be a change agent for people that didn’t want change. That’s not a fun position. I thought it would take about 5 years to tick off the boxes on my CBS agenda. To my surprise I accomplished everything much sooner. It was time for me to go. I began making moves and planting seeds about the timing of my departure.

Network Awards

My goal was to make it to the top and retire by age 50. Four years ago, I retired as a President from the #1 Television Network, CBS, reporting to one of the worlds most iconic and highest paid Chairmen and CEO’s of that time, Leslie Moonves. I checked all of my boxes! I now know how TV works, how it gets into your home, and how it makes money!

NAWRB: What was your experience like as President of Affiliate Relations for the CBS Television Network?

ET: My experience was extraordinary. I’m so grateful for that time.

It was also very challenging because I had always worked for underdog companies that were trying something new and different. I related to the scrappy and “on the other side of the tracks” type of mentality those companies had because I was very familiar with that feeling.

"I was working at a struggling start-up network while they (CBS) were hobnobbing at The Super Bowl & Winning Awards"

So when CBS called, I had to really take that into consideration. CBS had been the #1 Network for years. TV stations had been their affiliates since before I was born, and many employees had worked at the network for over 30 years. I was working at a struggling start-up network while they were hobnobbing at The Super Bowl and winning awards.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that! (laughing) In the end, I knew it was the best way to earn my Network President stripes, work for a household brand and report to

ET: Besides being a woman? And making less money for years? (laughter.)

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Looking back, I couldn’t be more proud. I developed a long-term deal “flip-strategy” that resulted in revenue increases from almost nothing to an excess of several billion.

I’m also proud to have completed the first deal cycle. While at the same time I embraced adversarial colleagues who were inexperienced in the network affiliate arena. I showed them the ropes and nuances of the network affiliate business that prior to that time were completely foreign to them. I used my positive long-standing relationships to help them build their relationships. I’ve always chosen a few star employees and provided them with knowledge, visibility and promotions. I couldn’t have scripted my time at CBS better plus I made a little money along the way. Really, it’s worked out beautifully for everyone.

Section 4: Career Advice

NAWRB: What are some challenges you have experienced in your career, and how did you overcome them?

Today, CBS is a completely different company. The leadership has changed and my particular job description no longer exists. Instead, they have executives in deal-makers roles and executives who run the day-to-day operation of the 200+ affiliated television stations separated, but under one umbrella… Sort of a good cop, bad cop thing and it’s working well for them.

Okay, first starting as a secretary in the ‘80’s isn’t an executive career path. Most people in the business don’t start there.

Even if they start at the bottom as an assistant or a P.A. (production assistant,) while it might sound like the same job, it’s not. Assistants on the creative side of the business have

tremendous career paths and earning potential. Don’t get me wrong, secretaries hold extremely important valuable positions, have the ability to learn a lot about the business and can make six-figures working for a top executive. It’s just not where you want to be if you’re an aspiring executive.

For me to break out of the secretarial role, I had to leave the company to start at the bottom once again, this time with a better career trajectory.

Furthermore, secretaries weren’t taken seriously in the 1980’s.

Here’s an example. Prior to landing that first secretarial job, I interviewed with a division head at Paramount for his receptionist position. The first thing he said to me, even before I sat down was, “Vanna’s job is taken,” referring to Vanna White from “Wheel of Fortune.” Well, I knew I wasn’t getting that receptionist job so I fired back with a smile, “Good.

That’s not why I’m here.” After an hour he encouraged me to go to law school because I could be a good agent with my quick wit, and unassuming style.

NAWRB: You have had a successful career. Is there anything you would do differently?

ET: It all worked out pretty well for me but if I HAD to do it differently, I would embrace my challenges and insecurities instead of trying to hide them. For far too long I thought that “growing up on the other side of the tracks” meant I didn’t deserve a place at the table.

And I would definitely have tried to get my MBA while I was in my 20’s. I didn’t particularly see a difference in terms of innate intelligence or on the job performance between those with MBA’s and me. But none of my MBA colleagues started as secretaries, they always made more money, and they’ll always have the advantage their classmates and alumni network provide.

NAWRB: Are there many opportunities for women in leadership in your industry? What can be done to improve the situation?

ET: More than ever! A lot of “#Me Too” firings opened doors for women. Many of those men held their positions and the power for years. During their tenure many women had worked their way up. They were ready to take the reigns, now some have. It’s certainly not as good as it should be but it’s better.

In the meantime, we have to change the perception that women and people of color are getting jobs or board positions for no other reason. Generally speaking, in California, we have almost 200 companies who are required to have a woman on their board. Prior to that mandate, some companies already had a woman on their board. Now, these women are being looked at differently. It’s as if their value has been diminished to nothing more than a token.

Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge. For example, I knew that I couldn’t get promoted unless there was someone who could take my job, so I always worked to prepare somebody to take my place instead of hanging on to knowledge for power. Of course there are people that will take advantage of that. Part of being a leader is identifying the right people to work on your team.

NAWRB: Who are the most influential people in your life?

ET: That’s easy my mother and sister are the most influential people in my life. Both are two of the smartest women I’ve met. They’re great examples of having the skills and traits I look for in friends as well as in the people I hire. They’re grounded, genuine, have real commonsense, tremendous work ethic, a wicked humor, as well as a positive attitude in the face of adversity plus they’re deliberate about helping those with less.

If I were to name names, my first career mentor was, Paul Franklin another former President at CBS who hired me into the business as his first secretary back when Ronald Reagan was President. It’s unfortunate that he arrived at CBS after my exit because we would have enjoyed working NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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together again. From Paul, I saw the importance of negotiating with integrity and honesty.

Ken Werner, a former President at Warner Bros. was my greatest mentor as well as my sole sponsor. He too negotiates with integrity, and honesty. There’s so much more I’ve learned from Kenny, I don’t even know where to begin…

Ken had a tough job. This made him quite demanding plus he’s very intelligent. Suffice it to say, I had to be constantly on my toes more than with any boss I’ve ever had. He was also the guy who was courageous enough to speak up and make a compelling case for a new or unpopular point of view as well as state aloud what others were thinking but too afraid to say.

Each of these traits made a lasting impact on me.

Interestingly, work "Ken" made this 180 transformation to creampuff, "Kenny" as soon as he pulled into his driveway.

This man adores his wife. Together, they're the types of parents I would want to be if I were a parent.

And then there’s the famous, Garth Ancier. Talk about intelligence… whoa. Garth was 28 when he became the founding entertainment president for the new, fourth Network to hit the airwaves, FOX Broadcasting.

I mean this man has led several networks and developed some of your favorite programs. From Garth I learned the importance of keeping my eye on technology, and the zeitgeist. Plus, when he was running The WB Network and I was a nobody, he always had the time to answer my questions. He tells the truth, no filter, and I appreciate that.

I’m still friend’s with all of them.

C200 Leaders at Pepperdine University

NAWRB: Were you a mentor too?

ET: None of the companies I worked for had formal mentoring programs. Even so, I targeted people that deserved to grow. I spent time on nurturing and trusting them with

Ken Werner, former President Warner Bros. & Elizabeth Tumulty.

"Ken Werner, a former President at Warner Bros. was my greatest mentor as well as my sole sponsor." knowledge. I made sure to give credit for their work, visibility to top leadership as well as adjusting inequalities and promoting from within.

Also, I’m a member of C200, the invitation only powerful community of the most successful women in business. Our mission is the advancement of women. When I left CBS, I was so pleased to finally be able to dedicate myself to mentoring as part of our Protégé Program. The criteria to be selected as a protégé is exhaustive. Therefore, these women are extremely impressive and quite accomplished.

In one instance I was paired with a woman that had been an News anchor in a large city. She lost her job as part of overall cutbacks that have been taking place in News for quite some time. Prior to joining the protégé program, Kristi Piehl became the Founder and CEO of Media Minefield over 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back. Her company specializes in earned media, crisis communication, and positive online presence. Furthermore, her company is the only one I know of that guarantees you or your company will be famous… in a good way! She graduated from the Protégé program a few years ago but we continue our bi-monthly calls. I’m extremely proud to see what she’s accomplished and her future is increasingly brighter.

Section 5: Negotiation

NAWRB: Let’s move on to your experience as a great negotiator. What tips can you offer?

ET: People are easily intimidated by negotiations. It is really just a conversation. And a conversation is a give and take. We do it all the time. For example we negotiate where we want to meet our friends, or what movie the family should see.

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You already know, I wholeheartedly believe in honesty and integrity in every negotiation. Those traits stand the test of time. It’s helpful to know, there’s three types of negotiators; Assertives, Analysts and Accommodators. I’ve created my own style, I call the Adaptor. I’m pretty good at reading people and a situation. I adapt my negotiation style to best serve

write why you’re asking for that item and why it’s important. It’s much easier to get what you want when you have a compelling reason.

5. Listening: This is the easiest tool but the least practiced.

Kristi Piehl, founder & CEO Media Minefield, former First Lady Laura Bush and Elizabeth Tumulty.

each situation while always maintaining my honesty and integrity. Often I change between styles as the negotiation ebbs and flows. And I don’t believe it always has to get ugly to win. That’s not to say it doesn’t get ugly.

That said, there’s five basics everyone should practice:

1. Using Leverage: Many business negotiators are Asser-

tives. And many Assertives intentionally open with leverage. Don’t get me wrong, you always want leverage. Having leverage is the best tool of the trade! But opening with leverage causes resentment from the other side and damages the overall go-forward conversation. Look, you can always use your leverage, but I don’t think it’s the best starting point.

Don’t assume leverage is a given, something you automatically have or don’t have. While many times it’s obvious who has the leverage. For me, the real art of negotiating is creating leverage through a well thought out strategy. Prior to working in television I obtained my Real Estate License. I wasn’t in it long but it was obvious when it was a buyers’ or sellers’ market. But I made the most money when I added to the leverage I already had or created leverage when I didn’t.

Listening comes in different forms. I encourage people to learn as much as possible about the other party, and their company. Try to meet your counterpart in advance to listen and build trust. I think this is key. Many times, you have a lot more in common than not. It makes much more sense for the other side to give on points they find relatable. And listening is just one way to help you create leverage because you understand their goals and motivation. It’s also a great way to create items to give that don’t mean anything to you, but you’ve learned are important to the other side.

Also, keep your ear to the ground and listen to your broader network. Learn from their experience with this person and company. There will be times you believe you have leverage only to learn later you don’t. You don’t want to be caught off guard during the negotiation by learning about something another division at your company might have done, or the other side has relationships or votes in place that won’t approve a deal with your company, etc.

Most importantly listen during the negotiation. Instead most people think about what they’re going to say next instead of simply listening and acknowledging that you’ve heard the other person, even if they’re not going to get what they want out of the deal.

You know it’s interesting… People in general make decisions based on emotion, regardless of what the decision is about. Because of this your entire negotiation can hinge on your counterpart’s mood.

2. Having the Ability to Say, "No": While leverage is I remember when I was selected to attend leadership something you always want, on the flip side, I wouldn’t advise going into a negotiation out of desperation. It’s very important to have the ability to say, “no.” When you come to that dead-end and you can’t say no and walk away, you’re probably not going to achieve the outcome or amount of revenue you wanted. This is something that every realtor has probably experienced.

3. The Art of Silence: Silence is a pretty powerful tool and

quite fun. People are uncomfortable with silences, so they tend to talk and talk until they’ve talked themselves into a corner. This gives you the opportunity to swoop and close.

school in Boston and NYC as part of a Time Warner initiative to develop leaders from within. We spent a day on negotiation. The speaker has written several best sellers on the topic. One of the things this person stressed was the importance of taking emotion out of the negotiation. I’ve tried and I can do it 100% when buying a house or a car.

And while at work, I don’t take what’s said during a negotiation personally because it’s the situation not me they find upsetting. I’ve also learned tricks and phrases to help tone down the emotions of my counterpart. But there’s a lot riding on the big negotiations. So sometimes it’s impossible to truly remove all emotion from negotiations.

4. Doing your Homework: I tell everyone to write down

exactly what they want item by item. Then, next to each item NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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Section 6: The Future

NAWRB: How has network television changed, how are television networks addressing competition from streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and others?

Are less people watching network television now because of these other options?

ET: People are consuming more content than ever before.

Television Networks have a studio arm. Their network programs are produced by their studio arm. Today there’s more places and ways to consume content that have opened a path for that network studio arm to create and distribute additional content.

As we’ve mentioned many people are consuming content differently. So in addition to existing studios creating more content, we’ve seen new studios and production companies popping up. This means more jobs for everyone.

Interestingly, the younger and more affluent people are consuming content over the top, meaning they stream their

programs via the internet. Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, are just some of the steaming outlets. But if you were to look at our entire country you would be astonished by the number of households without access to the internet. And if you were to ask the entire country, including those with internet, which one “channel” would they keep out of all of them, Netflix, Amazon, Roku, YouTube, ABC, NBC, FOX, CNN HGTV, people over 35 choose CBS. NAWRB: In this time of uncertainty of COVID-19, what, in your opinion, is the best way for news outlets to communicate crucial information to citizens while also dispelling fears?

ET: Oh this is a passion. We should all have access to accurate fact checked news and information equally. And we should all understand the difference between news and opinion. Sadly, in today’s digital age where anyone can make up and distribute their own “news” stories, truth is decaying.

In terms of cable, non-opinionated “news” isn’t the best revenue model. People should keep in mind that news is a business. A very profitable business!

The jobs of those networks are to keep you tuned in for as long as possible so you see as many commercials as possible. That’s how they make money.

Viewers are more likely to tune to just one of those networks. They chose the network whose opinion is more in line with their own. Unknowingly many people actually form their point of view based on the opinions of just one network.

That being said, I’m a news junkie. I consume news from all types of sources. I like getting different perspectives and opinions, doing additional research, and forming my own opinion. Many times, I surprise myself ! It’s that curiosity thing in me we talked about earlier.

In particular since the COVID lockdown began, I’ve spent hours hand logging newscasts including the type of video a particular network newscast uses to tell the same top story of the day. Sometimes, it’s a big difference! If I were to turn the sound down, many times I would think the stories were about two different topics.

I can really go on here, especially when it comes to what people post to social media. But for those interested in stopping the spread of fake news there

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"I'm so grateful for all the experiences in my life. I've pretty much done things that I never even imagined I would ever do. " is a chart produced by IFLA.org that outlines the basics on how to recognize a fake news story. IFLA.org is the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

They’re the independent, international, non-governmental not for profit voice of the library and information profession.

NAWRB: What are your future goals, and where do you see yourself in five years?

Elizabeth Tumulty at the White House with President Barack Obama.

ET: I mentioned my passion towards accessible fact based news. And I have a few ideas there. I’ve also been asked to write two books. I’m not sure that’s for me, but we’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll continue consulting, speaking and serving on the board of companies whose mission really speak to me.

Many people ask if I’ll get back into my old business. I must say, it would take a particular company or a person that I truly admire to get me to go back. I’m not looking, but if they were to call, I might consider it.

NAWRB: What is something you would add to your bucket list?

ET: I’m so grateful for all the experiences in my life. I’ve pretty much done things that I never even imagined I would ever do. I’ve done everything from meeting many world leaders, including US Presidents, to recently kayaking with sea lions and trekking with penguins in Antarctica. I’ve had an amazing life.

Sisters Maryjayne Brannan and Elizabeth Tumulty

I’d definitely like to make a larger impact on those with less.

In terms of fun, I’d like to spend a few weeks vacationing with my sister. We’ve never been able to take a trip, just the two of us.

NAWRB: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

ET: People are very surprised when they find out I’m a huge introvert because I pretty much had to be an extravert when working with clients. I love to travel, sail, and cuddle with my Ozzie-Dog. I look forward to annual trips with the women that have been my tribe for 40 plus years. I’m known for getting people including strangers to make pyramids at events

Elizabeth Tumulty at the Emmys

for a photo op. And I’m somewhat of a prankster. One time by boyfriend opened an Amazon package and commented, “Seriously? … I certainly hope you weren’t planning to do this to me.”

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I did not grow up hiking, skiing, camping or anything else related and didn’t begin to do so until halfway through my college years.

Thus, I had convinced myself that an expeditionary-type adventure was simply not attainable for me and subsequently abandoned the idea.

Fast forward several years later, I began to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Earth and Climate Science, concentrating in Climate Sciences, at the University of Maine. During the third year of my studies, I learned of the Juneau Icefield Research Program ( JIRP) while searching for a capstone field experience. JIRP is an expedition-style educational research program based out of Juneau, Alaska, that has been taking students across the Juneau Icefield for over 60 years.

JIRP is built around a 70 plus mile traverse across the Juneau Icefield, which students and staff cover mostly by ski. While traversing the icefield, students experience training in mountaineering skills and wilderness survival, in addition to learning about a wide variety of glaciology-related fields of research and science communication methods. As you could imagine, JIRP really grabbed my attention.

"My grandfather’s story piqued my interest in polar exploration, and I was captivated by the romantic idea of some grand adventure in a pristine, icy, untamed environment."

Summer on an Icefield:

A FIELD STORY

As a young girl growing up, I would often hear stories shared by my grandfather of his visit to Antarctica as a part of a transpolar commercial flight celebrating the 50th anniversary of polar explorer Admiral Byrd’s first flight over Antarctica in 1929.

My grandfather’s story piqued my interest in polar exploration, and I was captivated by the romantic idea of some grand adventure in a pristine, icy, untamed environment. However, I was far from what you would describe as an “outdoorsy” type of person.

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Learning more about JIRP from the Program Director, and my Glaciology professor at the time, Dr. Seth Campbell, I had regained hope that maybe I was capable of pursuing such an expedition like I had imagined before. I decided to go for it and I applied for the 2019 field season. Early in 2019, I learned that my application had been accepted and was fortunately able to pursue the opportunity to become, what the program affectionately calls their members, a “JIRPer.” Now, my story may not be as grand as those of the early polar explorers but to me, it was a life-defining experience defined by no showers, no phones, plenty of SPAM, and a little yet amazing community isolated on an Alaskan-Canadian icefield.

That summer, I closed the door to my parent’s vehicle, hugged them, picked up my bags, and walked through the gates of Logan Airport bound for Alaska. It was a truly bittersweet moment. I immediately felt lonely knowing that once I touch down in Juneau, I’d

Technology

"I was capable of pursuing such an expedition like I had imagined before.

I decided to go for it and I applied for the 2019 field season." have about one more week of limited communication during orientation before trekking up to the icefield.

As one would expect, there is no cell service or internet on glaciers. However, the JIRP camps are resupplied by helicopters almost weekly (weather permitting) which also provided an opportunity to send and receive letters. This gave me some comfort but it was still worrisome to me that I would not be able to communicate with friends and family instantly. I had to convince myself of how silly I was being, being scared of not being able to communicate constantly or keep up on social media. In fact, it would be nice to step away from the constant bombardment of notifications, advertisements, spam mail and the general information overload that comes with constant internet connection. Time to reconnect with myself, find patience and focus on just experiencing life, just being free.

I was about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

I had never been to the West coast, and my first experience there was about to be traversing an icefield in the Alaskan-Canadian wilderness with a research program! Additionally, I would not be completely alone on this journey as my long-term boyfriend Colby, who I met when he joined our major my second year, was fortunately also accepted to the program.

We were both very happy that we were going to share the experience and saw it as an opportunity for individual growth and learning that we each could relate to one another with once we were home. My heart pounded with excitement about the adventures and teachings that were waiting for me, thus I pushed any negative thoughts out of my mind and headed for the airline gate.

After several hours of flying and a quick stop in Seattle, we finally landed in Juneau and headed towards the baggage claim. I stood by the window above the escalator leading to the baggage claim area, completely captivated by the towering snow-covered mountains right across the way from a small plane landing strip. I reminded myself that I was on a schedule and needed to meet the JIRP staff member

waiting to take arriving JIRPers to our Juneau camp. As I claimed my backpack and waited for my ski bag, I tried to pick out who may be a fellow JIRP student among the crowd. The bell, signaling the door to the oversized baggage claim was opening, rang out, followed by the thud of several ski bags sliding out. A few people around my age hurried over to pick up their ski bags, on a hot day, in the middle of June. Found the JIRPers. The JIRP staff member came up to our group to direct us towards the van, we proceeded to haul our bags over our shoulders and continue on with our introductory conversations.

Our van ride consisted of us now official “JIRPers” getting to know each other, sharing our excitement and admiring the beautiful landscape of the Tongass National Forest. We turned down a narrow dirt road that opened up to a field with a rustic brown community building, known as the Eagle Valley Center (EVC), sitting at the edge of it. As I exited the van, I was cheerfully greeted by fellow students who had arrived earlier in the day. I continued to meet my fellow JIRPers as the day went on and more people arrived. The student body ended up consisting of 33 people from around the U.S., as well as several international students. Academic and outdoor experience varied greatly among the group, from those enrolled in Master’s programs, to students at various stages in their undergraduate careers, to even a couple of highschool students. There were students who were passionate skiers and those who had never skied before. It was a great feeling to know that everyone had a different skill set, different experiences and perspectives. It presented a unique opportunity to learn a great deal from one another.

After we all settled in to our tents and went through an initial gear check, orientation began. Orientation, or “Juneau Week,” focused on getting all of us both physically, mentally and academically prepared before undertaking our traverse across the Juneau Icefield.

After everyone arrived and settled in, JIRP staff members went over the basics with us, including discussing blister care, hydration and nutrition tips, health and hygiene on the icefield (including the favorite JIRP “shower” technique, a snow bath). Then, they proceeded to cover more technical aspects, such as familiarizing ourselves with our gear and discussing our route for the initial hike up to the icefield, which was described to us as no easy trek.

After the first day or two of Juneau week, the staff transitioned into familizaring students with basic mountaineering safety techniques such as “roping up” for glacier travel, a totally foreign idea to me NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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snow samples and ice core samples to be sent off for geochemical analysis in an effort to understand the climate history of the Juneau Icefield. Additionally, my group and I would analyze data collected by meteorological stations across the icefield to observe the recent temperature history of the region.

at the time. I joined a small group of my fellow JIRPers on a field next to EVC with a rope and my carabiners. One of the safety staff members explained how tying up with members of our trail party while out on the icefield was absolutely critical to our safety. Crevasses, which can be simply described as deep fractures or cracks in a glacier, are one of the biggest threats to our safety while out of camp. Due to the dynamic nature of a flowing glacial body, the locations of crevasses can change day-to-day. Additionally, snow bridges can cover the opening of a crevasse obscuring it from your sight. Thus, JIRP focused heavily on crevasse safety and rescue. Roping up was a way to prepare us and set us up for a crevasse rescue scenario if one of our team members were to fall through a snow bridge.

Though we were on grass and unable to practice the full technique, our safety staff member described that if a snow bridge collapsed under a member of the rope team and resulted in them falling into a crevasse, the rest of us on the rope would immediately “self-arrest” with our ice axes or skis to halt their fall. From there, we would work together to set up a pulley system to bring our friend up and out of the crevasse. I shivered at the idea of plunging through a snow bridge, yet in a matter of just a few weeks, we would be willingly throwing ourselves into crevasses for both practice and fun.

As Juneau Week continued, we listened to introductory lectures on a wide range of topics relating to glaciology and learned about the history of the program, as well as some classic JIRP icefield stories. My fellow students and I would continue to learn about a wide variety of glaciology-related disciplines, as well as exposure to several forms of science communication, throughout our time with JIRP. We were also given the opportunity to pick from multiple project offerings to focus on throughout JIRP and present to the community of Juneau and of Atlin, B.C., at the end of the program. After expressing my preferences, I joined the Climatology group which would focus on collecting surface

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Anticipation grew as us JIRPers got to know each other and the program better. The week quickly dwindled down to the last days before departing our now beloved Tent City for arguably one of the greatest adventures of our lives. Students and staff were broken into trail parties with set departure days and times. My trail party was to be one of the last groups to leave the EVC for the Juneau Icefield. I laid in my tent on the night before our trail party was set to leave, my feelings of excitement had become overtaken with anxious thoughts. I knew the hike up to our first camp on the edge of the icefield, known as Camp 17, was infamously grueling. Was I fit enough? I had found our warm up hikes over the past week to be difficult and my backpack was pretty light since it was not completely full with things such as my extra clothes and sleeping bag during those hikes.

I had never hiked before with such a large, heavy backpack which the idea of kept me up the most. Was I strong enough?

Will I be able to keep up?

Luckily, we would not have to carry our skis and ski boots up to Camp 17 as they were to be flown there via helicopter, which was both a comforting and crazy thought. The idea of a helicopter dropping supplies and gear at our camp seemed like something out of a movie to me. I could not wait to witness a helicopter resupply. The excitement of the helicopter faded and I could not help spending the night thinking how there was no turning back now, hoping I was ready enough to make it up to the icefield.

The first hike up to Camp 17 was brutal. It became close to a 14-hour day of pure elevation gain through narrow woods, “vertical swamps” (which I completely sank one of my boots in), all the way up until to the alpine zone. However, it was one of the most beautiful hikes I had ever been on which made it more bearable. The last leg of our trek involved hiking up the Ptarmigan Glacier to the mountain ridge where Camp 17 was situated. Our trail party took one last water break before embarking on our last push up the glacier, this was both the worst and best part of my day. We were the last trail party that still hadn’t reached camp and the sun was getting low. I was exhausted, everything ached and my sock was still wet from my tussle with the vertical swamp.

However, we were all in the same boat, so we just encouraged one another as we pushed upwards with the silhouette of Camp 17 now in our sight.

As our trail party slowly, but surely, made our way up, we began to hear the cheers of support coming from our fellow JIRPers who were in camp. The cheers and encouragement never stopped as we pushed onwards up to meet them. After about another hour, my trail party and I finally made it to Camp 17, to the Juneau Icefield.

Everyone gathered around, congratulating, hugging, and offering to carry our bags to where we would be staying in camp. The sense of accomplishment and joy that I felt in that moment is indescribable.

I had made it to the icefield and the encouragement I experienced along the way was incredible. In fact, I had quickly come to learn that the JIRP community was one of the most supportive, positive and “stoked” filled groups I will probably ever come across. As the summer progressed, it became tradition to drop what you were doing when a trail party came into camp to cheer them on and welcome them to their next icefield home. After greeting everyone, I popped my skis off and looked back across the breathtaking mountainous landscape we had just trekked across, then looked forward to the other side of the ridge where the rest of the Juneau Icefield waited for me.

I walked around Camp 17 one morning during the first week of our stay there to take all of it in, exploring every corner of the camp and trying to memorize every detail. The wood and aluminum sided buildings were scattered across the ridge between the Ptarmigan Glacier where we arrived at Camp 17, and the Lemon Creek Glacier, where we would leave Camp 17. In the center was a building known as the Cook Shack, the main building where we would all gather for meals and get to know one another. Outside of the Cook Shack rested a snow patch with a blue tarp set up like a funnel leading to a bin downhill. This served as our water supply and there were a few of them set up around the camp. Upkeeping them was one of the daily responsibilities of a JIRPer.

and experiences of past JIRPers, which inspired me and gave me a sense of what this program has meant to people. It was so much more than a research program, but a community.

Later that morning, a plastic horn was blown by one of the student members of that day’s cook crew (students rotated being on cook crew daily), summoning everyone to breakfast. I got in line then sat down with my typical JIRP breakfast: fried Spam, boxed hash browns, pancakes and, of course, coffee.

If you did not have at least a minor coffee addiction before JIRP, you certainly did by the end of it. Towards the end of breakfast, a staff member who took on responsibility as camp manager for Camp 17, called us outside for morning announcements and the plan of the day. I brought my tin mug filled with my second (maybe third) cup of coffee outside and found a space on a rock overlooking the Ptarmigan

"Roping up was a way to prepare us & set us up for a crevasse rescue scenario if one of our team members were to fall through a snow bridge."

Further uphill was a helicopter landing area marked out by a circle of rocks. I was eager to see a helicopter land and take off. The excitement of helicopters arriving at our camps never died during the summer as they brought mail from home, the biggest treat on the icefield. The rest of the Camp 17 buildings served as sleeping lofts consisting of wooden bunks and foam pads nicknamed “foamies,” a small library which also doubled as a sleeping area, a tool shed and some of the most spectacularly located outhouses that I will probably ever see. The buildings all had character and were uniquely nicknamed, usually after inside jokes that were made at some point during the program’s history. Inside the buildings, the walls were covered with the names of the previous generations of JIRPers along with some memorabilia they had left behind, some of these objects included old skis dating back to the very early years of the program in the 1940’s. These walls seemed to just ooze with the memories NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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"The wood & aluminum sided buildings were scattered across the ridge between the Ptarmigan Glacier where we arrived at Camp 17."

Glacier and the mountain range behind it. I’d admit, it was hard to pay attention at first with such a spectacular view in front of me. The camp manager walked us through our schedule for the day, reminded us that our goal while at Camp 17 was safety training, and then asked for volunteers for daily camp upkeeping tasks. As mentioned, our main objective for the next week was to prepare for safely traversing across the icefield to our next camp, where we would then begin to dive more into academic aspects of the program and venture out into the icefield for day trips assisting visiting researchers (flown in by helicopter) with their work.

A typical day at Camp 17 went like this: skiing lessons or a ski tour up a nearby peak depending on your experience level, lunch, then more ski practice or crevasse rescue training out on the Lemon Creek glacier before returning to camp for dinner. We would wrap up dinner with further announcements and a daily reflection given by a student. Then, we would attend a lecture in the small library by a faculty member, and, once that was finished, the rest of the night was left up to the JIRPers. Most JIRPers spent the nights at Camp 17, going for sunset ski runs down the Ptarmigan Glacier. Unfortunately, I felt like I did not have the skiing ability yet to join those going down the Ptarmigan, but watching them go down against some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen always made my night.

The days at Camp 17 passed by quickly and it became time for us to leave what felt like our first home on the icefield, where we had all already grown so much both individually and together as a group. However, it was time for my fellow JIRPers and I to apply the glacier travel techniques we have learned over the past week and start our journey across the Juneau Icefield, where we would be exposed to many more exciting and challenging experiences. The traverse to our next camp, Camp 10, was split up over two days and

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consisted of about 23 miles of boot packing up and over the Nugget Mountain Ridge, skiing down to and across a flat stretch, charmingly named “Death Valley.” From Death Valley, we were to navigate our way up the jagged Norris icefall, then ski just a bit further until we reached the Norris Cache, where we would camp for the night.

The second day of the traverse would be an all day ski down the Southwestern branch of the Taku glacier, then onto the Taku glacier itself before we reached the nunatak, a mountain that protrudes from the icefield, where Camp 10 awaited us. The trail parties that were set to leave first out of Camp 17 the next morning buzzed around the Cook Shack with anticipation while putting together their provisions for the two-day traverse. Everyone who was in the Cook Shack with them gave them a hug or pat on the back, wished them luck and left them with more words of encouragement before turning in for the night. The day came quickly when it was time for my trail party and I to depart for Camp 10. I packed up my sleeping bag, gathered my belongings and signed my name on the rafter above my bunk before bidding it farewell.

It was a great feeling signing my name on that rafter. I felt like I was leaving a bit of me behind to reside on the icefield for long after I leave it.

I met my trail party by the Cook Shack, went through one last gear check, grabbed my skis and was cheered on by the remaining JIRPers as we made our way out of Camp 17 and down to the Lemon Creek glacier. The traverse to Camp 10 was without a doubt the hardest one of the summer for me. I arrived at the Norris Cache camp after a long 12 plus hours of bootpacking and skiing with a hurt shoulder, raging blisters and borderline trench foot. Icefield – 1, Jackie – 0.

However, the landscape surrounding our tents situated in the middle of Taku glacier’s southwestern branch made me forget about any aches or pain. Stretches of white snow dominated the scenery, but was broken up by dark gray, jagged nunataks towering out of the ice. Truly captivating and truly silent, it was peaceful. Our trail party was joined by another party who arrived at the Norris Cache about an hour after us. We ate our dinner consisting of camp stove canned chili and tea together, shared our stories of the day and showed off any nasty blisters before turning in to our tents for the night. The next day was one of the many

traverses of the summer that would consist of a long, flat ski across a glacier until we could reach our destination. A few of us, including myself, were struggling with some minor injuries from the day before. I had hurt my shoulder and carrying my heavy bag the next day made it worse, it got to the point where I could not turn my head without feeling a terrible sharp pain. Fortunately, a few staff members stopped to help me and went above and beyond to find a way to turn my bag into a makeshift sled to be dragged. They had even taken turns helping me drag the bag by dragging it themselves. An act of kindness and support that I will be always incredibly grateful for.

We continued our traverse to Camp 10, laughing, joking and singing to keep spirits high.

Like I mentioned before, this group of JIRPers were some of the most positive and encouraging people I have ever met. We finally reached Camp 10 and were, yet again, cheerfully greeted by our fellow JIRPers who had arrived the day before. From this point on, the real icefield experience began. Crevasse rescue training became more advanced; project work began; days were filled with skiing, assisting a variety of visiting researchers from numerous institutions with their work, academic workshops, lectures, and a serious amount of JIRP stoke and fun shenanigans. Camp life was one of my favorite aspects of JIRP, from the spontaneous dance parties, from playing cards in the cook shack joking with one an another and sharing stories from home, to our camp wide murder mystery night and “fancy” dinner nights.

Fancy dinner nights happened a few times throughout the summer and started at our third camp, Camp 18. Fancy dinner consisted of fresh food, or “freshies” as we came to call them, that had been flown in and saved for the occasion. The excitement in the air on the day of a fancy dinner night was palpable, and our first one became a highly talked about event when it was learned that cheeseburgers were on the menu for that night. When it got closer to dinner, JIRPers ran around camp looking for items they could turn into some elegant attire suitable for the occasion. The outfit of choice was a trash bag cut into a high end piece of JIRP fashion. The horn was blown for dinner

"I did it, I thought to myself, I actually traversed the Juneau Icefield."

and there everyone was, eating cheeseburgers in trash bags against the grand landscape of the Juneau Icefield: pure happiness.

Our days at Camp 10 and Camp 18 seemed short, and the rest of our time on the icefield seemed shorter. Before I knew it, I was taking my skis off for the last time before we hiked off the icefield and caught a small boat to our last destination before heading back to Juneau, the small town of Atlin, B.C. It was here we finished off our projects and presented our summer’s worth of work to the Atlin community. We spent the last nights together sleeping out on the docks outside of the old hospital building that had been converted into a JIRP camp decades ago. It was our last night before we left Atlin for Juneau, and then home.

I looked up to the sky from my sleeping bag on the dock, listening to the waves lap up against the wood. I did it, I thought to myself, I actually traversed the Juneau Icefield. It felt like a close one at times, close to not making it, close to wanting to call it quits. I had experienced my highest of highs and lowest of lows at JIRP. There were times when I was incredibly proud of myself and times when I disappointed myself. The feeling of accomplishment when I completed a traverse, how they seemed to become a bit easier as I became stronger was unmatched, but the disappointment in myself when I was too slow or couldn’t carry my bag loomed in the back of my mind. All the choices I made during the program, all the opportunities I took and those I had missed, the things I wish I had said and wished I had done. I felt like I had still so much more to accomplish, more to prove but my time on the icefield was over.

I listened to the waves for a bit longer, trying to get the negativity out of my mind and remind myself that I did cross the Juneau Icefield, something I should be proud of and grateful for. Myself and my fellow JIRPers had accomplished so much just by making it into Atlin. It did not matter how we got there, help or no help, because we got there. Bumps along the way do not diminish that achievement, I thought. I had done something and lived a dream I thought was impossible for me to obtain as a child.

During the summer of 2019, I experienced incredible personal growth, faced tough challenges that seriously tested me both physically and emotionally, pushed myself out of my comfort zone, learned so many new things from amazing people and felt free, totally free, out on that icefield.

Jackie Bellefontaine Bachelor of Science for Earth and Climate Sciences University of Maine

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Government

We all want to live in peaceful, secure and vibrant communities. However, we have blind spots that lead to inequity, poverty, conflict, lack of accountability and atrocities that get overlooked like rape, injustice, human trafficking and murder. Overlooking the contributions of women as 50 percent of the world’s population, is a strategic handicap.

Within the last 20-years, empirical analysis by the U.N. and NATO highlight that women’s participation in early warning and prevention, peace building, peacekeeping, and post conflict recovery processes is associated with far better outcomes. Having women meaningfully participate (defined as at least 30% in positions of authority) in all levels of influence leads to more stable, secure and prosperous communities. Unfortunately, 30% is rarely achieved and underrepresentation in areas of influence continue to prevail. Take the U.S. for example, the only areas we tend to have this type of equity is in healthcare, educational attainment, and judiciary roles.

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Whether looking at this from a local or global perspective, people want access to a good education, fair and open elections, policy and legislation that addresses all, infrastructure that is up-to-date, neighborhoods that promote success and involvement, economic opportunity, good healthcare, clean food, air and water, police we can trust and a judicial system that is fair for all. We all want to live in safe communities. This is the basis of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1325) Women, Peace and Security (WPS) which was the first time women were recognized as being disproportionately affected by conflict and disaster, therefore, they have the most equities in participating in the processes and it recognized the role women play in society.

T he original Resolution created in the year 2000 encompasses four pillars:

1) the role of women in conflict prevention, 2) their participation in peacebuilding, 3) the protection of their rights during and after conflict, and 4) their specific needs during recovery. Over 10 subsequent resolutions, further stressed the need to ensure women’s full, equal and effective participation and addressed issues such as the contribution of civil society to peacemaking or the influence of women in the rise of terrorism and violent extremism.

They also address conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) recognizing sexual violence can be a threat to international peace and security, when it is used as a tactic of war, mainly (but not exclusively) directed against women. Rape and sexual violence, which used to be seen as inevitable side effects of armed conflict, are now treated as possible crimes against humanity. Nearly 20 years later, however, and despite many global and regional commitments and initiatives, the number of women and gender experts involved in formal peacemaking processes remains low.

You may hear the WPS community use terms such as Gender Perspective (GP) and Gender Advisor (GENAD). The term gender refers to the historically and culturally developed characteristics, roles and norms attributed to men and women in society according to their sex. In conflict, men and women are impacted differently, and a differential approach to the way peacemaking is carried out is needed, responding to men and women’s different security and peacebuilding needs. Men have long been considered the only relevant actors in armed conflict and its resolution. However, women are also greatly affected and involved in conflict, be it as relatives, caretakers, politicians, peace activists or combatants. Including women in peace processes adds a broader range of perspectives and increases inclusivity and diversity.

This enhances the ability of peacemakers to address a broader range of stakeholders and their concerns, which can contribute to more sustainable peace. Gender Perspective is a tool used to increase operational effectiveness and positively influence the environment by identifying an often overlooked populous, recognizing their specific needs, and providing the appropriate comprehensive response in order to gain valuable insight through greater situational awareness, prevent conflict and speed up recovery efforts. It is crucial to understanding modern conflict and human cost. Unlike wars of the past where 95% of victims were soldiers, today the ratio has inverted with non-combatant civilians now accounting for the vast majority of victims. More women and children die post-conflict due to the breakdown of infrastructure.

A GENAD advises on the implementation and integration of a GP including, but not limited to, operations/missions, crisis/conflict analysis, concepts, doctrine, procedures, education and training. The DoD GENAD ensures the incorporation of security dimensions and military contributions to UNSCR 1325 WPS, related Resolutions and a gender perspective into Command decision making, functions and processes. The GENAD looks at intelligence differently and highlights areas of interest whereas most focus on the men with guns. New global security threats by non-state actors have demonstrated an increased urgency to integrate a GP crucial to obtaining a broader understanding of the environment into the armed forces.

Our adversaries operate in environments of unrest and use the local populous as forms of currency to fund their attacks. Women, girls and boys are kidnapped, raped and used as recruitment tools to grow their ranks. Thus, the integration of a gender perspective is not only an operational necessity and crucial to the fulfillment of human rights, it is also a legal obligation.

There are over 82 countries around the world have policies or action plans on WPS. Most outline pillars relating to women’s

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participation, protection and prevention of conflict. However, very few have budgets, roles and responsibilities outlined or accountability measures. There are some countries that have incorporated a GP into military and security operations successfully for over a decade but for the most part, many written are no more than words on paper without real action.

I am proud to say that the United States created the first comprehension WPS legislation in the world. Congress passed the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 (WPS Act), which President Trump signed into law in October of that year. It called on the United States to be a global leader in promoting the meaningful participation of women in conflict prevention, management, resolution, and post conflict relief and recovery. The WPS Act identified the DoD as one of four Federal Departments and Agencies responsible for the implementation of national legislation in coordination with the Department of State, USAID, and the Department of Homeland Security.

In June of 2020 the Department of Defense released the Women, Peace, and Security Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan as part of a national effort to promote the meaningful contributions of women in national security around the world. By recognizing the diverse roles women play across the spectrum of conflict - and by incorporating their perspectives throughout plans and operations - DoD is better equipped to promote our security, confront near-peer competitors, and defeat our adversaries. This is a big deal. We have a budget and law that makes implementing a gender perspective into all training, plans, operations and policies mandatory. It will take time and Directives will be issued but it the U.S. is working towards greater equity both inside our military forces and within communities we operate within.

More than 100 years of women in military and security services showcases the positive impact of meaningful contributions in resolving conflict, disaster recovery efforts, and promoting long-term security. Men and women experience conflict differently. Therefore, security forces that reflect the diversity of conflict-affected populations are better suited to identify unique security concerns. This is critical for establishing trust within local populations, gathering intelligence and information, and establishing early warning systems to detect and deter outbreaks of violence. Leveraging inclusivity and diversity throughout the ranks enhances decision-making space, accelerates multi-national integration of operations, and delivers forces capable of winning against any adversary.

I was trained as a GENAD in Sweden at a NATO school and had the opportunity to work on a team over the past three years at the Pentagon helping to shape the recently passed U.S. legislation. I have had many General officers ask me, ‘So what?’ ‘How does it actually work and give me examples?’ ‘Is this about sexual harassment and equal opportunity?’ Having been in a combat arms position, which is rare for a women in the military, I could always equate WPS to strategic and tactical terms they could understand.

The humanitarian speak works for DoS and USAID but for the military, they want to know how it fits within our national strategy and how does this make us a better Force. Without security, it is pretty hard to get aid to local populations and it is sure not easy to conduct fair elections and create policy that benefit women and minorities (in global terms, this is usually religious and ethnic minorities).

I would be armed with several pages of examples that highlight how paying attention to the needs of women and children reduced our risk and led to less violence. Examples of women talking to women and how we are seen as friends versus a male soldier seen as an armed enemy. Examples of why women, boys and girls were disproportionately affected by natural disasters over men, case in point, tsunami’s, women are often not taught to swim, are at home with the kids with no communication devices while the men have learned to swim, climb trees and fish with the radio.

In the aftermath, men had access to health care whereas many women did not. Explaining how implementing a woman in a team or educating the all-male patrols to look at sex disaggregated data to form a whole picture of the operational environment. For example, if no women go through a checkpoint or are in a local market yet all of a sudden, they are not present, they probably know something we should. Wouldn’t it be great if we had relationships with the women in the villages instead

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of the male hierarchy who have their own agendas usually not geared towards peace?

Now, the very name, Women, Peace, and Security put me as a GENAD at a disadvantage when speaking because my audience, 99% men, always chalked it up to a women’s issue when in fact it was a strategic issue. My international classmates prepared me for this as they too had to go through the process of educating senior leaders and staffers on what exactly a gender perspective is. In terms of sexual harassment and equal opportunity, I would tactfully point leaders to the person who handles that as I was focusing on situational awareness and avoiding blind spots as a strategic imperative. This is where education begins.

Now that we have funds and national law, we can focus on a cultural shift within the military and security sectors to view women as operational assets in a different way. Our adversaries are utilizing women’s strengths, why aren’t we? Strength does not always equate to brute muscles and kicking down doors. It’s about the strength of the team, the Force. Leveraging talent and capabilities of each individual and what they bring to that team at every level. Diversity in every sector has

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been proven to produce better results. I like to call it balance.

It is not us versus them. It is about broadening our thought and coming up with new approaches to old problems. Conflict is as old problem. Incorporating women leads to greater peace, speedier recoveries and more stability. WPS is a simple, inexpensive solution in which the principles for what it stands for can apply to any community as we all want safe, secure and equitable places to call home and work in.

Applying a gender perspective to life opens your eyes and allows you to see what others often miss. Don’t just pay attention to the obvious because it is the things that people ignore that cause problems. Apply WPS to your home life, work life and view how our system operates. Is it equitable? Do we have adequate representation in order to produce better results? If the answer is no, and you are not at the table, you are on the menu and you know what happens when you are on the menu.

You get eaten.

For more on WPS see: Statement from Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman on the Release of the Women, Peace, and Security Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2217307/statement-from-chief-pentagon-spokespersonjonathan-hoffman-on-the-release-of-t/ Women’s Perspectives Important in new DoD Strategy Push https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Article/ Article/1910884/womens-perspectives-important-in-new-dod-strategy-push/ UN Women https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-peace-security NATO https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_91091.htm

Erica G. Courtney

CEO - 2020Vet, Zulu Time U.S. Army Reservist

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The Black Bill of Rights, A Journey By: Jasper James

In 2018, Sacramento PD killed Stephon Clark, an unarmed Black man standing in his grandmother’s backyard. The community was thrown into a too familiar tailspin.

This was not the first time Sacramento endured violent injustice, but this event, in particular, created a social earthquake that was felt around the world.

As co-owner of a Sacramento-based crisis communications firm, I found myself at the front lines in multiple capacities while also navigating being Black, and managing my own mourning. For two years, I became obsessed with understanding why the police keep getting away with killing unarmed, innocent Black people. I began to study the Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights and learned about qualified immunity. I discovered the defined leniencies embedded in police union contracts and studied how the justice system works differently for different people.

While studying, I continued following the money, focusing on each election cycle.

I interviewed lawyers, spoke to lobbying professionals, policy wonks, and thought leaders of all kinds in our community, and nationwide. Most importantly, I spoke to the families of those who were taken from us by law enforcement.

My personal journey of creating a Black Bill of Rights was inspired by the countless personal conversations I had with these families. No trials, no jury, no due process; the families of those executed told me their stories and I listened.

Throughout this process, I developed a historical perspective that helped me

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to understand something significant. It became clear to me that despite slaves being freed, and Black people gaining the right to protection on paper, behind closed doors, deals were still being made the likes of which every generation of Black people from the 1700s to the present day has had to contend with.

From the start, those with power, what I understand as the ruling class, have been utilizing loopholes to thwart justice for Black Americans.

Behind the smiles and promises of politicians claiming progress, are the architects of policies responsible for allowing the killing of Black people in our communities to continue unabated. They hold the keys. For the most part, America has never had Black people's best interests in mind. In fact, to this day as we walk in our own backyards, and we lay in our beds our leaders bet against us every time.

That is why I am convinced that this moment in our history, filled with civil unrest is not just about passing legislation. That's definitely part of it, but this moment was telling me that it was much more than that. This is the moment that Black people can put White supremacy on notice. After 400 years of breaking social contracts, it stands to reason, if the ruling class can't figure out how to care about Black people, then we must do what we have always done, and care for ourselves.

Theoretically speaking, our reparations could start right here with the swift and sweeping justice reform that can be ac-

cessed via the Black Bill of Rights.

The Black Bill of Rights is designed to exist as a living framework that can be codified into laws in all 50 states and that can serve as a template in other areas where systemic racism has led to persistent injustice. It is designed to provide a roadmap to Black sovereignty in the justice system. The Articles provide a framework for communities already doing the hard work of reform and a guideline to hold law enforcement and their policies regarding the internal investigation and administration functions accountable.

The Black Bill of Rights framework as it stands provides a remedy for how Black individuals in the United States can move towards having a viable influence in regards to all aspects of policing, fairly and ethically, once and for all.

To read the Black Bill of Rights with examples of the legislative measures that have already been passed in the United States, visit

www.activismarticulated.com Sign the Petition: www.change.org/BlackBillofRights

Jasper James

Co-Founder of Activism Articulated, a crisis/PR firm located in Sacramento CA. Mx. James is an active member of the ACLU Sacramento Chapter Board, Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Sacramento Stonewall Democratic Club (PAC).

Business Ownership

Anousheh Ansari Mitzi Perdue

Nannette De Gaspe Beaubien

DC Finance Hosts Live Discussions During the COVID-19 Crisis

For the past five years, Desirée Patno, CEO of NAWRB & Chairwoman of NDILC, has had the honor of representing a voice for the gender lens perspective in the real estate and housing ecosystem at several of the largest events for ultra high net worth individuals and family offices across the globe with one of the world’s leading conference organizers, DC Finance.

As many industry events have been canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, DC Finance put together a variety of webinars to keep the family office community informed and engaged during this time. As she “Zoomed In” to the webinars, below are some of the sessions hosted by DC Finance Founder Denny Chared with family office leaders who shared their thoughts and reflections on the impact of the crisis.

April 16th

Interview with Tal Kerret, President of Silverstein Properties, Family Member and Entrepreneur Denny Chared began the series of webinars with an interview with Tal Kerret, President of Silverstein Properties Inc., about SilverTech Ventures, which is working to foster a community of successful technology entrepreneurs in New York City. As described

on their website, Silvertech Ventures is an “accelerator and venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs grow their companies by respecting the role of the CEO, helping with our network and experience, and most importantly, by being there when needed.”

Silverstein Properties, Inc. is well-known as the developer of the World Trade Center and Four Seasons Walt Disney.

Founded in 1957 by Chairman Larry Silverstein, Silverstein Properties has developed, owned and managed more than 40 million square feet of commercial, residential, retail and hotel space. In early 2019, Desirée Patno had the pleasure of receiving a personal tour of the World Trade Center and learned the series of obstacles Silverstein Properties faced.

All about Flight to Quality for real estate acquisitions with your major destination cities of New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

April 21st

Interview with Wendy Federman, Award-Winning Broadway & Film Producer & President of Foolish Mortals Productions Wendy Federman, a Next Gen and one of Broadway’s top producers, shared her story growing as a second generation that has sold the business and went after her dreams NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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of Broadway, ultimately becoming one of Broadway’s top award winning producers.

She shared over 14 billion dollars is generated by Broadway in New York and all the touring companies. Many discussions are ongoing to work through all the logistics on how and when Broadway would reopen.

Wendy Federman is a nine-time Tony Award, seven-time Drama Desk Award, eleven-time Drama League Award, and ten-time Outer Critics Circle Award winning producer. Wendy is a proud member of the John F. Kennedy Center’s National Committee for the Performing Arts whose mission is to fulfill President Kennedy’s vision by producing and presenting the greatest examples of music, dance, and theater; supporting artists in the creation of new work; and serving the nation as a leader in arts education.

April 23rd

Interview with Nancy Spielberg, Writer and Producer Nancy Spielberg discussed the film industry during the COVID-19 crisis, growing up in one of the most prominent families in the film and entertainment industry of our time, her experience playing in homemade movies by her brother, and exclusive information on her latest projects.

She wanted to use her talents to produce documentaries and feature films. “The documentary filmmaking world is pure. I choose projects that can help in some way or that have a story that really moves me", stated Nancy Spielberg. She is executive producer of several incredible pieces including "Who Will Write Our History" and "On the Map". Nancy Spielberg is founder and co-founder of several charities including “Children of Chernobyl,” “Project Sunshine” and the American branch of The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.

May 12th

Dealing with the Challenges of our Time - A Rare Discussion with Two Next Generations Who Became World Leading Family Consultants: David C. Bentall & Nava Michael-Tsabari Two family members of famous families in their country end up becoming the top family consultants in their space: David C. Bentall, Bentall Family Member and Founder of Next Step Advisors, and Nava Michael-Tsabari, Direc-

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tor of the Raya Strauss Center for Family Business Research at The School of Management, Tel Aviv University. Both David and Nava joined in a fascinating discussion with DC Finance Founder Denny Chared on their success stories, and how they navigated challenges in becoming two of the world’s leading family consultants.

We are faced with great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.

June 4th

Woman Entrepreneurship, Space Travel and the Opportunities During a World Pandemic Anousheh Ansari, Entrepreneur, Businesswoman, Space Traveler, and CEO of XPRIZE Foundation.

The family office community listened in to Anousheh Ansari’s fascinating discussion about women’s entrepreneurship, space travel and opportunities available during the global health crisis. She first captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer, and she earned her place in history as the fourth private explorer to visit space and the first astronaut of Iranian descent. Everything is all about space!

In addition to being a private space explorer, Anousheh is a serial entrepreneur and Co-Founder and Chairman of Prodea Systems, a company that will unleash the power of the Internet to all consumers and dramatically alter and simplify consumer’s digital living experience.

June 11th

Media, Technology And Innovation David Sable, Fromer Global Chairman, Y&R; WPP Senior Advisor; Author; Entrepreneur; Social Activist The media and technology industries have had to adapt and change significantly during this time. David Sable, the Non-Executive Chairman of VMLY&R, and thought leader at WPP, discusses this historic transition with Denny Chared. Sable previously served as CEO of Y&R, one of the world's largest consumer advertising agencies, and he was named a “Top 20 Must-Know Global Influencer” by LinkedIn, as well as one of the “Top 10 Most Generous Marketing Geniuses”

by Fast Company. He also serves on the Boards of Directors of Special Olympics, UNICEF and American Eagle Outfitters.

June 16th

Women Entrepreneurship, Family Business and Retail Marketing in Light of Current Challenges Nannette De Gaspe Beaubien Women entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses are struggling to keep afloat during the current COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the retail marketing space as many stores are being forced to be closed to in-person shopping and ecommerce is on the rise. Nannette De Gaspe Beaubien, a seasoned marketing and finance executive with an emphasis on the biotech and beauty industries, shares how she is adapting to, and thriving, this new environment.

From launching her new luxury mask products Nannette de Graspe Beaute, Inc. by working the lobby in one of the most luxurious hotels, she sold ten thousand bottles within the first two weeks. She didn’t know the normal way of marketing and created her own channel based on technology, 85% active ingredients and science.

June 26th

How the Sheraton Family and Perdue have Managed Past Crisis and Found the Opportunities Within Mitzi Perdue, Next Generation, Businesswoman and Entrepreneur Mitzi Perdue, a Next Gen, Businesswoman and Entrepreneur, who uses her experiences of three long-time family businesses in her career. Her father, Ernest Henderson, was the Co-Founder of the Sheraton Hotel Chain, and her late husband Frank Perdue was the second generation in the poultry company that currently operates in more than 50 countries.

Mitzi holds a Bachelor’s Degree with honors from Harvard University and an MPA from George Washington University. She was the Former President of the 35,000-member American Agri-Women, and Former Syndicated Columnist for Scripps Howard. Her column, The Environment and You, was the most widely-syndicated environmental column in the country. She started the family wine grape business, now one the larger suppliers of wine grapes in California.

In three weeks she wrote her latest book with Mark Victor Hansen “How to Be Up in Down Times” in what she calls ‘pandemic brain’ - when you have a lack of mental clarity, under stress, being in quarantine can lead to PTSD.

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The Color of Law:

A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America

by Richard Rothstein The Color of Law reveals the true history of segregation, and how federal, state and local governments gave rise to it, thereby relinquishing the myth of de facto segregation arising from private prejudice or the unintended consequences of economic forces. Rothstein educates readers on how the American government has systematically imposed residential segregation through various means, which will transform their understanding of twentieth-century urban history.

Untamed

By Glennon Doyle Untamed is an intimate memoir about a woman’s trials and tribulations as she navigates divorce, forming a blended family and reinventing herself through motherhood and self love. Glennon Doyle’s story tackles the previous notion of what it means to be a woman in this empowering story about a woman’s realization that her life’s purpose is much more than just living for her children; it’s about showing them how to live through her own actions and wellbeing.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

By Suzanne Collins In this spinoff and prequel of the beloved Hunger Games series, author Suzanne Collins gives us another intimate look into the dystopian world that has lit up imaginations and the big screen in the popular movie adaptation. This novel tells the story of Coriolanus Snow, who was prepared to redeem himself and achieve glory by mentoring a tribute for the Games, is forced to mentor the female tribute from District 12 - using whatever he can to help her win.

The Great

Starring Elle Fanning, Nicholaus Hoult, Phoebe Fox The Great is a lively American comedy-drama television series based on the rise of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia and the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia's history. Catherine is a naive outsider from Germany when she marries Peter the Emperor. With her progressive views on society, art and culture, however, she forms a coup to overthrow her husband and lead Russia to greatness.

Never Have I Ever

Starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison Created by Mindy Kaling, Never Have I Ever is a charming coming of age comedy-drama television series centered around Devi, an Indian American high school student dealing with the death of her father while experiencing the highs and lows of romantic love, friendship and family. With the help of her loved ones, Devi learns to reconcile her grief, her fraught relationship with her mother and her Indian identity.

Normal People

Starring Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar-Jones, India Mullen Based on the bestselling novel by Sally Rooney, this Irish television drama series follows the irrevocably intertwined lives of protagonists Marianne and Connell, as they navigate adulthood from the same small town in Ireland. They find solace in each other as they experience their own hardships and successes from secondary school through to their undergraduate years of Trinity College.

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Racial & Ethnic Disparity in COVID-19 Impact Among Older Adults The aging population, or older adults age 65 and older, are more at risk for COVID-19 related deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as they are more likely to have underlying medical conditions which compromise their immune systems, making it more difficult to fight off the virus. As stated by the CDC, “As you get older, your risk for severe illness from COVID-19 increases. For example, people in their 50s are at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 40s. Similarly, people in their 60s or 70s are, in general, at higher risk for severe illness than people in their 50s. The greatest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 is among those aged 85 or older.”

As the bar graph shows below, one’s risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19 increases as you get older. In fact, the CDC reports that 8 out of ten, or 80 percent, of COVID-19-related deaths reported in the United States have been among adults aged 65 years and older.

Because older Americans are disproportionately represented in COVID-19 fatalities, it is important for caregivers and the community at large to help protect the aging population, and make sure they have their needs attended to while staying safe and taking necessary safety precautions.

Racial & Ethnic Disparity Among COVID-19 Impact

There has been pre-existing socioeconomic, racial and geographic differences in health and health care access for the older population, which we will review below. Thus, it is not surprising that a global pandemic has only exacerbated these disparities in health and health care access for older adults among the minority population. In fact, the CDC has reported racial and ethnic disparities in the impact of COVID-19.

As the CDC reports on their website, “long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put some members of racial and ethnic minority groups at increased risk of getting COVID-19 or experiencing severe illness, regardless of age.” Among these minority groups, including non-Hispanic Blacks, the Hispanic and Latinx community, and American Indians/Alaska Natives, have experienced higher rates of his hospitalization and death from COVID-19 than non-Hispanic white persons.

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Aging Population

At time of writing, the highest age-adjusted hospitalization rates are highest among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native and non-Hispanic black persons, followed by Hispanic or Latino persons. Below are some eye-opening statistics that cement the racial and ethnic disparity in terms of the health impact of COVID-19:

• Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native persons are five times more likely to be hospitalized by COVID-19 non-Hispanic white persons;

• Non-Hispanic black persons are also five times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID-19 than non-Hispanic white persons; and

• Hispanic or Latinx persons are four times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than non-Hispanic white persons.

To assist the health of older Americans, we need to address not only medical progress but also implement policies that will reduce socioeconomic, racial and geographic differences in health care access and other opportunities.

The CDC suggests the following for helping to combat the impact of COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minority groups during this time: “History shows that severe illness and death rates tend to be higher for racial and ethnic minority populations during public health emergencies than for other populations. Addressing the needs of these populations in emergencies includes improving dayto-day life and harnessing the strengths of these groups. Shared faith, family, and cultural institutions are common sources of social support.”

Specific actions communities and institutions can take to help include widening access to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, addressing food deserts, and supporting the return of citizens in the workforce.

Learn more about this topic in the upcoming 2020 NAWRB Women Housing Ecosystem Report!

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Park under a light whenever possible, keep your keys in your hand with one key sticking out, it’s a great weapon.

https://youtu.be/YeQxt-_Sf1Q

Play it

SAFE

The best way to be safe, first and foremost is to have a healthy level of awareness. Most people afterbeing attacked will tell you they felt something was off at least sixty seconds before being attacked. Pay attention to your surroundings, don’t walk looking down at your phone, walk looking straight ahead and walk confidently, attackers look for victims. Have a safetly plan in place at home and at work. Have someone on speed dial you know you can count on and a safe word that will let them know you are in trouble. Make certain someone knows where you are at all times. The following are simple safety techniques, remember the goal is to get away, strike like you mean it!

Elbow and knees are great for defense

https://youtu.be/Aq16HowmLPE

Two strikes are harder to defend

https://youtu.be/6NOwX4YwYbc

NDILC Member Tami Bonnell, CEO of EXIT Realty, is a second degree black belt in Taekwondo who has taught Safety nationally for CRS. She has taught at-risk youth for the Attorney General, and she served as President of a battered women's shelter, where she sat on the board for 15 years and taught self defense for their entire families.

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Quality of Life

Women Helping Girls: How A High School Alumnae Association in the U.S. is Fighting COVID-19 In Africa

In February 2020, Ms. Esther Ayuk, resident in Atlanta, GA, visited her former high school, Saker Baptist College in Cameroon, Central Africa, in her capacity as President of Ex Saker Students Association (ExSSA USA). This robust 12-chapter alumnae association of an all-girls boarding Christian secondary and high school is now based in the U.S. During that visit she found out the school continues to suffer from inadequate water supply.

The current supply source of water is from a bore hole that is grossly inadequate for the 900 plus student body, faculty and staff. Water shortage in most African countries is a well-documented problem. As a public health expert, a real estate broker, and a delegate spokeswoman in the housing ecosystem, Ms. Ayuk started strategizing on how her organization can help rectify this sanitation and hygiene hazard in the school. Then the coronavirus pandemic happened, which elevated the water shortage on campus to a health crisis. Due to inadequate water supply and the need for social distancing, the students ranging from eight to 17 years old were sent home.

With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, the World Health Organization’s main preventive recommendation remains the same: wash hands often with water and soap.

This is not going to be doable for the young girls at Saker if the water shortage on campus is not resolved.

The problem facing Saker Baptist College is symptomatic of the geographical region. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 63 percent of people in urban areas where one can find clusters of the virus find it difficult to access basic water supply for washing of hands.

Consequently, the alumnae of the school now resident in the U.S. are bent on protecting these young girls from this dangerous virus. With schools out till September, ExSSA USA is raising funds through donations and other charitable sources to make water available and accessible in their beloved alma mater to enable students to return to a campus that can at least guarantee the continuous washing of hands.

It should be noted that EX-SAKER STUDENTS ASSO-

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"Water shortage in most African countries is a well-documented problem."

CIATION USA INC., a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization has over 350 members fondly known as “Sakerettes.� The organization believes that empowering women and girls, providing them with educational and economic opportunities, securing their health and human rights are all essential in eliminating poverty and achieving social justice in Cameroon and beyond.

In 2019, ExSSA USA co-sponsored the International Day of the Girl alongside other organizations with the UN Foundation. The organization also hosts an annual Impact day during which its chapter members go out to volunteer and impact their local communities. In April 2020, limited by the shut down due to the COVID virus, ExSSA USA fulfilled its charitable commitment to local communities by making financial donations to No Kid Hungry, Meals on Wheels, and Direct Relief as well as providing lunch to two units at Veterans Affairs hospital in Washington, D.C. The association welcomes individuals, organizations and corporations who can help or partner with them to fulfil their mission. Please contact Esther Ayuk for more information at 770-714-2846 or president@exssa-usa.org

Esther Ayuk

Managing Broker, Bess Realty Professionals NAWRB Certified Delegate Spokeswoman

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