/ DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION
Update: One Year Later!
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By Kim Jackson, CAPP
IME FLIES! It is so hard to believe that exactly one year ago in the October issue of
First, for me, a great deal has changed during this past year. The world is in a different place/space regarding COVID-19 and business operations, there is a new administration running the country, and many industries, including ours, have made strides in the DEI arena by just having conversations with employees and customers to gain insight on their perspectives. IPMI has not only continued the conversation with this column, but there have been online training sessions and Shoptalks addressing diversity, equity and inclusion; there have been articles written for Moving Forward, the professional development newsletter; and there will be sessions and opportunities for sharing at the upcoming IPMI Conference & Expo in Tampa.
Organizational Culture One of the biggest takeaways for me has been not only learning and reading how others are approaching DEI work individually, but that it is becoming more of the norm in organizational culture, not just a topic that 16 PARKING & MOBILITY / OCTOBER 2021 / PARKING-MOBILITY.ORG
is checked off as completed after a brief discussion or training. Many organizations, both academic and corporate, have created or expanded the DEI divisions within their human resources departments and/or a variety of positions within different divisions directly focusing on DEI work with the ultimate goal of addressing how their organization might begin to move away from unconscious bias, making the unconscious conscious, to increase awareness in this arena. I have recently been interacting with an architect and engineering firm that specializes in the management of projects for museums, educational institutions, community organizations, performing arts facilities, and private developments on their DEI initiatives. During my initial conversation with their HR representative about what steps had been taken to date related to their DEI hiring initiatives, the representative said they believed that for a firm their size, they had done all they could, and the problem was they do not get a diverse applicant pool. This person was not aware of any potential unconscious bias. They use a
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Parking & Mobility, this DEI column launched. What is even harder to believe is that a few months prior to the launch of the column, IPMI held the first Fireside Chat to begin the discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our industry. Now one year later you might wonder—where is the industry now in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion? What has been accomplished? What are additional next steps?
