Our challenge is to identify habits, policies, thought processes and practices that perpetuate cycles of bias and discrimination, and replace them with policies, education and dialogue that support diversity, equity and inclusion.

Fourteen (14) employee-owners were selected for our Unity Council to help create an inclusive workplace and attract and retain diverse talent.

The Unity Council created purpose, mission and vision statements to guide the company toward these goals.

Three working groups were established as part of the council: (1) Awareness, (2) Experience Assessment and Training; and (3) Education.

In the months since being established, the Unity Council has:

• Created and published a glossary of common terms related to equity and diversity.
• Surveyed employee-owners about their experiences with Border States around inclusion. The results of the experience survey provided insight to help us establish a five-year strategic plan to drive change, become more diverse and create opportunities for people who do not have them.
• Worked with human resources to establish a leadership training series on unconscious bias, equity and diversity, which will launch this spring.
• Written and published articles on our intranet to give employee-owners exposure to cultures and experiences outside of their own. The articles have resulted in feedback — positive and negative — which has reinforced our plan for a slow, strategic approach to culture change. It will take time, education and a deeper understanding to build a foundation for growth.