Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1346891
V O L . X X V I I N O. V § 2 M A R C H 8 , 2 0 2 1 12 D I V E R S I T Y / E Q U I T Y / I N C L U S I O N W hile many companies tend to be skittish about taking stands on politics and world events, the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor were somehow different. e deaths and the protests that followed across the country sparked a lot of conversations and introspection among civic leaders, CEOs and in the hallways of companies. One such conversation sparked an idea and led to more than 400 com- panies publicly signing a statement in solidarity against racial and social injustice. It started with a phone call between Quincy Hentzel, president and CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Michael Simonds, chief operating officer of Unum Group, a Chattanooga, Tenn.- based insurance company with a major presence in the Portland market. "ere were a lot of conversations happening all over the community. CEOs were talking to each other. How can we do something? ere was a groundswell. Mike [Simonds] called with an idea. Let's get together CEOs and a statement condemn- ing racism. e idea crystalized from there," Hentzel says. "Outside of just being the right thing to do, we need to make the state be attractive to all people," Hentzel says. "As one of the whit- est states, we have a responsibil- ity to learn. We need to be more inclusive with the populations we already have and we need to attract more people." P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY After chambers and CEOs backed change, the question became, 'What's next?' A CA L L T O F O C U S A Portland mural of George Floyd, whose murder at the hands of police sparked widespread protests and was the basis for discussion about how to constructively deal with racism and issues of inequality. CEOs were talking to each other. How can we do something? There was a groundswell … The idea crystalized from there. — Quincy Hentzel Portland Regional Chamber P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R Quincy Hentzel ACTION B y J e s s i c a H a l l