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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 25 M A R C H 8 , 2 0 2 1 D I V E R S I T Y / E Q U I T Y / I N C L U S I O N operating and training manuals come in different languages. It also recently formed a diversity steering committee that meets weekly to examine all areas of the company and recommend changes, and it hosted a series of workshops, listen- ing sessions and discussion groups. In 2021, it aims to revamp its internship program with a goal of having at least half of this year's interns coming from historically underrepresented groups, L.L.Bean says. Grassroots efforts "We know DEI will work bet- ter and become part of our DNA when it comes from both grass- roots efforts and examples set at the top," IDEXX's Lewis says. Companies such as IDEXX, payment processing technology firm WEX Inc. and Bath Iron Works have employee groups that support and celebrate people's differences. Many of them were created by employees for employees, rather than being commanded by a corporate edict. e unions representing BIW's manufacturing employees have vet- eran's and women's committees, and there's a "Rosie the Riveter" group that celebrates women in the ship- yard with an annual luncheon. IDEXX, meanwhile, has groups that include IDEXX Geeks, Women in STEM and leadership, LGBTQ+, and a veterans' group, among others. WEX, which has similar employee-led groups, believes these efforts are "ensuring every- one has a sense of belonging," says Melanie Tinto, WEX's chief human resources officer. Maine companies need to embrace and recognize all types of differences and adjust its view on what diversity means. For some companies, like MEMIC, it could mean a majority of women on its board. For others, like Unum Insurance, it means attracting and nurturing talent throughout their careers so they want to stay. Kimberly Bowen, Unum's global vice president, head of talent acqui- sition, people and communications, says in past jobs she would get comments that her hair wasn't pro- fessional enough. "ese are not comments that white counterparts would hear. Most women hearing this would go home and change their hair. ey'd be worried if they didn't they won't move their career forward," Bowen. "It's impossible to have an appreciation of differences and not celebrate those differences." Idella Glenn, University of Southern Maine's associate vice president of equity, inclusion and community impact, says the school had started a new mentoring pro- gram for faculty and staff of color to help nurture their careers and encourage them to feel more con- nected and stay longer. "ere's an awful lot of work that needs to be done. We need to educate businesses about what defines diver- sity. It used to be about women and black and hispanics. But now ideas have changed a lot about diversity. You need to embrace Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ issues and the fact that now everyone has pronouns in their email," says Saïd Eastman, CEO of JobsintheUS, which operates JobsinMaine. Awkward Conversations "Changing the culture requires a lot of humility and introspection. Often it's our default position to say 'that's how it's always been done.' But companies are realizing that not working. I don't think that's a suffi- cient excuse to say 'at's how we've always done it,'" says Mandy Levine, a human resources and diversity and inclusion consultant. Diversity training often requires tough, awkward conversations and the work has to be embedded in the culture beyond a two-hour training class, Levine says. "You have to help people be comfortable with the uncomfort- able. You have to ask the hard ques- tions. Why does someone have bias about a hispanic? Why don't they C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » F O C U S P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y I D E X X L A BO R AT O R I E S I N C . Chanel Lewis, IDEXX Laboratories's head of global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We know DEI will work better and become part of our DNA when it comes from both grassroots efforts and examples set at the top. — Chanel Lewis IDEXX Laboratories Inc.

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