Worcester Business Journal

30 2022 Economic Forecast • Worcester Business Journal • www.wbjournal.com D I V E R S I T Y, E Q U I T Y & I N C L U S I O N Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham Owner Promoting Good, LLC, in Upton When one thinks of the diversity, equity, and inclusion industry in Central Massachusetts, one invariably thinks of Zolezzi-Wyndham, founder and owner of the consultancy company Promoting Good. A lawyer by profession, Zolezzi-Wyndham is one of the leading voices in DEI in Greater Worcester, and she has the resume to show it, having worked with organizations like UMass Memorial Health, Worcester Art Museum, Fallon Health, and the Mass. Department of Youth Services. When she's not working on Promoting Good, she's volunteering on local nonprofit boards, in- cluding as chair of the board at the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, as well as involvement at the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, WAM, and Norwood Resource Group. Grace Moreno Executive director Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce e LGBTQ+ business community in Central Massachusetts is supported in large part by the Massachusetts LGBT chamber. An active organization with nearly 250 registered members, the chamber still has a lot of room for growth. Part of Moreno's job includes showing members the advantages of being an out LGBTQ+owned businesses, which some owners are hesitant to do because of an underreporting problem. Enter: Moreno, an advocate with more than 20 years of experience leading state and national nonprofits, including, most recently, serving as vice president for operations and finance at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate in Dorchester. Jean Beaupre Associate professor of communication and marketing Dean for School of Business Nichols College, in Dudley Beaupre has become a leading voice on the journey toward gender equi- ty in leadership positions within the Massachusetts business community. In her capacity as the faculty direc- tor of the Susan West Engelkemeyer, PhD, Institute for Women's Lead- ership, Beaupre served as the lead researcher for the Massachusetts Women Leadership Index, which is re- leased every other year. In that regard, she is an expert on a local DEI issue with statewide, and even national, implications. Anyone looking to learn more about the status of women in leadership in Massachusetts would do well to turn to her. Three people in diversity, equity & inclusion to meet in 2022 Diversity at a crossroads To create meaningful change on their diversity, equity & inclusion efforts, Central Mass. businesses will have to make a greater financial commitment in 2022 I n more ways than one, diversity, equity, and inclusion in Central Massachusetts is a work in progress. On the one hand, it's an industry in and of itself, which has boomed over the lifes- pan of the coronavirus pandemic, as companies seek to repair cultures entrenched in inequity and exclusion. On the other, it's a mission, whose param- eters can't be solely defined within the confines of a particular economic sector. In Central Massachusetts, as with most of the country, there is much work to be done heading into 2022. Business investment, not just DEI officers Since 2020, there has been a rush on hiring DEI experts – and consultants – to overhaul equity ini- tiatives and challenges within companies of all sizes and across all sectors, with hiring announcements distributed on a near-constant basis. But imple- menting meaningful changes, including establishing systems of transparency and accountability, is more than a one-person, or one-contract, job. Companies professing their commitment to DEI are finding – or soon will – they'll need to put their money where their mouth is, if they plan to see those goals come to fruition. at doesn't mean saddling overburdened human resources departments with more work, but rather investing – financially – in a cultural shi with BY MONICA BENEVIDES WBJ Senior Staff Writer the soware, programming, and staffing changes needed to make those shis a reality. DEI officer burnout While the gap between DEI hiring and DEI in- vestment is being filled, DEI officers – and consul- tants – will face continued burnout. Coupled with yet another winter coronavirus surge, these workers are going to be looking for resources to both do their inherently challenging jobs on top of continued speed bumps from a global pandemic. is is not to say their efforts are doomed, by any means, but it's challenging to work right now in almost any indus- try, let alone one facing increased demand with large emotional-social consequences. Leadership will be slow to diversify While onboarding efforts in many industries have been focused on recruiting a diverse workforce, movement happens more slowly within high-level positions. is happens for a variety of reasons, including employee retention issues and a lack of pathways for advancement for both women and peo- ple of color, and especially women of color. It's not unusual for higher-level positions to experience less turnover than lower-level positions. Because of all this, it may be a while before meaningful company leadership change comes to fruition – not because it's impossible, but because that's how the current system is set up. Employees at UMass Memorial Health and UMass Chan Medical School hold a Black Lives Matter rally in June 2020. PHOTO/GRANT WELKER W W

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