Worcester Business Journal

April 4, 2022

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12 Worcester Business Journal | April 4, 2022 | wbjournal.com You're starting from scratch," said Amy Bonilla, the first-ever chief diversity officer at Rollstone Bank & Trust in Fitchburg. Personnel support is not only necessary for advancing equity, but it helps mitigate turnover, as DEI work can be incredibly taxing with oen incremental progress, said Bonilla. "Cultural change is a marathon, not a sprint," she said. "It's a long, never- ending process. I can imagine that a lack of support and resources could lead to job frustration." Rollstone Bank created the CDO role in December. Bonilla is not on her own, however; she oversees a newly formed diversity, equity, and inclusion committee made up of representatives from each of the bank's divisions. In the case of Rollstone, the CDO is embedded in human resources, which differs from Fontaine Bros., where Wambui reports directly to Vice President Dave Fontaine, who leads most ventures at the company. "One of the things that I think I'm very lucky to do is to be reporting directly to Dave Fontaine. You have to be able to be in direct communication with the decision makers in order for the decisions to be made," Wambui said. Increasingly in the business world, CDOs are a part of the c-suite executive team. Yet, many still face barriers to gaining authority and direct access to top leadership, ultimately stunting diversity progress within an organization, said Zolezzi-Wyndham. "People who take these jobs are super passionate and knowledgeable and really want to see change happen," she said. "en they have suggestions for how those issues can be addressed and then the system – whether it's leadership or others – push back because oen it's really hard to hear." "We're on board, you fix it" As evidenced by Worcester's situation, however, diversity work can come to a grinding halt when DEI professionals are not sufficiently and genuinely reinforced by top leadership. Since Williams' resignation, the diversity and inclusion advisory committee has ceased all operations. "We felt like we're just giving this false impression by even having these meetings that work is being done. e work is not being done," Woodruff said, adding the committee has spent over a year on a memo with recommendations on hiring practices for police and fire departments, which has garnered zero response from the city leadership. In cases like the City's, a single CDO may not be able to make progress 5 things companies can do to encourage diversity Diversity leaders at Promoting Good, Fontaine Bros., and Rollstone Bank made the following suggestions for companies to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in their cultures. Invest resources to ensure all top leadership is committed to diversity work (i.e. trainings, creating commitments for each department, etc.) Make sure your diversity department has as many financial and personel resources as other top departments. Help connect top diversity executives with other DEI professionals to mitigate burnout. Create a direct line between diversity leaders and top decision makers, and give DEI workers real authority. Survey employees about company culture, listen to feedback, and take steps to address it. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. continued from page 11 Banker today. fidelitybankonline.com Clarity. Confidence. You deserve a bank that actually cares. With our unique LifeDesign Banking approach, you will get the clarity you need to make informed decisions, so that you'll be able to move forward with confidence. 800.581.5363 | FidelityBankOnline.com

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