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May 30, 2022

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V O L . X X V I I I N O. X I M AY 3 0 , 2 0 2 2 14 C O R P O R AT E R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y F O C U S higher education, where he "always had a love of how to make campuses inclusive for everyone." Aiming to do the same at JAX, he's introduced a new video series on the company's internal social media called "Stoveside Chats," in which he inter- views fellow employees on diversity topics while cooking a meal together. e first episode, released earlier this month, revolved around the impor- tance of "talking about talking," to be followed in June by a conversation with the parent of a transgender child. e food part of the segments fea- tures easy-to-make-dishes like choco- late cream pie and nachos. "I come from a long line of cooks, and no matter what we were doing, the kitchen is always where people congre- gate in the house," Davis notes. "So food is a natural piece of glue for folks to talk, and we learn so much through food. People are letting down their inhibitions and they're feeling freer to share and talk." e company also hosts a monthly "Around the World" chat featuring employees talking about their cultures. Davis hopes to finish a diversity roadmap to lay out priorities and a plan to tackle them, though priorities may shift a little in time. Underscoring the team effort involved, he says: "DEI is everyone's work, and you will not be successful in any organization if you say, 'We hired a DEI person who's going to do all the work.' In DEI, we don't have magic wands when someone makes a sexist or xenophobic comment. For me it's about making sure I help people build the capacity to tackle some of these things themselves." He also plans to be in the job for some time despite the revolving door nationwide: "I'm definitely in this for the long haul," he says. "DEI is my life, love and my vocation." Northern Light's 'culture of caring' At Northern Light Health, Marwa Hassanien draws on her multicultural background as DEI director of Maine's second-largest health care system. e Brewer-based organization employs around 12,000 people, and she was hired in November 2020. e daughter of Egyptian immi- grants raised in a bilingual household in Oklahoma, Hassanien moved with her Egyptian physician husband to Bangor in 2005. ough she found the com- munity to be welcoming, she says she understands the initial fear and appre- hension of many newcomers. For patients, Northern Light has a nondiscrimination policy that lays out rights as well as unaccept- able behavior, such as requesting a different provider based on race or gender. "Policies such as this one are an important part of our culture of caring, and caring for one another," Hassanien explained in an episode of "Tim Talks," a podcast series hosted by Northern Light Health CEO Tim Dentry around social and medical justice; while the series pre- dates Hassanien's arrival, she serves on the editorial board. ? ? ? FOLLOW US @MBEVENTS #MBWTW22 Nominate an outstanding and influential woman in business! Do you know a top woman executive who has demonstrated leadership, made a professional impact on her company or industry, has been a mentor to others, and has made a positive influence in the community? NOMINATE BY JUNE 27! MAINEBIZ .BIZ/NOMINATIONS S PONS OR ED BY » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F U N U M It is our corporate responsibility to ensure a psychologically safe environment and consistently foster inclusion and belonging. — Ericka DeBruce Unum Unum Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer Ericka DeBruce. Unum Group Publicly traded Chattanooga, Tenn.-based benefits provider Workforce: 10,100 employees, including 2,381 in Maine Chief I&D Officer: Ericka DeBruce

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