Tag Archive for: Diversity

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DIVERSITY & FLEXIBILITY ALLIANCE TO HONOR DEI TRAILBLAZER TAMIKA TREMAGLIO

Prestigious Luminary Award to be presented at DC Conference on 11/2

Washington, DC (September 13, 2023) – The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance will present Tamika L. Tremaglio, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), with its 2023 Luminary Award. This award recognizes a global thought leader who is consistently and uniquely devoted to the advancement of diversity and whose vision is leaving a lasting legacy of inclusivity for future leaders. The Alliance will present the award during its 2023 Annual Conference, Humanizing the Workplace: Thriving Beyond the Global Reset on Thursday, November 2 in Washington, DC. Registration is open to the public and available here.

“Tamika Tremaglio has shattered many glass ceilings in her extraordinary career, but it’s her unwavering commitment to serving others with authenticity, selflessness and grace that makes her a true Luminary,” said Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity and Flexibility Alliance.  “Throughout her career Tamika has consistently demonstrated her passion for mentoring, her dedication to leading with inclusivity, and her determination to holding the door open for the next generation of leaders.”

“I am humbled and honored to receive the 2023 Luminary Award from the Diversity and Flexibility Alliance,” said Tamika L. Tremaglio, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). “As leaders, we have amazing opportunities on a daily basis to lift others up, strengthen our culture of inclusivity, and enable the people around us to learn, develop, and cultivate critical professional skills. I hope future leaders will continue to embrace their responsibility as champions of diversity and inclusion. Embracing diversity and inclusion is not just about checking a box; it’s a pillar of leadership and a strategic advantage that enriches organizations and propels all of us toward greater innovation and success.”

In her role as Executive Director of the NBPA, Tremaglio works on behalf of NBA players to ensure their rights are protected and that they are fairly compensated for the value they bring to the court and as ambassadors of the game around the world. In April of this year, Tremaglio successfully completed the negotiation of the 7-year NBA/NBPA collective bargaining agreement, which will run through the 2029-2030 season. Prior to joining the NBPA, Tremaglio had an extensive career with Deloitte and served as the Managing Principal for the firm’s Greater Washington offices where she built a thriving practice and served as a trusted advisor to many Fortune 1000 clients.  At Deloitte, she managed over 15,000 professionals across 17 offices that provided market-leading audit, tax, advisory, and consulting services.

Tremaglio has been widely recognized for her excellence in leadership and outstanding career achievements, including receiving the 2023 Corporate Counsel Women of Color Diamond Award of Excellence, and being named to the Sports Illustrated Power List 2023: The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports.  In 2022, she received the Charlotte E. Ray Award, named for the first African American female lawyer in the US and presented by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association to a woman lawyer for her exceptional achievements in the legal profession and extraordinary contribution to the advancement of women in the profession. Last year, she was also named to the Sports Business Journal’s 2022 Most Influential in Sports Business list. In 2020, Tremaglio received the Triple-Impact Executive Award from the Positive Coaching Alliance for her community leadership and commitment to youth development, college preparedness and STEM education in the Washington DC area.

In addition to her extensive career, Tremaglio has devoted significant time to giving back to her community by volunteering, mentoring, and serving others. She has served as a Director on the Board of more than ten organizations including, Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, the United Way of the National Capital Area, Tuskegee University and as the Chairman of the Board at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.

For more than a decade, the Diversity and Flexibility Alliance has collaborated with organizations to develop inclusive flexible working cultures that cultivate diversity in leadership, drive workplace wellbeing, and foster a more humanized work experience.  The Alliance provides practical research-based solutions, customizable training programs, strategic advisory services and a peer-learning network that increase organizational effectiveness through diversity and flexibility.

REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE NOW!

Contact: Manar Morales

manar@dfalliance.com

301-580-2490

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Bright Spot: Arnold & Porter’s Key Gender Equity Efforts

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

 

Arnold & Porter’s Key Gender Equity Efforts

BRIGHT SPOT

International law firm Arnold & Porter has received our “Tipping the Scales” honor for the past four years reinforcing the firm’s strong commitment to promoting equal numbers of men and women to its partnership. The firm’s higher than average number of women in leadership is the result of many years of dedication to building systems that focus on gender parity and hold leaders accountable for each practice group’s outcome. The firm’s Chair and Managing Partners are keenly focused on diversity, equity and inclusion, and there is a deep understanding within firm culture that gender parity is critical. Building on this cultural foundation, Arnold & Porter is committed to intentional efforts in many important areas.  Here we will highlight two particular Bright Spots in Arnold & Porter’s approach to achieving its gender diversity goals:

Annual High Level Pipeline Conversations

Managing Partners at Arnold & Porter have pipeline conversations annually with each of the firm’s practice group leaders. In addition to identifying who will be coming up for promotion in the given year, the conversations center around looking back several years to see what is happening within each practice group. This approach allows the leadership to look deeper into the pipeline, analyze past hires and promotions and be prepared to course correct if there are gender diversity challenges.

Senior Associate Position

Unlike many traditional law firm career tracks, Arnold & Porter’s advancement system offers their Associates the opportunity to receive a promotion to Senior Associate once they’re in their fifth year. The firm has outlined a set of criteria and eligibility benchmarks that Associates must meet to be considered for this promotion. This extra level of seniority in their career path allows the firm to better envision the gender breakdown of their upcoming partnership classes. Eligible Associates have a unique opportunity to discuss their progression levels and reach goals and benchmarks before they make it to  the partnership levels.

IMPACT

These two strategies have contributed to the success that Arnold & Porter has had retaining and advancing women to their leadership levels.  By holding annual high level pipeline conversations, the Managing Partners are intentionally tracking the advancement of women in all practice groups and holding practice group leaders accountable for the parity within their teams.  Additionally, by offering the Senior Associate position, the firm provides its attorneys with an interim steppingstone before being considered for partnership and provides leadership with a clear snap shot of who is meeting benchmarks and who may need additional support.

At the Alliance, we believe that it is critical that firms and companies put in place intentional systems to track and monitor their pipeline to leadership and continuously reassess the success of their efforts.

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and filling out THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com.

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Bright Spot: Davis Wright Tremaine’s Key Gender Equity Efforts

In an effort to inform and inspire our members and friends, we often share diversity and flexibility Bright Spots – those small or large successes that impact an organization in a positive way. We believe that important diversity and flexibility initiatives can truly impact your organization’s bottom line, recruitment and retention capabilities and employee satisfaction. 

 

Davis Wright Tremaine’s Key Gender Equity Efforts

BRIGHT SPOT

Davis Wright Tremaine is one of only four law firms that has received our “Tipping the Scales” honor for achieving gender parity in its new partner class for four consecutive years. The firm has been able to maintain this gender parity due in part to the high  level of importance placed on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the firm. Two of Davis Wright Tremaine’s unique diversity Bright Spots are explained below.

Importance of DEI in firm Structure

Davis Wright Tremaine has signaled its commitment to DEI by officially embedding DEI into the main foundations of the firm’s new Strategic Plan. Rather than being seen as an independent initiative, diversity, equity and inclusion are key factors in all decision-making from evaluations, admissions and promotions to client engagement and pitches. Davis Wright Tremaine’s DEI strategies are embedded across the firm, within practice groups, committees and firm leadership, allowing all leaders to recognize the importance of diversity, including gender parity, at all levels. This commitment to DEI has enabled DWT to monitor its pipeline and ensure that women are being hired, retained and promoted.

Bias Interrupters

Acknowledging that bias often goes undetected and uninterrupted during the promotion process, Davis Wright Tremaine has instituted a program where professionals within the firm are trained to interrupt bias throughout the partnership admissions process. These trained “bias interrupters” are empowered to “throw up an unlimited number of flags” if they believe bias exists and the discussion should be redirected.  Bias interrupters are rotated throughout the process to ensure that the process is constantly being seen through a new lens.

IMPACT

By embedding diversity, equity and inclusion into all aspects of the firm, Davis Wright Tremaine has guaranteed that no decision will be made without seeing the consequences through the diversity lens. The importance of gender diversity is therefore intertwined in the culture of the firm and any step backwards in gender parity is identified and resolved quickly. All leaders share the commitment to gender diversity so there is a shared responsibility on the part of leadership to hire, promote, support, mentor and sponsor women.

By instituting their bias interrupters program, Davis Wright Tremaine has successfully leveled the playing field in the partnership promotion process for women and those from underrepresented groups. Bias is therefore identified and removed from the promotion process and all individuals can be evaluated fairly.

 

Please share your Diversity & Flexibility Bright Spots with us by downloading and filling out THIS SHORT FORM and emailing it to Jane Caldeira at jane@dfalliance.com.

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Addressing Diversity Challenges with Business Growth feat. Rudhir Krishtel – March 2, 2023

2023 Signature Seminar

Featuring Rudhir Krishtel, CEO, Krishtel

March 2, 2023 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST

It’s time to examine how business development culture has impacted those from historically underrepresented backgrounds. These patterns directly impact compensation, wealth distribution, and equity. Participants will discuss specific roadblocks existing at the nexus of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and business development (BD) that impede the progress of women, people of color, and other historically underrepresented groups and understand avenues to consider moving towards a more equitable culture.

Learn more about the Signature Seminar Series.

Members – register for this Seminar in the Member Resource Center.

2022 Year in Review

The 2022 Year in Review is now available!

We were thrilled to celebrate 10 years of thought leadership, community & collaboration, and engaged with more than 4,000 professionals through events, advisory services, trainings and research projects.

Click HERE to download the 2022 Year in Review.

 

If you have any questions, please contact Jane Caldeira.

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Special Member Event: 2022 New Partner Report Summit

The 2022 New Partner Report Summit – a special member event designed to provide tangible best practices for advancing women and achieving gender parity – took place on January 18, 2023. The Summit included valuable discussion between Manar Morales, Alliance President & CEO, and three leaders from 4-time “Tipping the Scales” firms:

  • Brenda Carr, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Arnold & Porter
  • Vanessa Vaughn West, Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Lathrop GPM
  • Yusuf Zakir, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Davis Wright Tremaine

Access to the full 2022 New Partner Report is an exclusive member benefit. We invite non-member organizations to learn more about the report here. (Alliance Members can view the entire report in the Member Resource Center.) 

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Shared Sisterhood: How to Take Collective Action for Racial and Gender Equity at Work

2023 Signature Seminar

Featuring Dr. Tina Opie & Dr. Beth Livingston

February 1, 2023 | 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST

Making progress toward a more equitable workplace is an important goal for many workplaces. In this Signature Seminar, Manar Morales will interview Drs. Tina Opie and Beth Livingston about their book, Shared Sisterhood: How to Take Collective Action for Racial and Gender Equity at Work, which presents a new approach to achieving gender and racial equity at work. Shared Sisterhood focuses on how to promote authentic connections between people who are different, using social science research and stories from the past and the present to inspire organizations to action.

Members – learn more in the Member Resource Center.

JUDGE TONYA PARKER TO RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS LUMINARY AWARD FOR HER COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Award to be presented at the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance Virtual Conference on November 3

Washington, DC (October 26, 2021) – The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance will present Judge Tonya Parker of Dallas County Texas with its 2021 Luminary Award. This award recognizes a global thought leader who is consistently and uniquely devoted to the advancement of diversity and whose vision is leaving a lasting legacy of inclusivity for future leaders. The Alliance will present the award to Judge Parker on Wednesday, November 3, during its virtual annual conference Reflect. Reimagine. Recalibrate. Paving the Way to Inclusive Flexibility. Registration is open to the public and is available here.

Dedicated public servant, recognized thought leader and former award-winning law firm partner, the Honorable Tonya Parker has held the position of Judge of the 116th Judicial District Court in Dallas County Texas since 2011.  Throughout her distinguished career, she has consistently been recognized by local, state and national organizations for her exceptional legal skills as well as her commitment to diversity and inclusion.  She has been a tireless advocate for women and members of the LGBTQ community, breaking barriers and committing countless hours to fighting bias and discrimination in the judicial system and beyond.

Among many other honors, in 2021 Judge Parker received the Women’s Commercial and Business Advocate Committee of the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s award for service and commitment to women in the profession, as well as the Dallas Bar Association’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Award in recognition of the barriers she has broken in the legal community.  In 2019, the State Bar of Texas African American Lawyers’ Section awarded her its Distinguished Jurist Award in acknowledgment of the leadership role she played in spearheading the Implicit Bias Project in the Dallas Civil District Courts.  In 2018, the Dallas NAACP awarded her the President’s Award for Legal Excellence and in 2017 she received the Stonewall Award from the American Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Commission.

A 2021 graduate of Stagen’s Social Change Leadership Program, she has devoted countless hours to volunteering at civic organizations and has focused much of her efforts on inspiring women to run for public office.  Over the last decade she has been a regular volunteer with IGNITE, a non-partisan organization aimed at building political ambition in and training young women to run for public office.  She has also been tackling the impact of implicit bias in the judicial system by spearheading the Implicit Bias Project and is focused on examining oppression and privilege, particularly how they play out in the daily lives of individuals and society as a whole. Judge Parker has become well known for her moving keynote speeches and TED Talks that impart brilliant and impassioned messages.

“With her trailblazing actions and powerful words, Judge Parker truly embodies the essence of our Luminary Award,” said Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. “Not only is she a devoted mentor and champion for women and members of the LGBTQ community in the legal profession, but her wisdom and guidance will clearly have a lasting impact on the leaders of today and tomorrow,” she added.

“Promoting diversity AND flexibility is how we will achieve equity in the workplace for historically marginalized groups and work/life balance for everyone,” said Judge Parker.  “DFA has long understood and advocated for both which is why I am so honored to receive the Luminary Award from the organization.  It is humbling to be recognized as a thought leader who shines a light on the issues of our day through my talks and presentations on labels, oppression, privilege, and allyship,” she added.

The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance is a think tank that collaborates with organizations to develop non-stigmatized flexible work policies that promote inclusive work cultures and help to advance more women into leadership positions. The Alliance provides practical research-based solutions, training workshops, and strategic advisory services that increase organizational effectiveness through diversity and flexibility.

 

Registration for the conference is available here.

Contact: Manar Morales

manar@dfalliance.com

202-957-9650

Getting to Know Our Conference Speakers – Susan Neely

While our annual conference is going virtual this year, one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to bringing an incredible line-up of inspirational speakers to share their expertise and unique insights. Over the next few weeks we’ll be introducing you to these dynamic and engaging leaders by sharing some of their personal and career advice.

Today, we are honored to introduce Susan Neely, President & CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI). Susan is our 2020 Luminary Award honoree and she has an impressive background which includes senior positions in the George W. Bush White House and the first U.S. Homeland Security Department, advising Members of Congress, and more recently at the helm of the American Beverage Association. She has also been recognized as the Trade Association CEO of the Year by CEO Update, one of Washingtonian’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Washington, Washington Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business, as well as the first woman president of the Washington Rotary Club and The University Club of Washington.

We are so excited to hear Susan’s insights and advice during her “fireside chat” with Manar Morales, and know that you’ll be inspired by Susan’s commitment to gender parity and diversity and inclusion.

Diversity & Flexibility Alliance: What was the most meaningful piece of leadership advice you have received? Who has had the most influence on your career?

Susan Neely: My dad always preached the benefit of taking calculated risks. From my own career experience, I can now attest that Dad was right. Usually the bigger the risk I’ve taken, the greater the success. That being said, I have never found it easy to make a decision to take a risk, particularly if the risk involved impact on my family. I’m satisfied that I have made the right choices for me, but none of them have been easy.

I am also thankful for trusted advisers who understood me and were wise about career paths. Different advisers with varied expertise have helped me at different points in the journey.

Always be on the lookout for who can be part of your own kitchen cabinet. These individuals should be champions and provocateurs who have your best interests at heart and aren’t afraid to challenge your thinking.

DFA: What have you learned during COVID that has changed your perspective?

SN: My first video-enabled speech via computer was in mid-March. I was able to share perspective with over 3,000 people without getting on an airplane or staying in a hotel. We don’t want to lose the opportunity for personal interaction, but the time savings that technology provides is powerful. How much easier would my life as a working mother have been if we had technological tools like this?

DFA: How do you recharge? Where and when are you most content?

SN: One of my favorite mantras is work hard, play hard. I’m energized by my work, but I’m also equally energized by taking time to recharge. My family is so important to me, so any time I spend with them – especially if we are experiencing new things together – I feel recharged. During the pandemic, my two young adult children have been back home for this season. We’ve been purposeful about doing things we would normally not made time to do … like bake dozens of cookies and deliver them to front doors of friends in the neighborhood. We cleaned closets and boxed up fun packages of outgrown toys, jewelry and hair bows to send to young families we know. We also did a 15 hour road trip to Iowa to pick up my 92-year old mother and bring her back with us.

DFA: What do you know now that you wish you knew then?

SN: It’s taken me a long time to learn to be kinder to myself and cut myself some slack. In my zeal for making all aspects of life perfect, I too often would beat myself up about what wasn’t going as well and not savor the many things that were. Counting your blessings does not mean you don’t aspire to learn and grow. It just means valuing what you have.

DFA: How do you pay it forward?

SN: I believe the cycle of lifting others up is contagious. If you empower someone, they will empower someone else. I’ll share one story with you. I was well into my career and I held a role at the Department of Homeland Security. I was on a strategy call with a lot of top brass leaders, including Condoleezza Rice when she was National Security Advisor. I was the new member of the group, and when I offered a point of view, another leader who was an old timer in the group brushed me off. Secretary Rice jumped in, validated my point, and lifted up my voice. She didn’t have to do that. But that small action established my right to be in the group. It also inspired me to do the same for others. Now when I’m in the room, I always listen for the voices of others and look for ways I might be able to validate their right to be there. As leaders, it costs us nothing, but it can be a powerful way to ensure a diverse set of views and ideas are heard.

DFA: What can we be doing to create more inclusive organizations?

SN: When I became a senior executive and now a CEO for 16 years, I realized it was my responsibility to set the tone at the top. I believe we bring our whole selves to work. Achieving diversity is not enough. Belonging should be our goal, and people feel like they belong when they can be their whole selves at work. That’s when we are making progress. We can have a productive work environment that encourages and supports our employees in their personal priorities. A good leader must make this a priority.

DFA: How has flexibility impacted your life?

SN: Motherhood will always be the greatest privilege of my life and thus the role that is the most important to me. I have certainly made career decisions based on how it would affect my family and time with my children. At the same time I have done meaningful professional work and earned an impactful leadership platform that allows me to make a difference in the ways that are important to me. This has required calibration of my time more than sacrifice of opportunities. (Unless you count reduction in sleep as a sacrifice.)

Getting the work-life balance right has also required me to find employers that allow me the ability to calibrate. I never missed doing something that I thought was important for my children. Nor have I shirked professional responsibilities. Sometimes this means that I am answering emails early or late or catching a red eye flight from a meeting to get home in time. Flexibility allows people to include what matters most in their lives.

DFA: What book is on your nightstand?

SN: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. I love beautiful writing and think we learn from stories like Gyasi’s about race in America. Gyasi is the award-winning author of Homegoing and was a student in the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa.

Don’t miss your opportunity to hear more from Susan Neely and all of our dynamic and inspirational speakers on November 5.

Getting to Know Our Conference Speakers – Barri Rafferty

While our annual conference is going virtual this year, one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to bringing an incredible line-up of inspirational speakers to share their expertise and unique insights. Over the next few weeks we’ll be introducing you to these dynamic and engaging leaders by sharing some of their personal and career advice.

Today, we are honored to introduce Barri Rafferty, Executive Vice President & Head of Communications for Wells Fargo. Barri is the former Global CEO at Ketchum Public Relations and was one of the first women to lead a global public relations firm.  We can’t wait to hear how Barri was able to completely engrain flexibility into the culture at Ketchum and how she is always looking for ways to help to advance women and flexible work.

 

Diversity & Flexibility Alliance: What was the most meaningful piece of leadership advice you have received? Who has had the most influence on your career?
 
Barri Rafferty: Being a woman from the south it took me years as a leader to understand that “it is better to be trusted than to be liked.” People follow who they trust even if they don’t like every decision you make.
 
I don’t think one person most influenced my career but so many wonderful bosses, leaders I interacted with, and people who gave me feedback along the way had an impact on the leader I became.  I also think sometimes you learn from seeing behaviors you don’t want to emulate.  The key is to be authentic to who you are.  
 
DFA: What have you learned during COVID that has changed your perspective?
 
BR: Nancy Koehn from Harvard Business School studied courageous leaders in crisis and spoke of courage, brutal honesty, providing direction and getting used to ambiguity.  She also discussed the concept of “point to point” leadership where leaders must make decisions with the information they have on hand at a point in time and continue to adapt and be agile as new information becomes available.  This agility and ambiguity with resilience mixed in became my COVID mantra. 
 
DFA: How do you recharge? Where and when are you most content?
 
BR: I love to get outdoors and walk with my husband, sisters or close friends.   I have walked in the woods, near the water and in my neighborhood throughout COVID to unwind.  Put me in front of a body of water or mountain and I am most content.
 
DFA: What do you know now that you wish you knew then?  
 
BR: Not to take things so seriously.  So many things that were upsetting in my past I don’t even remember now. 
 
DFA: How do you pay it forward? 
 

BR: I volunteer with organizations that mentor female leaders and young girls to help them reach their full potential. I also use my corporate positions to help foster equity and inclusion.

DFA: What can we be doing to create more inclusive organizations?
 
BR: Be self aware of our own bias and be allies for others. We can each have an impact in small ways and big ones by being advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion.
 

DFA: How has flexibility impacted your life? How has your experience been with COVID-related remote work?

BR: When leading a large global agency, I leaned into flexibility to make it available to our employees worldwide.  I have always felt that if we trust people to do their jobs it doesn’t matter where they work or what time of day. Flexibility allows women and men to be successful in the workplace, as parents, as friends and helps with better self care.  We all win.  
 
Starting a new job during COVID has been a challenge, but thank goodness for technology.  I miss the energy of interacting with people and breaking bread together, but video has become the next best thing. We are all adapting and making the best of it.
 

DFA: What book is on your nightstand?

BR: I just finished “American Dirt” and always have my journal close by. Despite 2020 being a year full of obstacles there is much to be grateful for.  

Don’t miss your opportunity to hear more from Barri Rafferty and all of our dynamic and inspirational speakers on November 5.