The Ithaca Journal (New York), June 2, 2006, Friday

The Ithaca Journal
June 2, 2006
Friday

Tompkins leaders gather for diversity summit
http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060602/NEWS01/606020329/1002

By Anne JuJournal Staff

ITHACA — Government, nonprofits, schools and businesses were represented by leaders at the first annual Community Diversity Roundtable Thursday.
An all-day workshop and conference organized by the Tompkins County Diversity Consortium and the Society for Human Resource Management of Tompkins County, the event was held to promote the understanding and embracing of Ithaca's racial and cultural “We want to create an environment where regardless of who you are, you feel welcome,” said Lynette Chappell-Williams, co-chairwoman of both the Community Diversity Roundtable and the Tompkins County Diversity Consortium.
The diversity consortium was founded in 1999 and is a joint effort of local employers and leaders to promote the concept in Tompkins County.To that end, leaders got together Thursday to hear speakers and engage with panelists on identifying what diversity is; what steps are being taken to promote it in Ithaca businesses, government and other areas; and what still needs to be done.
Participants first heard from keynote speaker Ayanna Epps, a conciliation specialist with the Department of Justice Community Relations Service. They later fanned out into small group workshops throughout the day, with topics relating to the media's role in diversity and inclusion, promoting diversity from the top down in organizations, and recruiting a diverse workforce.
At the end of the day, participants suggested action plans to develop an inclusive community.
During an afternoon panel session, Chris Metzler, a Cornell University Industrial and Labor Relations Extension representative, asserted that the word “diversity” has become a politically correct buzzword with broader implications than the fundamental issues of “race, gender and sexual orientation.”
“We need to fundamentally address those three issues,” Metzler said.
To start the day, Epps outlined the value of diversity in a community as a whole as it relates to a business model. She explained that bringing together differences in socioeconomic status, race, educational background and gender, among other things, make organizations “react, think and approach problems” more effectively. Furthermore, communities that promote diversity will be reflections of “flexibility and innovation” and become examples for other places to follow, she said.
“Inclusion promotes equity. Equitable systems promote satisfaction,” Epps said.
One highlight of the day was a panel of leaders including City of Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson, Ithaca Downtown Partnership Executive Director Gary Ferguson, Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce President Jean McPheeters, Tompkins County Administrator Stephen Whicher, and Cornell's Metzler.
Each panelist described ways their organizations promote diversity, and how they can improve.
In order for businesses to recruit diverse employees, McPheeters said, it's “critical for organizations to reach out and change the perceived culture of their organizations.”
Among the efforts of the Chamber to do so are the Leadership Tompkins training course and Ithaca Forward, a relatively new networking group for those with an “under-40 mindset.”
Chappell-Williams said she hopes that by this time next year, a similar roundtable can take place in which leaders can share progress made on diversity in their individual fields.