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What's the best way to initiate a diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy in the workplace? How do you build a diverse workforce? What resources are available, and how can those in the business community hold themselves and other accountable to their D&I goals?

Members of public are invited to join the conversation during a webinar hosted by NHBR at 11 a.m. Thursday, August 20.  The panel includes Jermaine Moore, Founder of The Mars Hill Group and Diversity Workforce Coalition (DWC) board member, and Tina Sharby, Chief Human Resources Officer at Easter Seals and board president of the DWC. They'll be joined by panelists Jackie Gadsen, VP of Diversity & Inclusion and Customer Experience for Comcast's Greater Boston Region, and Elizabeth Chick, Corporate HR Coordinator for Vapotherm.  The panel will be moderated by Ernesto Burden, VP and Publisher at McLean Communications.

The panel will provide tips for how businesses owners, leaders, HR managers, and professionals can foster diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Register here at no cost.

On this day 155 years ago, the people of Galveston, TX listened as Gen. Gordon Granger delivered the federal order that “all slaves are free,” and unwittingly planted the seeds for the Juneteenth celebration that is still widely observed to this day.

Juneteenth celebration, 1905

Of course, it was a full 2.5 years before this that President Abraham Lincoln declared in the Emancipation Proclamation that “all persons held as slaves … shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” And it was, of course, roughly 87 years before Lincoln’s address that our country’s forefathers proclaimed “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” And even on June 19, 1865, slave owners in Galveston and beyond refused—some violently so—to honor their freedom.

But none of that could contain the jubilation of the newly freed black men and women of Texas.

As a quote in Hayes Turner’s essay goes: “The way it was explained to me, the 19th of June wasn’t the exact day the Negro was freed.  But that’s the day they told them that they was free … And my daddy told me that they whooped and hollered and bored holes in trees with augers and stopped it up with [gun] powder and light and that would be their blast for the celebration.”

With that, they bravely claimed the day and all those to follow as their own.  Exactly a year later, Juneteenth was born as a means of rejoicing in the historic occasion, and today, we join in that celebration.

We also recognize that the declaration on June 19^th 1865—not unlike those on January 1, 1863 and July 4, 1776, and many others to follow—did not end the oppression of people of color in our nation.  And as we mark the hard-fought victories in the fight to ensure equality for all in our nation, we reaffirm our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.  We hope you will join us.

The events of last week are a vivid reminder of how far we are from the ideals of liberty and justice.  We are outraged by the death of George Floyd.  Our hearts go out to the families touched by the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, for all the others before them whom were taken too soon, and to all those in our communities who experience violence, marginalization, and discrimination because of their skin color.

It’s not enough to express our empathy for communities and people who are experiencing hate, who are scared for themselves and their loved ones daily.  Now is a time to stand up in solidarity with those who are suffering injustice.  Through solidarity and respect for all, we will be an instrument of change, and with clear communication and determination, we will challenge—and work to eliminate—systemic racism.

“We all come in different shapes and sizes and have difference uses, but we all draw upon the same energy and have the same value no matter where we were manufactured.”

— Tina Sharby, Chairman of the Diversity Workplace Coalition

• • •

Business leaders and other dignitaries from across New Hampshire gathered at the Puritan Conference Center to the fourth annual Diversity Workplace Coalition Diversity Conference.

Sponsored by over four dozen businesses and organizations across the Granite State, the four-hour conference provided a series of talks on building inclusivity in the workplace as well as honors for Eastern Bank for their work going above and beyond to create an inclusive workplace.

Click here for the full story.

The Diversity Workforce Coalition was honored to host an event at Delta Dental focused on hiring and retaining New Hampshire's military veterans. Jo Moncher, state facilitator of the NH Employment Leadership Committee, led a discussion focused on developing a foundation for understanding, hiring, and supporting our military during the event, which also included a networking session.

DWC Board President Tina Sharby speaks about partnerships and resources for Hiring and Supporting Veterans in the workplace.

State Facilitator of the NH Employment Leadership Committee Jo Moncher delivers a presentation on resources for US military veterans seeking jobs, as well as employers looking to hire more veterans.  

DWC Board President Tina Sharby, center, shares thoughts on increasing employment of New Hampshire's veterans with former President/current DWC Board Member John Wilson, right, and State Facilitator of the NH Employment Leadership Committee Jo Moncher, left. 

The Diversity Workforce Coalition (DWC) will host guest speaker Jo Moncher of the Division of Long Term Supports and Services at the NH Department of Health and Human Services at its special employment event in support of New Hampshire’s military and veteran population.  Moncher’s mission is to advance the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in the workforce through collaboration, education, and advocacy.

A networking period Nov. 5 from 5 to 6 p.m. at 2 Delta Dental Drive, Concord, will immediately precede a presentation by Moncher from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Click here for the full story. You can register to attend on our events page.

The Concord Multicultural Festival is increasing its reach each year.  That means more attendees, vendors, and performances than ever — but most of all, the event is helping to increase the organization's impact on the region. Click here for a recap of this year's event. 

You'll also find information on how rural companies can engage more deeply in welcoming and inclusion work, recognition of two remarkable New Hampshire women working on behalf of immigrants, and events aimed at furthering inclusion in New Hampshire via networking opportunities and more.  

NH Governor Chris Sununu has designated the month of June to celebrate the state’s immigrants, who continue to grow businesses, strengthen our economy, provide unique social and cultural influence, and who deserved to be recognized and valued.  Read more about the proclamation, as well as other related stories in Welcoming New Hampshire’s Summer 2019 Newsletter.

About Welcoming New Hampshire

Welcoming New Hampshire is an initiative launched by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition in 2012.  It works to bring the foreign born and native born together to achieve a positive integration of immigrants and refugees into the social fabric of their receiving communities. Through education and cultural activities that both engage non-immigrant audiences and empower immigrants to claim their own voices, Welcoming New Hampshire strives to build an understanding of the impact and contributions of immigrants that will lead to stronger and more inclusive communities and fight back against the anti-immigrant sentiment that has divided so many.  To learn more, visit: https://welcomingnh.org/

Vapotherm recognized for its outstanding efforts in promoting and implementing workplace diversity and inclusion

Manchester, NH – The Diversity Workforce Coalition (DWC) and NH Health & Equity Partnership announced that Vapotherm of Exeter, NH, is the winner of the 2019 Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Award.  The City of Nashua and Comfort Inn of Concord were finalists.  The award was presented at DWC’s annual diversity conference, Building and Sustaining a Diverse Workforce, March 14 at the Puritan Conference Center in Manchester.

“All three finalists demonstrated a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion,” said DWC Board President Tina Sharby.  “They understand the importance of acquiring and maintaining a diverse workforce.  The Selection Committee felt Vapotherm took it to the next level.”

Vapotherm is a medical device manufacturer that employs 300 people.  It has been recognized as one of the Best Companies to Work For by NH Business Magazine for the past four years. 

“Increasing diversity in the workplace is critical to our success,” said Vapotherm Corporate Human Resources Coordinator Elizabeth Chick, who accepted the D&I Award on her company’s behalf.  “We’ve worked hard to build and uphold a culture of trust where diversity and inclusivity drive excellence in performance at every level.”

Vapotherm’s accomplishments include its Diversity & Inclusion Roundtable series, which brings together teammates to discuss challenging topics such as bias, the inherent danger of a single story, gender in the media, and transgender issues in the workplace.  Vapotherm has also launched a Women’s Leadership Group to encourage and support future female leaders of the company.  In addition, it has implemented an ESL training course that is further bolstered by an ESL Conversation Partners program designed to help participants practice their language skills while getting to know other colleagues.  The firm’s Professional Conduct Principles encompass respectfulness and inclusion, and all programs and benefits are offered to all team members.

The City of Nashua was recognized for its My Brother’s Keeper initiative, as well as its broad-based Diversity and Cultural Competency training program, which has been implemented across multiple community partners.  Comfort Inn of Concord was lauded for its ability to hire people with disabilities that have been largely overlooked, such as the hearing-impaired and those from the New American community.

Prior to the awards ceremony, the three finalists participated on a panel with last year’s inaugural winner, Hutchinson Sealing Systems.  Panelists included Vapotherm’s Elizabeth Chick, City of Nashua’s Kim Kleiner, Comfort Inn’s Joyce McCabe, and Hutchinson’s Shelley Lake.

The formal portion of the program concluded with the D&I Award presentation by Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig.  A networking event, sponsored by Economic Vitality New Hampshire, followed.

From left to right:  Kim Kleiner - City of Nashua, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, DWC Board President Tina Sharby, Joyce McCabe - Comfort Inn, Elizabeth Chick - Vapotherm

The Diversity Workforce Coalition comprises employers and other community members whose purpose is to promote diversity in the workplace through education, training, enhanced networking opportunities, and to identify and connect resources to its members and the public. To learn more, please visit diversityworkforce.org

The New Hampshire Health & Equity Partnership is a public-private collaborative effort of philanthropic organizations, public health agencies, community based organizations, advocates and others concerned with health equity.

  By KIMBERLY HOUGHTON Union Leader Correspondent

 Mar 20, 2019 

NASHUA — The Gate City is being honored for its efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.

Nearly three years ago, Nashua became the first city in New Hampshire to accept a challenge from the White House to ensure that youth of all color would have the opportunity to overcome barriers to success.

By participating in the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, the city also formed the Nashua MBK Diversity and Cultural Competency training program.

This week, the Diversity Workforce Coalition and the New Hampshire Health and Equity Partnership recognized Nashua’s training program for its excellence in diversity and inclusion.

“I’d like to congratulate the 15 cultural competency trainers on their recognition — a well deserved award,” Mayor Jim Donchess said in a statement. “Nashua MBK continues its strong commitment to promote diversity and inclusion and to maintain the mission of the MBK Community Challenge. I’m so proud of the work the trainers circle has done to cultivate such a valuable training program.”

According to a release, the training program is designed to enhance cultural competency initiatives in Nashua organizations, while also facilitating skills for potentially difficult conversations.

The program helps participants explore the concepts of diversity and culture by recognizing personal values, beliefs and biases, says the release.

With children in the city school system who speak more than 30 languages, in addition to a large percentage of students who are minorities and a large number of children facing economic disadvantages, Nashua is full of diversity, Donchess said earlier.

By accepting the MBK Challenge, Nashua committed to a full and extensive review of its policies and resources associated with early childhood education, third-grade reading and math levels and violent crime involving children: A local action summit was held to launch a plan of action for reassuring that children enter school cognitively, physically, socially and emotionally ready to learn; that they can read and compute at the third-grade level when they are actually in third grade; and that they remain safe from violent crime.

“MBK has challenged me to be a better leader and a more intersectional advocate for the issues many young people in my community face today,” said Jordan Thompson of Nashua, one of 22 men chosen for the 2019 “MBK Rising!” summit last month in California.

Thompson is one of several MBK participants working to enrich the lives of marginalized residents in the Gate City.

NashuaNews@unionleader.com