存致力于解决多样性和包容性问题，让利益相关者参与到将带来积极变化的对话中. As part of this commitment, 存 kicked off its first speaker series on July 14, 题为《vns6060威尼斯城官网》.
You can watch the entire panel discussion here 存 Speaker Series: Tampa July 14, 2020.
During the inaugural speaker series, Tampa civic leaders agreed that, while the problems of racial injustice and inequality are not new, 成功解决这些问题的前景现在已经不同了，因为人们愿意倾听和学习不同的观点，并致力于为积极的变革而努力.
During the online event moderated by Marie Chinnici-Everitt, 存坦帕的董事总经理兼首席营销官和区域主管, 小组成员重点讨论了我们可以从今天的独特危机中吸取的发展服务不足社区的经验教训，即警察杀害乔治·弗洛伊德引发的流行病和社会动荡的汇合. 小组成员包括坦帕市市长和前坦帕警察局局长简·卡斯特, Feeding Tampa Bay President and CEO Thomas Mantz, Tampa Bay Economic Development Council President and CEO Craig Richard, 以及存董事总经理兼多元化人才管理和晋升主管Keisha Bell.
“存 is hosting this event,” Chinnici-Everitt explained, “因为我们认为，作为一家公司，与社区领袖合作，促进对我们所有人——员工——都很重要的问题的对话，这一点很重要, people we’re looking to hire, people outside of 存 -- and driving positive change.”
Lessons from the Crisis
Asked to share her perspective on the impact of current events, 卡斯特市长说，这件事强化了她在当地警察局30年的工作经历教给她的东西:倾听每个人的观点，了解危机是如何影响他们的. “拥有这种投入和对话对于做出你认为对社区最有利的明智决定至关重要.”
For Richard, the crisis proves that “D&I is no longer a nice to have in economic development. 这是社区保持竞争力和公司盈利的必要条件.他说，人才——可用人才和合格的多样化人才的数量——是公司决定是否在某个城市扩张或搬迁时使用的首要标准. “For Tampa, that means we must start with D&I to be successful,” he added.
黑人和棕色人种的员工受到新冠肺炎的双重打击以及弗洛伊德被杀引发的问题的影响与公司其他员工不同, Bell shared how 存 altered its D&I strategy in response. 在存, D&I is a strategic business priority,” she said. “2020年将是招聘、晋升和留住女性的一年，而2021年将是种族的一年. But we’ve pivoted and accelerated what we had planned for next year, 包括黑人和棕色人种员工之间的小组对话，讨论他们在社区内外所经历的不公正.”
缓解危机
Are there ways to mitigate the current crisis, Chinnici-Everitt asked. 是的，理查德说. “There have been protests before, but it seems different this time. There’s a different team on the field, a multicultural team, 他愿意考虑所有导致我们走到这一步的因素, from zoning to permitting to credit scores. That’s what it’s going to take to build an equitable system.”
曼茨说，像“供养坦帕湾”这样的组织完全有能力为这一努力做出贡献. “我们通过投资机会来帮助人们进入一个有能力的地方，而不仅仅是提供社会服务. 通过创造机会，你创造了平等和一个更成功的社区.”
“企业可以投资于‘喂养’这样的组织，也可以投资于职业培训和未来领导者的管道,贝尔说. “This is not philanthropy; it’s an investment. And it needs to be a lifetime commitment.”
Changing Conversations
Chinnici-Everitt请Bell讲述疫情和对种族不平等的重新关注是如何影响存围绕D的讨论的&I. 因为警察骚扰事件可能只有黑人和棕色人种的员工才熟悉, “we decided to expand awareness through honest dialogue,贝尔说. “例如, 我写了一篇博文，描述了在美国公司工作的黑人的双重身份，以及离开办公室时必须面对的问题, like dealings with police and income disparities.”
存 also initiated conversations with Black and Brown male employees, to surface problems and situations that uniquely confront them, 然后与公司的黑人和棕色人种女性进行对话，了解她们如何与孩子谈论不平等问题. 我们的目标, 贝尔解释, 是为了给同事们提供背景，帮助盟友们了解这些员工来自哪里，然后盟友们才能开始为种族平等挺身而出.
卡斯特市长说，在市政府，“弗洛伊德被杀引发了令人不安的对话. But we have to have them if we’re going to understand the need for change. 所有被激起的愤怒和精力都可以用于解决我们在教育系统和获得负担得起的住房方面的系统性问题, 例如.”
曼茨表示，Feeding Tampa Bay聘请了一家外部公司，以帮助促进员工之间的深入对话. “The deeper we listen, the more painful it is, and the more unified we are that these problems need to be solved,他说. “现在有很多焦虑和不安，因为被边缘化的人说事情不好. Let’s harness it to be intentional and impactful.”
“After the Floyd killing, 作为一名黑人，我觉得有必要谈谈这件事对我的影响,理查德说。, “so I wrote a letter to my board, investors and other stakeholders.” The positive response he got made him feel that “this time is different. Finally, people are receptive to hearing this message.”
理查德补充说，EDC因疫情而暂停的一项社区发展计划已经恢复. “At our first executive committee meeting after the protests had started, we said we can’t put this off, we need to assure prosperity is received in every corner of our community. 该项目将向投资者展示被忽视社区的投资机会, which will lead to job opportunities there.”
一名观众问，小组成员如何在改变根深蒂固的态度、摆脱无知方面发挥作用.
卡斯特市长说:“仇恨来自于缺乏信息，所以你要做你能做的。. “By diversifying your organization or social circle, 你敞开心扉接受教育，从不同的角度看世界. It’s incumbent on each of us, in our personal and professional circles, to show others that they are valued members of those groups. That’s one opportunity we have to make positive change.”