The mission of the Calhoun County Area Chamber & Visitors Center Diversity & Inclusion Committee is to bring awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion by empowering our members and community at large.
For more information, please contact Communications Director Ashlee Jones at ashleej@calhounchamber.com
DEI COMMITTEE GOALS
As an advocate of the regional business community, we recognize that addressing the evolving demographic changes in our region is fundamental to the growth and sustainability of our Members. Creating an inclusive environment that engages individuals reflective of the full spectrum of our region strengthens our organizations and is key to the success of the Calhoun County Area as a whole. We invite, and encourage, you to review the Chamber’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, along with recommended guidelines for our Members.
DEI COMMITTEE OBJECTIVES:
- Educating members through structured, quarterly (or more frequent) meetings on topics related to diversity.
- Encouraging open and honest discussion among business leaders.
- Providing communication channels between key community and business organizations.
- Supporting membership as they seek to strengthen themselves through professional development in the area of diversity awareness and training.
WHAT IS DEIAB?
DIVERSITY is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment, or political perspective. Populations that have been – and remain – underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.
EQUITY is promoting justice, impartiality, and fairness within the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources by institutions or systems. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.
INCLUSION refers to the degree to which diverse individuals are able to participate fully in the decision-making processes within an organization or group. While a truly “inclusive” group is necessarily diverse, a “diverse” group may or may not be “inclusive.”
ACCESSIBILITY is an openness to all it asks, “Who can participate?” the design, construction, development, and maintenance of facilities, information and communication technology, programs, and services so that all people, including people with disabilities, can fully and independently use them.
BELONGING is when everyone is treated and feels like a full member of the larger community and can thrive.