Committee Helps ACT Expand Diversity Initiatives

Members of the ACT Diversity Committee include, front row, from left: Theresa Biancheri, Gaby Ruess, Alex Casillas, Sandra Stewart, Dania Ajam, and Lourdes Perez-Ramirez. Back row, from left, are Frank Meng, Jamie Tisdale, Evette Creighton, Jason Smith, Dana Dominguez, and Kevin McKeever. Not pictured are Patrick Bourgeacq and Kellee Forkenbrock.

ACT’s Diversity Committee is helping ACT develop a more diverse employee population.

Chaired by Jason Smith, the ACT director of talent acquisition and diversity, the committee exists to identify ways to foster diversity and inclusion and to implement projects that create an environment in which all employees can do their best work. The committee consists of 14 members representing a broad cross section of ACT’s operational areas. They meet monthly to discuss diversity issues, share information and resources, and develop and implement activities that contribute to and complement the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts.

“The Diversity Committee plays a number of vital roles for ACT. It provides feedback on our workforce to senior management, offers services related to inclusion, acts as a central organizing body for diversity-related initiatives within the company, and represents ACT in diversity-related activities in the local community,” said Jim Friel, ACT assistant vice president and director of human resources.

The committee’s mission is expected to evolve over time, he said. It currently functions as a grassroots effort to promote understanding and respect for differences among employees through networking opportunities, information about opportunities to participate in the local community, and assistance with activities that encourage cultural awareness.

In 2009, three subcommittees worked on projects to achieve specific goals:

The Talent Acquisition Subcommittee, which helps recruit prospective employees, created profiles of current staff that are posted on the corporate website to confirm that ACT offers a diverse working environment.

The Inclusion and Retention Subcommittee, which helps employees feel they are an important part of the company, recognized different groups during nationally designated months, such as Hispanic Heritage Month and Women’s History Month. Articles about each group were published in IntraACT, ACT’s staff newsletter. Information was also shared through displays and lunch discussions.

The Internal Resources Subcommittee, which promotes awareness of the wide range of resources for employees, developed a diversity directory of area organizations, activities, and services. Each is linked with a specific ACT employee who can provide more information to new staff members.

Visit www.act.org/aboutact/diversity_overview.html to read more about diversity at ACT.