Breanna Hegamin

Proposal Manager, Moffatt & Nichol

Antonio Payne, CPA, CDE

CFO, SMPS

The Human Case for DEI: Tools to Help Your Personal and Firm Growth!

Research shows that firms with diverse experiences and perspectives seated around the table are more profitable. That’s why SMPS is working to guide the industry to promote a culture of inclusion, amplify the voices of the underrepresented, and support the business case for diversity. In February 2020, the SMPS board approved the creation of a DEI Task Force. The SMPS DEI Committee aims to suggest initiatives and strategic objectives to increase awareness of and support DEI for our membership, their organizations, and the A/E/C industry at large. For this interactive session, members of the SMPS Diversity Committee will discuss their experiences starting and serving on the committee. We will prompt participants to engage through a series of questions/scenarios. The goal is to share lessons learned and provide resources and tools for members to promote inclusion from any seat in their firms.

Topics covered include the following:

  • Overview of SMPS DEI Committee work: Accomplishments to date, resources, and what we are currently working on.

  • What does a culture of belonging look like?

  • The business case for diverse experiences and viewpoints on professional teams.

  • Communicating effectively within diverse teams.

  • Approaching equity work from a lens of curiosity without guilt, shame, or blame.

  • The importance of understanding the history of inequities in the United States and unconscious bias to become more aware of the unintentional harms we may cause.

  • Steps for people at all levels to work towards a culture of belonging in your SMPS chapter, company, and personal life.

  • Specific actions to create a safe space among your team members.


Audience Takeaways

  • Changing a culture is no small task. Participants will become more aware of how to honor and respect the value of diversity of thought and lived experience, which is critical to a culture of belonging.

  • Specific actions to create a safe space for your team members.

  • Steps to work towards the kind of culture we say we want at work and in our organizations, realizing that this effort requires constant work.

Connect with Breanna on LinkedIn.

Connect with Antonio on LinkedIn.