The Duval County Public Schools’ (DCPS)
Council on Educational Equity and Inclusion members participated in an informative presentation on November 17 by four top executives from the Jacksonville business community. The panelists included Ed Gallegos, vice president of the Office of Cultural Competence and Diversity Systems of BlueCross BlueShield; Marsha Myers, leader for Jacksonville’s Project Breakthrough; Susan Hamilton, assistant vice president for Diversity of CSX Corporation; and Robin Norton, assistant vice president of Human Resources, Training and Diversity, of Community First Credit Union of Florida.
Panelists discussed the return on investment for developing diversity programs and initiatives within organizations, the challenges they faced in their respective organizations, and the connection such programs have with academic achievement, improved productivity and creating safe and respectful environments.
Council members asked about the effort involved in moving this critical work forward. “Diversity and inclusion is not an easy journey,” said Gallegos. “Bringing diverse people together to achieve a common goal is hard work, but one that we must never relinquish, as we owe it to those who have entrusted us as leaders.”
CSX and BlueCross BlueShield are among the top 50 companies nationwide recognized by DiversityInc for their diversity and inclusion best practices.
Susan Hamilton said, “Inclusiveness should be a core value of every organization in this ever-increasingly diverse world. It is morally and ethically right and it makes for good business. The best organizations maximize the talents of ALL their members and blend them into a team. The folks who don’t get it are being left behind. The folks who get it will be tomorrow’s leaders.”
The panel discussion and similar offerings in the future will be sponsored by the Council on Educational Equity and Inclusion as the district develops its five-year diversity plan, recently announced by Josephine Jackson, executive director of the DCPS’ Office of Equity and Inclusion. The plan will be aligned with the district’s strategic plan and core belief of a commitment to diversity.
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