The City of Asheville was proud to participate with Buncombe County and UNC Asheville to present the “Realizing the Benefits of Inclusion and Diversity” conference held April 25 in conjunction with the YWCA Stand Against Racism.
The conference focused on the challenges and opportunities for expanding diversity in the workplace and in management roles in light of a rapidly changing population.
Participants took part in 20 break-out discussions on topics from mentoring to stereotyping, all of which are important issues facing the marketplace. Keynote speaker Dr. Robert Livingston gave a presentation on the influence of physical appearance, race and gender on the conscious and non-conscious process of leader selection.
“The conference was an opportunity to support the YWCA’s campaign as well as to share the research of Dr. Livingston with a broader audience of local employers,” says City of Asheville’s Human Resources Manager Derrick Swing. “The conference received immediate positive feedback, and we hope to collect more formal feedback that will help us in designing future opportunities for events like this one.”
“Realizing the Benefits of Inclusion and Diversity” would not have been possible without the help of Buncombe County, UNC Asheville, the Center for Diversity Education, the YWCA, AB Tech, MAHEC, ABCRC, and others.
Click here for more about the YWCA Stand Against Racism.