■ Diversity , Equity & Inclusion
Continued From Page 12 among our people , teams and communities . We hope to help guide our company ’ s culture and continue being a trusted resource for employees . Recognizing that having wide-ranging perspectives in all situations benefits everyone , we will continually make conscious decisions to support Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace . We encourage this as a collective goal throughout our organization and promote working together to be the best firm we can be .
Sadat Associates , Inc . By Lahbib Chibani , Ph . D ., PE , President
14 COMMERCE www . commercemagnj . com
Sadat Associates , Inc . ( SAI ) is a New Jersey-certified Minority Business Enterprise that has long benefitted from the diversity of its employees . SAI ’ s business culture is one of equity and inclusion . The different backgrounds and experiences of its employees contribute to a wide and often unique skill set that effectively serves our clients . As a Small Business Enterprise , the firm ’ s diverse staff works closely together with the composition of our project teams based on the expertise required for each endeavor . We are a cohesive group that learns from each other , not only technically but in many other important ways . We are also fortunate to be involved with a number of environmental and redevelopment projects in underserved communities , thus promoting environmental justice . We have successfully transformed former brownfield industrial properties and landfills in a number of communities into recreation parks , retail centers , etc ., for use by local residents and the wider public . Our employees take pride in these efforts and are gratified to be part of such a diverse working environment .
T & M Associates By Lynn Spence , Chief People Officer
T & M Associates is focused on attracting and maintaining a diverse workforce and fostering a culture of inclusion to help gain perspective and drive innovation for T & M ’ s clients in creating sustainable communities . In 2019 , a Diversity and Inclusion committee was established that could align and adjust to the increasingly changing workforce . The committee meets regularly to ensure T & M ’ s forward momentum in supporting a culture that is aligned with T & M ’ s core values . As part of the initiative , open company-wide meetings are held to increase awareness and promote dialogue and ongoing DE & I training is provided for employees and leadership . Entry-level recruitment efforts with historically black colleges and universities ( HBCUs ) have expanded and our non-profit organization , T & M Associates Foundation , offers STEM scholarships for diverse higher-education programs . The program is evaluated consistently in response to changing needs . With the objective to educate and celebrate the cultural and personal differences of employees and enrich the environment with people of different experiences , knowledge and unique capabilities , we believe that T & M has become a better firm .
A study by Harvard Business Review showed that companies with higher-than-average diversity had 19 percent higher innovation revenues .
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HEALTHCARE
AmeriHealth New Jersey By Mike Munoz , Market President
Diversity , Equity and Inclusion is a corporate value that we take seriously at AmeriHealth New Jersey . Several years ago , we developed a Diversity , Equity and Inclusion Council that organizes discussion and learning sessions for our associates . These one- to twohour sessions each have a theme , such as microaggressions , unconscious bias , generational differences and code switching , the practice of interacting differently depending on the social context . We believe providing a forum for safe , respectful and open discussion among associates is essential to fully embracing and addressing the many facets of diversity , equity and inclusion . We also believe it helps us serve our members more effectively . Together as a society we must embrace diversity , reject all forms of racism and intolerance , and make a genuine effort to understand one another better . That commitment is woven into the fabric of Ameri- Health New Jersey .
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center By Deborah Visconi , President and CEO
Understanding and ensuring diversity , equity , and inclusion is essential in healthcare . It is not only vital that we hear all the voices of our staff and those in our care , but it is equally as important that we respond appropriately and continue our equity reach directly into communities traditionally underserved who experience healthcare disparities . Bergen New Bridge Medical Center , as a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality in the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) Healthcare Equality Index ( HEI ), devotes resources to supporting a DEI Committee , providing training and education , engaging in a community health needs assessment , and bringing community health teams directly into vulnerable neighborhoods .
Delta Dental of New Jersey By Paul Di Maio , SVP , General Counsel
We established our Diversity Council in 2019 with the guiding principles that talent is equally distributed and comes from all walks of life . Since the Council ’ s inception , we have established a Steering Committee and have
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