Last week, leaders from 11 associations convened over Zoom to talk about the work that they’re doing on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). It’s a conversation that’s been stoked, of course, by the protests following the murder of George Floyd. And, though most of the participants’ organizations have been doing this work for years, one theme that emerged from the 90-minute conversation, facilitated by Vista Cova’s Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE, is that there’s still more work to be done.
More to the point, it’s not the kind of work that an association leader can do alone. Richard Yep, FASAE, CAE, CEO of the American Counseling Association (ACA), noted that checking his ego at the door is essential to the DEI work his staff has undertaken.
“I think most of us realize that our job isn’t to have everybody take on our vision, but for us to cultivate what their vision is and how we mold that into something that makes sense for our members and for our staffs,” he said. “I have lots of ideas, but it really isn’t about me, it’s about those that I work with.”
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