For most of my years at Wray Ward, I would have told anyone that a welcoming and open spirit was ingrained in our DNA. While our agency didn’t have an official or purposeful approach to diversity and inclusion, it felt as if we were doing the right thing. And, for a long time, that seemed good.

However, when appalling events and the visible consequences of racism unfolded in 2020, fueling a social awakening that rippled across the nation, I quickly came to recognize that good is never good enough.

That shock to the system was a wakeup call for all of us at Wray Ward. Overnight, we realized we weren’t doing all we could to ensure racial equity and representation. Discrimination is a persavive problem, and we certainly didn’t believe a single company could construct a quick or complete fix.

But I’m a problem solver by nature. So, in the middle of a tense time, I became more determined than ever to help drive change.

In the days, weeks and months that followed, our leadership team scrutinized how to make Wray Ward a more diverse, equitable and inclusive place for every employee who calls our agency home.

But we also acknowledged that doing what’s right goes well beyond a simple mission statement add-on or a single bullet in a presentation. Instead, doing what’s right requires an intentional and thoughtful approach. We believed that such a decisive stand could help change Wray Ward and our community for the better — forever.

So, we got to work.

Diversity and Inclusion: Where We’ve Been

First, we brought in experts to conduct D&I training with agency management, because a company’s leaders set the tone.

Together, we:

• Evaluated our hiring process to identify gaps in our recruitment of diverse candidates

• Expanded our FORM internship promotion to more universities, giving students of all backgrounds the opportunity to learn about the program and apply

• Reviewed agency vendors to grow our support of diverse-owned small businesses

• Leaned even harder into Wray Ward’s EmpoWWer program in order to maximize the positive impact of our service grants on Charlotte-area nonprofit organizations and underserved communities

During these training sessions, one lesson really hit home: To build and implement a successful D&I strategy, it’s critical to ensure that the effort doesn’t evolve as a top-down directive, with one voice dictating the direction.

This crucial insight led us to create a Wray Ward D&I council — not an initiative housed in human resources, but a diverse committee of employees who are empowered to set their own course and make meaningful decisions.

I remember thinking, “If this is really going to take hold and have an impact, we have to trust our people to be the voices of this place.”

Well, Wray Ward staff embraced the challenge. Following overwhelming interest, a group of nine employees became the coalition that will help chart the course, shape an already special culture and influence real change.

Diversity and Inclusion: Where We’re Going

Reflecting on all of this, I think we’ve taken giant steps toward making Wray Ward the diverse and inclusive place we want it to be. We’re taking care to not fall into the old traps of thinking we’ve got it solved — because really, we’ve just begun. But we’re making progress, we’re having conversations we've never had, and we’re moving in the right direction.

When we first came up with the idea of a D&I council, I didn’t view it as something that needed a formal name. But, being of a marketing mindset, the team understood the importance of branding and believed naming the group would put a stake in the ground for everything they hoped to accomplish.

Open House: The D&I Coalition at Wray Ward

The identity — Open House: The D&I Coalition at Wray Ward — gives this essential work a solid foundation. Furthermore, it represents the wants, needs and concerns of everyone at Wray Ward by embracing authenticity, belonging, fairness, openness and mutual respect.

In only a few months, I’ve witnessed this team’s eagerness to learn from each other. I’ve seen how much they love and care for one another. I’ve seen their commitment to making Wray Ward a supportive and inclusive environment in which all feel welcome.

I could go on and on about how impressed I’ve been with our people’s passion for this work — seriously, got another 30 minutes? But I think our coalition members can say it even better.