Commitment to Our Members

Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work advanced in both big, bold moves and smaller, equally intentional and foundational steps. We proceeded with the philosophy of listening first, then collaborating, and then taking action – together – following the strategic goals established in our annual plan.

Those goals included a quarterly DEI Forum to provide information from national and local experts on the opportunities, challenges, and solutions of economic inclusion. The December DEI Forum included 50 participants and featured Paul Doyle of Inclusion Performance Strategies, who covered strategies for inclusion, organizational best practices and equity impacts and the bottom line. April’s session centered on supplier diversity and featured Ingrid Watkins, CEO and Chief Diversity Strategist, IW Consulting. Watkins, also a former Coca-Cola executive, conducted a one-hour training on supplier diversity.

On May 6, Mayor Tim Kelly joined CEOs and community leaders on the steps of City Hall as the Chattanooga Chamber introduced the CEO Pledge for Racial Equity. CEOs committed to taking action on intentional, equitable, and inclusive strategies in their business operations in order to advance economic opportunity. Now backed by some 85 CEOs, the pledge serves as a commitment by leaders to advance the business case for racial equity and economic inclusion in Chattanooga and Hamilton County.