Why I Joined the DEIB Committee — And Why It Matters More Than Ever
Let me be honest with you: I didn’t join the DEIB committee at Livingston International because it looked good on a resume. I joined because I was tired of watching.
Tired of watching companies dismantle their diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts the moment they became inconvenient. Fatigued from seeing DEIB reduced to a logo on a webpage or a single month of awareness programming. Tired of committees that exist to check a box rather than to do the work.
So I stepped in.
The Climate We’re In
We’re in a moment where DEIB has become politicized in a way that’s making organizations nervous. Companies that once championed inclusion are quietly walking back commitments, dissolving teams, and rebranding initiatives into something less visible. I understand the pressure. I don’t accept the retreat.
DEIB was never a trend. It was always a standard of decency — a commitment to building workplaces where every person has a genuine opportunity to contribute, grow, and belong. That standard doesn’t expire because the political winds shift.
Why I Showed Up — And Why I’ll Keep Showing Up
I joined the DEIB committee at Livingston because I wanted to make sure it did more than exist. I wanted to make sure it acted.
There’s a real difference between a committee that holds meetings and a committee that moves the needle. My goal from day one has been to push for accountability, measurable outcomes, and initiatives rooted in the actual core principles of DEIB — not just the optics. If we’re going to have a committee, it should mean something to the people in this organization who need it to mean something.
Beyond the committee, I’m also co-chairing our Employee Resource Group committee and leading our BIPOC ERG. These aren’t parallel responsibilities — they’re connected expressions of the same conviction. ERGs are where principle meets practice. They’re where community is built, voices are amplified, and belonging becomes something you actually feel rather than something you read in a policy document.
What I’m Working Toward
My vision is straightforward, even if the work to get there is not: I want Livingston International to be a genuinely safe and equitable company for every person who walks through its doors — or logs into its systems. Not performatively safe. Not equitable on paper. Actually, functionally, measurably so.
That means creating spaces where underrepresented voices aren’t just invited to the table — they’re genuinely heard. It means holding ourselves accountable to the principles we’ve adopted. It means doing the unglamorous, consistent work that never makes the highlight reel but shapes company culture over time.
I don’t have all the answers. But I’m committed to staying in the room, asking the hard questions, and making sure that at Livingston, DEIB is never just a PR stunt.
The work continues. And I’m glad to be doing it.
