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PPA's Diversity Work Featured in Greater Business Monthly

Public Policy Associates, Inc. (PPA) is prominently featured in this month's Greater Lansing Business Monthly’s package of articles on workplace diversity in mid-Michigan.

PPA has undertaken extensive work both as a community leader and as a consulting firm providing services to businesses and other organizations seeking to build diverse workforces and achieve strategic goals.  The efforts have been led by PPA President Jeffrey D. Padden, Senior Policy Consultant Willard K. Walker, and Project Manager Dr. Paul Elam.

Greater Lansing Business Monthly highlighted the commitment of mid-Michigan employers to promote diversity, most notably the 2011 Employer Conference on Workplace Diversity sponsored by PPA and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. (Read the full article on the PPA-Chamber partnership.) It also showcased the diversity work of the Lansing Board of Water & Light (LBWL), which was developed and implemented with support from PPA. (Read the full article on PPA's work with the Board of Water & Light.)

The magazine noted that LBWL General Manager J. Peter Lark "smartly brought on board PPA to be his right-hand in providing the necessary strategy, delivery, and follow through."

"A leader should have as much knowledge as possible," Mr. Lark told the magazine.  "And the training I received through Public Policy Associates' CEO diversity training program was invaluable."

Over the past several years, PPA has produced a body of work that makes the organization  a recognized leader in building and carrying out strategies to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.  The work includes:

• Helping to conduct a national study for the Dellums Commission on federal policies reducing the life options of young males of color.
• Working with the Michigan Child Welfare Improvement Task Force to improve outcomes for vulnerable children.  The priorities included race, gender, and cultural equity.
• Analyzing crime data in Michigan to understand the overrepresentation and disparate treatment of minorities in the juvenile justice system.

• Providing support to the Michigan Coalition for Race Equity to examine the underlying causes of racial and ethnic disparities in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and develop strategies for eliminating them.
• Recruiting business leaders in the Lansing area to create the CEO Diversity Council to enhance understanding of the importance of diversity and use the enhanced commitment to make mid-Michigan a region of choice for talented workers.
• In addition, PPA is currently partnering with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to develop a unique tool for evaluating the Foundation's investments in Michigan through a racial equity lens in order to help achieve the Foundation’s goal of supporting children, families and communities.  "We believe the racial-equity lens can be a national model for  philanthropic organizations and others committed to diversity, equal opportunity, and using everyone's talents to create prosperous and vibrant communities, " Dr. Elam said.

 

PPA is also committed to promoting diversity and cultural excellence within its own workplace.  The entire staff is taking part in extensive diversity training that is helping staff better understand diversity issues and provide more effective, creative solutions for its clients.

"Diversity is important in our workplace and in every project we undertake," Mr. Padden said.  "As we become more culturally aware and more fully understand diversity issues, our researchers are able to provide more effective and more creative solutions for our clients."

For more information about PPA's work to help employers build diverse workplaces to fuel innovation, improve the bottom line and achieve other strategic goals, contact Mr. Padden, Mr. Walker, or Dr. Elam.