Accounting
Indiana CPA Society President Signs Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge
By signing the pledge, Briggs will support INCPAS staff, members and member organizations in cultivating work environments that support diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
Sep. 23, 2019
Indiana CPA Society (INCPAS) President & CEO Jennifer Briggs, CAE, recently signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion Pledge, joining more than 750 other CEOs who have committed to advancing diversity and inclusion practices in the workplace.
By signing the pledge, Briggs will support INCPAS staff, members and member organizations in cultivating work environments that support diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
“This is a way to showcase what we’ve done for the CPA profession while jump starting our internal efforts to improve in this area.” Briggs said. “As a small organization with low staff turnover, we aren’t diverse and haven’t been for a long time. But in considering the aim of the CEO Action Pledge, I decided to welcome the chance to say: ‘We’re not where we need to be, but we’re going to try to do more.'”
The Society is currently taking two key actions to diversifying the talent pipeline:
- Hosting the free, year-long INCPAS Scholars program for high-potential minority high school students in Indianapolis and South Bend interested in pursuing accounting or business.
- Hosting free, half-day Game On: CPAs in Action career awareness events for minority high school students in Fort Wayne, Hammond, Indianapolis and South Bend.
The Society also is taking two key actions towards enhanced diversity and inclusion efforts as an association:
- Providing unconscious bias training for existing staff.
- Expanding hiring and referral sources outside its current network for future staff.
“There’s a lot more work to do,” Briggs said. “But the CEO Action Pledge has been inspiring for us as a reminder that it’s never too late to ask yourself if you’re really doing ALL you can do.”
Find out more about the CEO Action Pledge.