APPA and Diversity, Equality & Inclusion
As leaders in the pet care community, we recognize the importance of standing with and supporting all people and communities. As an international association, APPA also has the obligation to welcome, understand, and better serve the diverse cultures and backgrounds that are a part of our association. While we all come from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, we share a common bond over our love of pets. We want to leverage this to pave a path forward that embraces unity, equality, and diversity within the pet care community, and promote the same love and compassion our pets show us each and every day.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Assessment
As part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, APPA has partnered with Dr. Nika White of Nika White Consulting (NWC), a management consulting firm with nationally recognized authority on strategic diversity and intentional inclusion, to serve as a process facilitator for our DEI work. NWC will begin by conducting an organizational assessment to gather intel that will inform a comprehensive, data-driven strategy that will promote DEI throughout all areas of operations.
In order to begin this journey, we must first lead by example and with authenticity. These last few weeks, APPA has begun conducting its own internal, cultural readiness assessment to level set and identity our own gaps as a business, build trust with our staff, and inform us where change needs to begin. Over these next couple of months, we will also be looking to our members to help guide us through the next steps in APPA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Assessment. This process begins with a member survey and focus groups that will serve as a comprehensive, cultural readiness assessment to level set, identify gaps, track current activity, build trust with our members, and inform association-wide change management strategy. The culmination of the quantitative and qualitative data collected from this assessment will be used to develop a comprehensive, strategic plan with our DEI Council led by APPA staff and facilitated by Dr. Nika White.
D&I Foundational Training: Growing as an Intentional Inclusionist®
Understanding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as a Function of Leadership
APPA is offering members a free, two-part DEI Foundational Training course facilitated by Dr. Nike White, which will discuss the essentials of intentional inclusion leadership as paramount to successful organizations, and empower and equip participants to build their inclusion leadership competency through knowledge and skills-based training. APPA staff will be participating in these course modules alongside members as part of our commitment to embarking on this journey together. For the full course description, click here.
Session I: Thursday, January 14, 2021, 1:00 - 3:00 PM EST
Session II: Thursday, January 21, 2021, 1:00 - 3:00 PM EST
To register, log in here.
Recent Activity
APPA Announces Next Steps in Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (12.9.20)
APPA CEO Steve King's Interview on Pet Buzz - Race, Equality & Diversity in the Pet and Animal Service Industries (8.2.20)
APPA Signs the National Association of Manufacturers' Pledge for Action