Background
On August 9, 2019, following an agency-wide nomination process, Natural Resources Secretary Julie Moore extended an invitation to 10 staff members to form the Agency’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Secretary Moore charged the Committee with establishing and actively fostering a culture of inclusivity at ANR by creating learning and discussion opportunities for staff interested in improving their cultural competency and creating a more welcoming, diverse work environment. She asked the Committee to strive for lasting institutional change that:
- Provides and promotes forums for mutual respect, an appreciation of differences, and cross-cultural understanding.
- Helps our Agency effectively connect with a changing and diverse public.
- Assists in the recruitment and retention of a more diverse work force that is representative of the Vermonters we serve.
DEI Committee Vision and Mission
Vision
The ANR Diversity & Equity Committee envisions an ANR where everyone practices justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) principles and where JEDI is foundational to our operations and interactions.
Mission
The ANR DEI Committee promotes justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion
JEDI for marginalized groups among our coworkers and stakeholders, the public, and Vermont’s ecosystems through dialogue, collaboration, community building, and education.
In its first year, the Committee:
- Met regularly and established charter, mission, and vision to facilitate advancement of regular and emergent business.
- Hosted seven staff workshops and participated in external training, education, and dialogue.
- Collaborated with groups engaged in D&E work: State of Vermont (SOV) work groups and commissions, nonprofits, and the University of Vermont.
- Curated outreach and education for staff: summer weekly email series; Teams and intranet platforms; Regional Office visits; regular open meetings.
- Supported ANR Departments addressing equity matters.
- Two committee members participated on working group to improve SOV Implicit Bias training.
The Committee appreciates that there is much more to be done and remains committed to working with ANR employees, partners, volunteers, and the greater public toward the vision of practicing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles throughout our work.
Current DEI Committee Members
Central Office:
Marian Wolz
DEC:
Olin Reed
Lauren Sopher
Sydney VanTassel
FPR:
Agnes Barsalow
Lou Bushey
Jes Halterman
Niels Rinehart
FWD:
Josh Hungerford
Maureen Lynch