A symposium gathering community leaders will seek to navigate the future of inclusion not only in the workplace, but within communities as well.
The City of Bloomington will host an Inclusion & Access Compliance symposium from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Aug. 26 at Heartland Community College’s Astroth Building, 1500 W. Raab Road in Normal.
The theme of the free symposium, “Navigating Inclusion: Bringing Divides in a Shifting Landscape,” will bring experts, leaders and community members to dive into strategies for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion [DEI] in a changing professional and political landscape.
There will be breakout sessions to address topics such as data collection and measuring DEI progress, the financial impact regarding pay equity for a diverse workforce, the legal impact of diversity-related decisions, and potential changes to recruitment and hiring. These sessions will be facilitated by professionals working in equity and inclusion, including those at the Twin Cities' two universities: Dakesa Pina, Doris Houston, Terrance Bond and Byron Craig.
Michael Hurt, Bloomington's Employee Engagement, Inclusion and Compliance officer, said the purpose of the symposium is to help those in human resources find a balance in bringing diversity in the workplace without going against current executive order issued by the Trump Administration — an order emphasizing how federal funding could be revoked from schools and other workplaces if they continued DEI-related discipline policies.
Earlier this month, Illinois State University signaled it is working to digest a directive from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi squelching DEI from universities while staying committed to the university's core values.
Hurt said diversity, equity and inclusion aren't just about meeting quotas.
“The aim all along is making the person included feel included in the workplace," he said. "In order to have a longevity that we need to bring those talents into the workplace and maintain them, we have to make sure that they feel included and belong.”
Hurt said the city’s goal is to maintain a workforce that matches the racial demographic in the city of Bloomington while ensuring candidates are hired based on their skills and qualifications.
“People were not getting hired based on their race, disability or gender, they were getting hired based on the fact that they were the most qualified person for the job,” Hurt said.
Dr. Toure Reed, a professor of African American history in the College of Arts and Sciences at Illinois State University, will deliver the plenary. Following Reed, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Peoria County, Dr. Andre Allen, will deliver the closeout.
All community members, business leaders, human resources professionals and anyone who is interested in fostering a more inclusive environment are encouraged to attend this free event.
“This conference provides a critical space for organizations and individuals to not only learn but also share strategies that drive meaningful change,” Hurt said. “It’s about creating equitable opportunities and bridging gaps in our workplace and communities.”
