America is engaged in an essential and complicated conversation about bias and disparity. With a mission to advance the individual and the industry, the Southern Gas Association will do our part to help end systemic racism. Living our core values means providing for continuous learning and creating safe and secure communities. We must gain knowledge and ensure that all people and communities can succeed. We must respect each other and understand how our unique backgrounds can provide unique contributions. We will use the strength of our resources and collective knowledge to promote change.
Our immediate action steps include:
Seeking understanding with a new blog series. Southern Gas Association will provide a platform for the voices and personal experiences of diverse colleagues in the natural gas industry in the context of racial bias. These colleagues’ individual perspectives must be heard.
Promoting dialogue with a new panel series: Courageous Conversations
Constructive dialogue is an essential component to support widespread systemic change. SGA will host a panel series called Courageous Conversations. These conversations are designed to embrace and appreciate every person’s background, their culture, heritage and experiences. This series is to promote inclusion, understanding and positive actions.
Creating an Inclusion and Diversity Council.
SGA will create an Inclusion and Diversity Council that will report to the Executive Council. This Council will be staffed with senior representatives from our operating members who will work together to develop a competency-based inclusion and diversity roadmap that will be available to all SGA members as a resource.
Application will be accepted until Monday, August 31, 2020 at NOON. Selections will occur the first week of September, notifications will be conducted thereafter by our Executive Council.
Providing Training Opportunities for All Members
- Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Culture: A targeted curriculum that includes a variety of resources on how to create a diverse and inclusive culture, including courses, short videos, and courses specifically for leaders. This training can be assigned as a full curriculum or specific resources selected and shared.
- SGA member employee onboarding track: A series of classes focused on general industry knowledge, natural gas communication, and inclusion and diversity education. To include:
o Introduction to the Natural Gas Industry
o Natural Gas Champions
o Unconscious Bias Education
Building a diverse and inclusive environment is a lifelong endeavor. We can’t just check a diversity box. We will never arrive, or hit a ceiling, it’s work we must do every day. Leaders at every level must use their power, platforms, and resources to help employees and communities overcome these challenges and build a better world for us all – this is a time for change. As an Association and an Industry, we will rise when we lift each other up.
Respectfully,
SGA Chief Executive Officer
 Suzanne Ogle |
SGA Board Executive Committee
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