More Blacks in executive-level positions, better inclusive company culture among recommendations by Vibrant Pittsburgh
by Rob Taylor Jr.
Courier Staff Writer
Pay African American employees at your company the salary equal to White employees in similar positions.
Elevate more African Americans in said company to the C-Suite, and in board leadership positions.
Invest in your company’s internal and external culture, and amplify Black employees’ voices in decision-making at all levels.
Sounds simple, right?
Welcome to America.
And welcome to Pittsburgh, home to a very stylish Downtown skyline, a proud football franchise, and a not-so-proud distinction of being one of the worst cities in the country for African American wealth, employment and upward mobility.
“For Black residents, Pittsburgh falls far below similar cities,” read a Gender Equity Commission report researched by the University of Pittsburgh and released in 2019. “Black women and men in other cities have better health, income, employment, and educational outcomes than Pittsburgh’s Black residents.”
A Black person in Pittsburgh could relocate to almost any other city of its size and, voila! Their quality of life would be better, the report’s findings estimated.
SABRINA SAUNDERS MOSBY President and CEO, Vibrant Pittsburgh
But Sabrina Saunders Mosby, a Pittsburgh native, champion of Blacks’ upward trajectory in Pittsburgh and President/CEO of Vibrant Pittsburgh, unleashed a trio of recommendations for the region’s corporate and civil leaders which would help make Pittsburgh more of a destination choice for African Americans on the outside—while keeping those on the inside wanting to remain in Pittsburgh.
In the Compensation arena, Vibrant Pittsburgh’s letter to its corporate partners said to “examine pay equity within organizations across demographics; assess race and ethnicity as they relate to hiring, role, compensation and turnover.” Vibrant Pittsburgh wants this information on the desks of companies’ board of directors and immediately address any disparities.
Vibrant wants to see more African Americans at or near the top of companies. The C-Suite, as it’s called. But there should also be more Blacks leading the company’s boards, as well. Vibrant said that in the Pittsburgh area, African Americans and other communities of color account for just 5.8 percent of the region’s executive-level positions, compared to 15 percent in the U.S. “Initiate and invest in sponsorship and mentorship practices for Black and Latino employees that focus on career advancement and retention. The mid-level management bottleneck impacting elevation must be addressed head-on,” Vibrant’s letter read.
JAMES E. TAYLOR, Ph.D., is UPMC’s Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Talent Management Officer.
And when it comes to a more-inclusive culture, businesses need to make it a priority, now. Vibrant wants companies to “examine policies and procedures to ensure they promote workplace equity,” and to “amplify and include” the voices of Black and Latino employees in decision-making at all levels. There should also be Employee/Business Resource Groups, and “leverage these groups for insight into building inclusive policies, recruitment strategies, and organizational culture.” There should also be more financial investments made into Black and Latino businesses, and develop “strategic partnerships” with Black and Latino community organizations. The leadership of businesses should engage with more minorities at community events, as well.
Vibrant’s letter of recommendations was sent to its more-than 60 business partners, which includes UPMC, Peoples Natural Gas, PNC, Duquesne Light, Highmark Health, Comcast Keystone Region, EQT, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
PETER M. ELLIS is a member of Reed Smith’s Executive Committee and Senior Management Team. He is the global chair of the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Department. Ellis is based in Chicago.
Mosby, in an exclusive interview with the Courier, said that three “Vibrant Champions” were selected this year for scoring high on Vibrant’s Index Summary Report for diversity and inclusion—PNC, UPMC and ReedSmith, an international law firm with its headquarters in Downtown Pittsburgh.
“An organizational designation of ‘Vibrant Champion’ does not mean to convey ‘perfection,’” Mosby said.
“We recognize that there is no one ‘right way’ to practice inclusion, and that some practices may be more feasible for some companies or industries than others.” Mosby said the three companies scored at or above the 95th percentile on the Vibrant Index Diagnostic, meaning that a company “adheres to many of the numerous diversity and inclusion practices featured in the Diagnostic.”
But there’s also a company that many in Pittsburgh are familiar with that Mosby said just “gets it” when it comes to diversity—Duquesne Light.
SARA CARTER-OLIVER joined Duquesne Light as its first Chief Diversity Officer in July 2019. Vibrant Pittsburgh, an organization dedicated to growing a more diverse representation in Pittsburgh’s companies, challenges other local corporations to hire more minorities and place them in executive-level positions.
“After hiring Sara Carter-Oliver almost a year ago in their first-ever (Diversity and Inclusion) executive role, we’ve seen numerous executives of color hired into senior level positions. The difference,” Mosby said, “is Sara works directly with (Duquesne Light) CEO Steve Malnight and their leadership team. Having a direct line to the CEO matters and it’s changing the face of leadership.”
MARSHA JONES is Chief Diversity Officer at PNC Financial Services.
As for the hundreds of other corporations in Pittsburgh that believe they do big business…are they doing all they can to diversify their company’s C-Suite, practice inclusion from minorities in important matters, and making their company’s culture all-inclusive?
Only time will tell. But for Mosby and her team at Vibrant Pittsburgh, they want corporations to change for the better, sooner than later.
Vibrant Pittsburgh recently sent a list of recommendations to its 62 partner corporations and organizations in the PIttsburgh region, with the intent to boost minorities’ overall compensation and position at the companies, while also diversifying the companies’ internal culture. The Courier has obtained the list of companies and organizations that received Vibrant Pittsburgh’s letter and recommendations, dated June 18:
Achieva
ALCOA
Allegheny Conference on Community
Development
Allegheny County
Allegheny County Airport Authority
Allegheny Housing Rehabilitation
Corporation (AHRCO)
American Eagle Outfitters Inc.
AMETEK
ANSYS Inc.
Armada
Auberle
Bayer Corporation
BNY Mellon
Carmeuse Lime & Stone
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Robotics
Chevron North America
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
City of Pittsburgh
Civil & Environmental Consultants Inc.
Comcast Keystone Region
Community College of Allegheny County
Covestro, LLC
Deloitte
Dick’s Sporting Goods
Dollar Bank
Duquesne Light Company
Eastern Minority Supplier Development
Council
Edward Marc Brands Inc.
EQT Corporation
FHL Bank of Pittsburgh
Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank
Highmark Health
Howmet Aerospace
Jones Lange Lasalle
Kennametal Inc.
Koppers Inc.
Macys Inc.
The Mattress Factory
Niche.com
Peoples Natural Gas
Pitt Ohio Express
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust
Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Corporation
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Promise
Pittsburgh Technology Council
PNC Financial Services Group
Pressley Ridge
Propel Schools
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh
Seton Hill University
Three Rivers Business Alliance
University of PIttsburgh
UPMC
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Visit Pittsburgh
WESCO Distribution Inc.
Wesley Family Services
Westmoreland County Community College
About Post Author
