b'DIVERSITY & INCLUSIONBROADENINGTHETALENT POOLCERC shines a spotlight on diversity with its By Sarah B. Hoodnew Diversity, Equity and Inclusion CommitteeI n 2006, the film An Inconvenient Truth, featuring formerChristophersen announced that the CERC Board had unani-U.S. Vice President Al Gore, pushed North Americans tomously voted to establish a committee to focus on ensuring that a tipping point in attitudes on climate change. Suddenly,diversity, equity and inclusion are part of CERCs values and everyone from big business to schoolchildren was talkingreflected in the make-up of its membership. She acknowledged about how to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.that it is important that we create and continue to cultivate a This past year has seen a similar shift in attitudes towardsspace that actively embraces diversity, celebrates different perspec-diversity, equity and inclusionin media, the workplace andtives, and encourages our members to show up as their true selves society at large. The deaths of Breonna Taylor and Georgeand thrive professionally through inclusion in CERCs Research, Floyd in the U.S. sparked continent-wide demonstrations, whileAdvocacy, Education and Knowledge activities. Also on the LGBTQ+ rights figured prominently in numerous major newsagenda was promoting the value of DEI within the membership stories. In Canada, the discovery of hundreds of Indigenous chil- and providing members with tools to assist them in promoting drens unmarked graves at several former residential-school sitesand developing DEI in their organizations mobility programs.elicited outrage, resulting in the toppling of statues of formerly honoured public figures, calls for renaming public facilities, andCOMMITTEE FOCUSeven the burning of churches. The co-chairs chosen to lead the new committee are Ann Stafford, CERC is stepping forward to address this massive shift withregional vice president, client services for Weichert Workforce the formation of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)Mobility, and Chris Gordon, partner in the People Advisory Committee. As emphasized in a message to the membership thisPractice of EY and the executive sponsor of the EY Black past May by CERC chair Charlotte Christophersen: We theProfessionals Network (Canada). We felt that as the leading Board of CERC stand united in our condemnation of discrimina- organization focused on mobility, it was important to have a voice tion and injustice of any kind within our society and the commun- in this space, but also to give our membership a voice within their ities that we serve. regions and the broader community, says Gordon. 14PERSPECTIVES Fall 2021'