In April, Southwire recognized Celebrate Diversity Month, which was established in 2004 to celebrate other cultures, experiences, backgrounds and perspectives, by providing the company with resources and opportunities to learn more about diversity.   
  
Throughout the month, Southwire hosted a “lunch and learn” series that highlighted new themes weekly and provided helpful tools and events to employees to learn more about each topic.   
  
To kick off the series, Autumn Hill, director of compliance, hosted a discussion on disability awareness and inclusion.   

“A disability is not just one specific identity or status; it impacts every individual,” said Hill. “Our commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture is strong, and disability inclusion is an integral part of that.”  

Employees also participated in discussions about the importance of Giving Back through volunteerism, Growing Green through sustainable solutions like composting and eliminating waste, mental health awareness and empathetic leadership as a part of the series.   
  
Christine Shumay, digital coordinator, hosted a “lunch and learn” about the importance of Safe Space training in the workplace. In addition to her role in the company’s Marketing department, Shumay is also a committee member for Allied, Southwire’s employee resource group (ERG) that advocates for a work environment that respects, welcomes and supports people of all sexual and gender identities and enables them to bring their whole selves to work.  

“As members of the LGBTQ+ community become more visible, we are all going to have increased interactions with individuals who have sexual orientations or pronoun identifiers that were previously 'outside the norm,'” said Shumay. “As people leaders, as family members, as friends and members of communities, Safe Space training provides the tools to respectfully navigate through conversations and ultimately teach you how to make those impacted individuals feel as welcome as anyone else you would interact with.”   

Throughout the month, Southwire also encouraged teams across the company to have "Days of Understanding" discussions, participate in a #SWCelebratesDiversity social media contest and engage with various organizations and community events. Several facilities also hosted their own celebrations throughout the company.   
  
Southwire hopes that by celebrating and spreading awareness about and the importance of diversity, employees from all backgrounds feel empowered, included and comfortable expressing their thoughts and perspectives.   

“We are an organization poised for tremendous growth, and to sustain that growth and reach our goals, we must attract, retain and engage talented people,” said Cara Herzog, director of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). “Our focus on accelerating our inclusive culture is the key to our success, and we want disruptive and innovative ideas to push us forward. The best way to do that is to ensure we have diversity of thought and experience.”  

To learn more about Southwire’s commitment to DEI, click here. For more Southwire news, visit www.southwire.com/newsroom.