A diversity initiative is not just training, does not happen in a moment and does not "come in a box" as a prepackaged program that runs on its own, said a diversity expert May 7 at the third communitywide diversity roundtable sponsored by the Diversity Consortium.

Rather, diversity and inclusion initiatives involve a process of creating an environment where all employees can grow to their full potential, said keynote speaker Fernan Cepero, vice president of human resources at the YMCA in Rochester, N.Y.

In 1999, Cornell, Ithaca College, Tompkins County, the city of Ithaca and the town of Ithaca formed the Diversity Consortium to develop ideas to increase diversity and inclusiveness in the community. The organization now includes such members as the Multicultural Resource Center, the Ithaca City School District and the Finger Lakes Independence Center.

Its May 7 event on best diversity practices attracted nearly 200 people from throughout the county. Cepero shared the racial, gender and age composition of today's national workforce as well as the projected workforce of the future.

He stressed that diversity goes beyond race, gender and age to include education, cultural background, physical abilities, sexual orientation, military experience, religious beliefs, ethnic heritage and relationship/parental status.

The roundtable also featured sessions on the role of municipalities in promoting diversity and inclusion, featuring the Citizens' Unity Commission in Hampton, Va.; the business case for diversity from the perspective of Corning Inc.; the role and use of language and how it affects diversity; and information on the rights of immigrant workers from the Bureau of Immigrant Workers' Rights, New York State Department of Labor.

Also addressed: measuring the impact of diversity initiatives; generational differences; transgender and gender diversity in the workplace; and organizational connectivity/employee engagement as tools for retention and inclusion.

"The roundtable discussions were especially useful to members of the Cornell community," said Connie Park, human resource generalist in the Vet College. "They provided information on how to continue diversity and inclusion efforts. I was pleased to note that the university is already taking steps to collect and disseminate demographic data about its workforce to the Cornell community. We also intend to engage more fully in understanding generational differences in the workplace, as we, like other organizations, now have four generations defining our workplace environment."

Ari Epstein, assistant director of the Office of the Assemblies, said: "I found the theme of 'leveraging diversity' particularly compelling. The notion that differences in background and viewpoint have tangible value that we can relate directly to our organizations' bottom lines should resonate with supervisors and managers everywhere."

Lynette Chappell-Williams is director of Cornell's Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality.