Spotlight:
Burns & McDonnell
BUILDING STRONG DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION IN THE ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION FIELDS
With locations worldwide, Kansas City-based Burns & McDonnell can make the world a better place. It achieves this through a host of engineering, architecture, construction, environmental, and consulting solutions and the corporate environment its leadership nurtures.
Long-time Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce members Leon Harden, Diversity Equity & Inclusion Strategy Manager, and Tammy Martin, Business Diversity Program Director, lead those efforts. Each day, they work to create a positive work environment across nearly 70 offices in North America and across the globe.
“At Burns & McDonnell, our commitment to building a diverse and equitable future for all is unwavering. We strive to cultivate an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued, respected and engaged, where our collective diversity is a catalyst for innovation and our varied perspectives lead to better solutions for our clients, our communities and our people,” Harden said.
“Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all position levels. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer,” he added. “We celebrate diversity, and it is the policy of Burns & McDonnell to offer equal opportunity in all areas of employment to qualified individuals, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or other classes protected by applicable law.”
The company’s long-standing Business Diversity Program is now in its 21st year. It provides education and networking opportunities to connect small/diverse-owned businesses to the company’s business lines and awards for outstanding performance/partnerships.
“In 2022 the Empowering Diverse Partnership (EDP) Program was launched, which included two facets. An internal facet to bring more awareness to the importance of Business Diversity and doing business with small/diverse-owned organizations,” Martin said. “And an external facet to educate, award and provide networking opportunities to small/diverse-owned organizations.”
In this era of diversity, equity and inclusion being vilified in many corporate and educational settings, it’s refreshing to see such a comprehensive approach to equality for everyone at Burns & McDonnell, not just members of the LGBTQ community.
“Our leadership is committed to creating an equitable workforce for all employee-owners with our Chairperson and CEO Leslie M. Duke prepared to continue and expand our commitment to Diversity,” Harden said.
Duke writes, “Our commitment to diversity isn’t just a statement; it’s a strategic imperative fueling innovation and sparking creativity. The diversity of our backgrounds, experiences and perspectives has been a driving force behind our success for the past 125 years. Looking towards the future, we continue striving to create an exceptional workplace for everyone, fostering a sense of belonging among ALL of our employees.”
Burns & McDonnell strives to maintain a culture of inclusion inside the company, and they have designed their recruitment processes to deliver an increasingly diverse pool of employee-owners.
“We incorporate a range of targeted recruitment sources, including minority and women’s organizations, college diversity advisory committees, career fairs, conferences, employment agencies and job postings,” Harden said. “We also engage pre-college students, empowering them to follow STEM paths because we know the strength of tomorrow’s leaders depends on their diverse and collective vision.”
They also partner with and recruit from national organizations such as the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), oSTEM, the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE), the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMAS), the ACE Mentor Program and the Edison Electric Institute.
“We also invest in and recruit from historically Black colleges and universities such as Alabama A&M University, Howard University, Jackson State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Southern University and A&M College and Tennessee State University,” Harden says.
Being part of the Chamber helps keep Harden and Martin informed about current concerns for the LGBTQ business community. Both see involvement in the Chamber as vital to doing business in the region.
“For the same reasons they were important in previous years, as well as the future, supporting economic growth in our community by supporting and advocating for the small/diverse-owned organizations with inclusivity,” Martin said, “LGBT Chambers champion the importance of being inclusive, always welcoming everyone no matter how you identify. Plus, they are supporting the NGLCC [National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce], which certifies LGBT+ owned businesses to promote commerce across the nation.”
Martin doesn’t hesitate to recommend joining the Mid-America LGBT Chamber to anyone who is not a member but is considering doing so.
“You will not only be welcomed but supported with various opportunities to grow your business, network, and honestly have fun along the way,” she said. “It’s a great bunch of folks advocating for inclusive economic growth of our community!”
Photos courtesy of Burns & McDonnell
