FORT MITCHELL, Ky. — The Northern Kentucky Chamber and St. Elizabeth Healthcare are partnering to host the first IDEA Summit – Building an Inclusive Community: The Business Case for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The event is Friday, June 10 from 8 a.m. to noon at the St. Elizabeth Training and Education Center and will address removing barriers to employment, effective talent attraction and retention strategies, the importance of an inclusive workplace culture and building a plan for supplier diversity.
“The NKY Chamber recognizes the importance that diversity, equity and inclusion play in the development of a vibrant business community and robust regional economy. We are very excited to partner with St. Elizabeth and Fifth Third Bank to bring forth this important conversation,” said Brent Cooper, president and CEO of the NKY Chamber. “It is critical to our current and future ability to promote business growth and development.”
The IDEA Summit – which stands for Inclusive Diversity and Equity Advancement – arose from conversations between the NKY Chamber and St. Elizabeth about the need for a large event focused on DEI efforts in Northern Kentucky to serve as an opportunity for the business and healthcare communities to work together to remove barriers for attracting and retaining diverse talent and building welcoming and inclusive workplace cultures.
“As the largest employer in the region, we at St. Elizabeth understand the importance of working together with others in the community, like the NKY Chamber, to lead these crucial conversations that will result in a more welcoming and inclusive NKY Metro,” said Garren Colvin, president and CEO of St. Elizabeth Healthcare and chair of the NKY Chamber Board of Directors. “Combining efforts allows us to reach and engage a much larger audience, beyond what each organization can do on its own.”
Stephanie A. Smith, senior vice president and chief inclusion and diversity officer for Fifth Third Bank, will serve as the keynote speaker, to be followed by a panel discussion about how key stakeholders are working on both the supply and demand side to break down barriers to employment through DEI efforts. Breakout sessions will tackle topics such as multicultural generations in the workplace, cultural competency in customer care, the legalities of hiring second-chance and immigrant workers and building an inclusive organizational culture.
Registration for the IDEA Summit is $55 for NKY Chamber members, $70 for future members, and $50 for those with the NKYP Event Pass. More information and registration are available at NKYChamber.com/IDEA.
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