Building on Our Values to Advance DEI

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) serve to amplify everything we do; a culture and environment that actively values DEI makes us stronger, more creative, more competitive, sustainable, and just plain better.

This is the foundational premise of the Opus DEI Action Team.

Launched in 2020, the DEI Action Team is consistent with our values, desired culture and vision for our communities. Our Action Team is taking intentional action to cultivate DEI in and outside of our walls.

Creating meaningful and lasting change requires continual, dedicated effort. The DEI Action Team will continue to grow and expand our culture and workplace relative to valuing diversity, equity and inclusion, and to seek and embrace those qualities within our organization, industry and communities.

I am partnering with Kim Noonan, Vice President of Marketing & Brand to co-lead the DEI Action Team. Team members, representing different functions, roles and geographies across our entire organization, as well as the Opus Foundation^®^, are bringing diverse perspectives and thinking to jumpstart active strategies and ultimately drive positive change. We've also engaged a highly-experienced DEI consultant, who is bringing additional perspectives and help guide our work to maximize our effectiveness and outcomes. And while Kim and I are the executive sponsors of the DEI Action Team, our entire Executive Leadership Team (ELT) is fully supportive and engaged in leading DEI throughout Opus.

Our DEI work is directly correlated with our mission and values, including most closely our values of Respect and Stewardship; both are foundational to the work we strive to do inside and outside of our organization.

Our goals are very broad and will take time to achieve, and it's critical that we commit the time and the resources to pursue it. Why? Because we know every voice and every perspective brings unique value. Because humanity needs active support for positive change. Because organizations who recognize the power of diverse teams and a respectful, inclusive culture simply perform better.

There are a million reasons “why," and it's the “what" and “how" that are the focus of our Action Team. We started this work by listening, learning and then scoping our actions accordingly. With a goal of measurable impact in the near- and long-term, the DEI Action Team will focus efforts to advance DEI, both internally and externally, through the following:

• reinforcing and strengthening an inclusive, welcoming and respectful workplace
• assessing and evolving recruitment, hiring, onboarding and retention policies and processes
• diversifying our supply chain and subcontractor sourcing
• engaging with nonprofits and other organizations in the industry and our communities to support and actively contribute to existing DEI work in meaningful ways

It's important to remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint; and this is not simply an initiative, rather a journey through which we continue to strive to reinforce the importance and value of DEI as a permanent principle and source of strength within our culture and team.

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The work of the Opus Foundation is critical to our focus on DEI. Kristin Ridley, Executive Director of the Opus Foundation, is a member of the DEI Action Team. Check out
this blog post to learn how the Foundation is addressing DEI.