Kim Drumgo speaks to a crowd of attendees at the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum at the THINK Center on Thursday
Hannah Simerson | Times Leader
Kim Drumgo speaks at Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum
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WILKES-BARRE — More than 30 people filed into the main auditorium of the THINK Center on Thursday as the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce held its fourth annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum.
Daryl Lewis, assistant secretary of the NAACP of Wilkes-Barre, was pleased to see the turnout and noted it as a “step in the right direction.”
“It’s a reflection of the fact that this area is awakening to the changes, to the progressiveness, and the fact that if we don’t meet the needs of the population, then we’re going to continue to have systems that don’t work for people. When we have systems that don’t work for people, then people tend to find alternatives,” he said.
The conference consisted of plenty of speakers and breakout sessions, in which participants were able to not only mingle with each other, but hear from experts in the DEI field.
One of the most notable experts in attendance, and also the keynote speaker for the event, was Kim Drumgo, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for Geisinger Health Systems.
During her keynote address, Drumgo followed five points to drive home the message of strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, not just in work lives, but personal lives too.
“Diversity is about who we are and it’s important for me to say that everyone has an element of diversity,” Drumgo said. “We’re all diverse. It’s not just women and people of color that reflect diversity — all of us do. It’s the way that we think, it’s the way that we communicate, it’s regionally, our preferences.”
She carried this message throughout her keynote address, often coming back to it during these five points:
• Increasing diversity by itself does not create inclusion
During her opening point, Drumgo noted that increasing diversity numbers is not enough to “make the magic happen.”
She used a blend of her own experiences to convey each of her five points, and some of them were a bit closer to home than others. She emphasized that without a culture of inclusion, the numbers mean very little.
Drumgo utilized a seed and soil analogy to convey this message.
“We can bring in all the diversity and say, ‘hey, we did it’, but if we don’t prepare the soil (the culture), we’ll never reap the benefits,” she said.
• It’s a simmer, not a pressure cooker
In her second point, Drumgo touched upon the necessity to avoid the trap of high expectations and low patience. According to her, leaders want it done now, but they need to slow it down to meet their culture where they are.
She again employed an analogy for the audience that she learned from her mother and readapted for the purpose of the conference.
“Make sure you clean your house before you invite people into it,” she said.
No, this is not really about keeping a tidy home.
Drumgo was trying to suggest creating a culture of inclusion before bringing diversity into the mix.
• Diversity metrics are the tip of the iceberg
Drumgo then moved on to the topic of numbers.
Although she noted that diversity numbers are an important tool, she emphasized that they are not the only tool, and are simply the “tip of the iceberg.”
She said that diversity metrics do not show behavior over time, and there is a larger piece of the story under the surface.
• Giving a voice to someone who does not have one
In the fourth point of her keynote address, Drumgo told a very moving story about her own experience as an ally.
To her, allyship is “taking our own privilege and advocating for someone who is different from us. It’s being at the table for someone else when they are not at the table,” she said.
• The biases and isms are killing us. Period.
For her final point, Drumgo touched upon her healthcare background to express the urgency of rectifying discrimination.
According to her, Black Americans are dying at a rate faster than any population, but this trend is occuring to other populations as well.
Again, she utilized an analogy to send her message. This time, things got a bit more scientific.
Drumgo compared the effects of systemic racism, classism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc on a person’s physical health to weathering, which is the natural process of being worn down due to the atmosphere.
“It’s not only impacting emotions, it’s impacting health,” she said.
Attendees were heavily engaged in Drumgo’s presentation, with some asking questions and others taking notes as she spoke.
One attendee, Auraleah Grega, chair for the DEI Council for Penn State Wilkes-Barre, was impressed by Drumgo’s words and the event itself.
“It’s so clear the dedication, the intention, the knowledge of the leaders who put it together. The members of the council, the chamber, and everyone who participated was clearly absolutely invested in improving DEI efforts and initiatives across NEPA,” she said.
The conference couldn’t have come at a better time for Grega, who said the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus had just reinvented the council.
“We’re looking for as many resources as we can have, so to have this local opportunity was perfect timing,” Grega said.
After the conference wrapped up “official” business, members, organizers, and speakers all regrouped at the closing mixer at La Tolteca on Public Square to close out the event.