South Jersey business coalition stands firm on DEI, despite federal pushback

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For nearly a year, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have been under attack in the United States, starting at the federal level and filtering through almost all aspects of the business, educational and nonprofit communities.

The Trump administration argues that such initiatives are discriminatory against white men. Feeling the mounting pressure, some institutions have scrubbed DEI and other similar-sounding titles from their names.

But, the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey continues to  push against those political winds by continuing its DEI programming for members. Its advisory council has also said they have no intention of changing.

Christina M. Renna, president and CEO of the chamber, said that the acronym “DEI” has been politicized. She said that diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, or DEIB, which is what the organization uses, is part of its fabric.

“I think there is a misconception about DEI and what those letters and what they stand for,” Renna said. “I always tell people to say the words — diversity, equity, inclusion. Those are words that every person should believe in, stand for and want in their community and organization.”

In October, Renna hosted one of the chamber’s annual DEIB events at The Legacy Country Club in Cherry Hill.  While some traditional sponsors did not participate, the event sold more than 150 tickets, topping last year’s total, she said.

“For us, I don’t see it as a choice,” Renna said. “We are a chamber of commerce. We are a community organization that represents the businesses and nonprofits in South Jersey. Our membership should look like the community in which we serve. We live in a very diverse community in South Jersey.”

What is DEI?

Harvard Business School’s online course Leadership, Ethics and Corporate Accountability, breaks down DEI in the following way.

• Diversity: The presence and participation of individuals with varying backgrounds and perspectives, including those who have been traditionally underrepresented.
• Equity: Equal access to opportunities in fair, just and impartial treatment.
• Inclusion: A sense of belonging in an environment where all feel welcomed, accepted and respected.

While DEI has been around since the 1960s and the use of the acronym flourished in the 2010s, it became more publicly known starting in 2020 as companies grappled with the social unrest in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

Diversity and Business

Kimberly S. Reed, a global diversity strategist based in South Jersey and a member of the chamber’s DEIB council, called diversity essential to the success of many businesses, adding that the chamber is making sure it provides those services to its members.

“We have to take this stance,” said Reed, who owns the Reed Development Group. “We are not going away. Diversity and inclusion is great business and not just the right thing to do. It is ensuring that all Americans have the right opportunities to cultivate new businesses and survive and thrive in current corporations. Diversity is an essential ingredient to how we grow.”

One of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders was to eliminate all DEI programs in the federal government. Some of those plans are currently facing federal court challenges.

Marcus Allen, the former CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region, said companies that are following the administration’s lead and ending DEI initiatives may see short-term benefits, but their decisions will come back to harm them outwardly in reputation and inwardly with their employees in the long term.

“Right now, it is important to show their employees and businesses that they will stand behind what they have promised them and what they have promised their communities,” said Allen, who left Big Brothers Big Sisters this year.

“Businesses since 2020 have been saying they are committed to diversity and inclusion. Now we are seeing for a lot of these companies, it was more of a branding and marketing strategy than what they took seriously within their business.”

For Shel-Anne Bovell, co-owner of Snelling Staffing in Sewell, the chamber and its DEIB initiatives have been priceless in her company’s efforts.

“Having the chamber here and their promotion [of DEIB] has been invaluable,” she said. “We have our own network but the chamber has opened us up to new doors outside of our network and a broader diversity to connect with other businesses.”

Renna said that while DEI has become a political and social trigger, there should not be such dividing lines in fairness and access in business. She said that is the goal of the chamber.

“I think DEI has been politicized and our chamber doesn’t politicize anything,” she said. “We are fully an apolitical organization that just wants to see our businesses grow and thrive and their employees grow and thrive. We want everyone who walks into a chamber meeting to have a feeling of belonging and purpose. It’s built into our DNA. It’s extraordinarily important to us.”

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