WORKPLACE DIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON COUNTY

When I bring up employment diversity in Washington County I get blank stares from even my liberal friends.  Those who are willing to discuss the issue often accuse me of running out of problems that need attention and of inventing a new one.  I think they are wrong.  Workforce diversity is a social issue that Washington County has yet to acknowledge or address.  The time to do so is now.

Anyone who claims that Washington County should leave well enough alone when it comes to diversity is really saying we are a rural, white, monoculture community and not likely to change.  While we are certainly not Allegheny County, Washington is evolving in its demographic makeup every day.  The last census found 15% of our more urban neighbor to the north to be African American or Hispanic.  The same census found a 5% total for Washington County.  No one believes our Hispanic population has remained the same since the last census.  It should be obvious to all that we continue to evolve economically and culturally as a direct result of the gas industry and other factors.

But workforce diversity does not simply mean acknowledging an increase in minority citizens.  It involves much more: encouraging prospective minority employees, particularly in the sectors that service the community, to work and live in Washington County. It focuses on physicians, teachers, policemen, court staff, attorneys, social workers, county workers and many others.  It involves recruiting, training and retaining a diverse workforce because it is the right thing to do in our multicultural society.

It is important to point out that developing an environment for diversity has nothing to do with affirmative action or discrimination. Rather, it is recognition that people who look different and have different professional and personal experiences, values and priorities can bring valuable skills and perspectives to the employment table.  It is a recognition in my profession, for example, that by recruiting black attorneys to practice in Washington County, not only is the African American community better served but so is the broader community, the Courts and the Bar Association.

A commitment to diversity must start at the top.   Diversity training and programs should be initiated by the Commissioners, other municipal leaders, school officials, the Washington County Court System, the County Bar Association, Rotary and Chamber of Commerce.  Once a culture of diversity is established, qualified candidates in all fields will get the message, that Washington County values diversity.  These prospective employees will discover what we already know, our community is an ideal place to work and raise a family.  We will all benefit as a result.