A boost to advancing leadership in diversity

In the days immediately following the tragic shootings in Charleston, S.C., many individuals and organizations asked the question: “What can we do to help?” More than 4,000 Duke Energy employees and thousands of retirees in South Carolina asked the same of themselves, and their company.  Duke’s leaders engaged in conversations with stakeholders across the state to identify where the company could make the biggest difference and most positive impact. These discussions returned to the same theme: the best way Duke Energy can help is to promote diversity and civic participation in South Carolina. With the help of $100,000 from Duke Energy and a matching grant program for Duke employees, FurmanUniversity’s Riley Institute will pilot an expansion of its existing Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI), a program that focuses on the state’s top leadership across many sectors. The expansion pilot will bring together educators and law enforcement personnel who are responsible for building culture at the ground level in their organizations. It will give them the knowledge and insight to help them develop, communicate and implement an adaptive and collaborative on-the-ground culture that supports diverse communities. Education and law enforcement professionals will work together on diversity-focused service projects in their communities.