Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Walker Sands

Although we launched DEI initiatives at Walker Sands a few years ago, we’ve hesitated to apply for awards or talk about them publicly until now. Why? Because a company can say anything in a blog post or award submission. We wanted to make sure we walked the walk before we talked about our efforts.

As an agency, we’ve dedicated ourselves to the development of our DEI initiatives, and we’re proud of the progress we’ve achieved. Is Walker Sands the gold standard in diversity and inclusion? Not by a long shot. But we’re excellent listeners, we admit when we’re wrong and we’re committed to learning.

Our DEI committees handle everything from monthly events to interfacing with community organizations. They also serve as internal points of contact for the agency — employees know they can approach leadership or committee members with concerns and suggestions.

• Internal Communications & Events: The internal communications and events team is responsible for planning and executing all DEI-hosted events at Walker Sands and sharing external DEI-focused events with the agency.
• External Relations & Growth: The external relations and growth team strives to establish new partnerships and nurture existing relationships with local and national DEI organizations through events, office visits and more.
• Content & Messaging: Our content and messaging team works in conjunction with our other subcommittees and ERG leaders to create and maintain all DEI content for the Walker Sands website.

Our DEI Resource groups are created by individual employees interested in gathering with their colleagues to discuss issues and be supportive of each other.

• Walker Sands’ POC Resource Group plays a vital role in helping employees connect in the workplace. This group wouldn’t exist without the devotion and dedication of team members who put their hearts into making Walker Sands a great place for everyone to work.
• The Walker Women Resource Group offers opportunities for learning and discussion for the rising leaders in our organization.
• Finally, the Working Parents Resource Group helps team members navigate an agency job with the demands of starting and raising a family.

We still have work to do, but we’re making Walker Sands a place where all people can feel welcome and do the best work of their careers. If you want to learn more, please check out our monthly blog posts for activities and thoughts we have around diversity and inclusion, or reach out to me personally at ellen@walkersands.com.