You say tomato, I say tomahhhhto….
I was fortunate to have been raised by immigrant parents. They fled communism and the atrocities of the Holocaust to build a life of abundance and joy in this grand country of ours. I was fortunate to have been born into a family where “foreigners” (what my parents were labeled) were the norm and around my house people of all shapes, sizes, colors, nationalities, and religious beliefs would gather for dinner parties filled with food and music, lively conversation, and love. Diversity was part of my daily life, and honestly, it never occurred to me as a young girl that everyone’s house wasn’t filled with as much delicious chaos as ours.
We at Cook Silverman Search take our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion very seriously. We acknowledge and embrace our role in combating the factors that have and continue to influence barriers that many of our candidates face. These include barriers influenced by historical and institutional factors, such as racial bias and the gender gap, in particular. We approach our work by acknowledging and valuing the intersections of race/ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, and ability.
We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for candidates in all of our search efforts. Cook Silverman abides by the following actions to promote diversity and inclusion in our work towards a more equitable sector:
Pursue cultural competency throughout our organization by creating substantive learning opportunities and formal, transparent policies.
Pool resources and expand offerings for underrepresented candidates by connecting with organizations committed to diversity and inclusion efforts.
Develop a system for being more intentional and conscious of bias during the recruitment and hiring process. We train our hiring team and our clients on equitable practices.
Advocate for nonprofit sector policy that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity.
Challenge systems and policies that create inequity, oppression, and disparity.
Too many companies and nonprofits “talk the talk” but don’t “walk the walk.” It isn’t until we plan, evaluate, hire, recruit board members, create policies and procedures and do the good work of our missions through the lens of diversity, that we will walk the walk. It’s time to acknowledge that we are all made of the same genetic stuff - that which makes us human. Rather it would serve us all so well if we could focus on our same-nesses and embrace our delicious differences and strive for human-kindness as a manner of being, thinking, and acting.
Cook Silverman is a woman-owned and operated business and is a registered California small business.