Our mission is to promote meaningful change around the world to help people live healthier, more productive, and more independent lives. The approximately 5,000 colleagues who make up our global workforce share an unwavering resolve to work collaboratively. We are driven by a conviction that the world must be healthier, more just, and more sustainable. That conviction is rooted in our values and core competencies:
Welcome
WELCOME
TALENT
CULTURE
COMMUNITY
WELCOME
LEADERSHIP
TALENT
CULTURE
COMMUNITY
Work Inclusively and Collaboratively
CARING
EXCELLENCE
INNOVATION
INTEGRITY
OPPORTUNITY
Drive Results and
Think Critically
Operate with Agility
and Resilience
Reinforce
Transparency
Embrace Continual Learning
Inclusive leadership is crucial to any company’s DEI journey. Investing in inclusive leaders, disrupting bias, leveraging DEI in decision-making...
Leadership
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Talent
Chemonics’ mission of promoting
meaningful change and achieving development impact requires a workforce
rich in diversity of thought...
CHEMONICS 2022 DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION REPORT
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LEADERSHIP
Our goal is to foster and sustain a culture
that empowers and engages our global workforce and an environment in which people’s passions intersect with...
Culture
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We embrace socially responsible business practices that improve society and look
for solutions that assist with those improvements. We are dedicated to...
Community
We have come a long way on our journey to become a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable company, and we are eager to share all that we have done here in our first biennial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) report. Still, as we strive to be a leader in DEI in our industry, we know there is so much more to do. This report will help promote transparency to our global workforce and international community to ensure that we truly live our values and make good on our promise to enhance DEI for all. Join us as we reflect on our progress to date in advancing DEI for our global workforce and the communities in which we work.
We are committed to a workplace where belonging, inclusion, learning, and innovation are promoted and celebrated. By working together and learning from each other, we can continually grow and enhance our diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Jamey Butcher (he/him), president and CEO
Our efforts have expanded, but our core values have remained at the heart of everything we have done and will be our North Star as we move forward. These core values are the foundation of our 2020-2023 Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Strategy: Leadership, Talent, Culture, and Community.
NEXT STEPS
NEXT STEPS
OUR VOICES
OUR VOICES
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR LEADERSHIP PILLAR?
Dr. Kenya Dugger (he/him), senior director of Corporate DEI
Chemonics seeks to engage a global community. We aim to live up to our values and create the same opportunities for engagement and growth for our workforce worldwide.
Chemonics’ mission of promoting meaningful change and achieving development impact requires a workforce rich in diversity of thought, experience, and culture. Chemonics is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees draw on their unique backgrounds and bring the best of themselves to sustain our business. We, in turn, invest in them, using the best practices in human resources and professional development necessary to compete in today’s global marketplace. Our HR Division routinely meets and partners with our D&I Team and employee resource group leaders to help ensure the efficacy, timeliness, and inclusiveness of policies and procedures.
Talent
We established a flexible remote work environment. U.S.-based employees who can fulfill their job descriptions remotely may now work from anywhere in the United States.
WELCOME
LEADERSHIP
TALENT
CULTURE
COMMUNITY
WELCOME
LEADERSHIP
TALENT
CULTURE
COMMUNITY
We switched health insurance providers to offer coverage with trans-inclusive, gender-affirming healthcare benefits.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not a nice to have — they are a must and should be a given everywhere.
Mina Day (she/her), senior vice president, HR Division
We strengthen our ability to recruit employees with diverse backgrounds, education, experiences, skills, and ways of thinking to help us grow and innovate. We invest in training — including interactive videos with quizzes, workshops, and self-guided modules — to ensure inclusivity, psychological safety, and growth opportunities for all employees. We partner with teams throughout the company to ensure that our policies are inclusive, performing joint reviews and collaborating to meet external index benchmarks.
Some of the improvements to benefits that Chemonics has made for U.S.-based staff to enhance staff care and inclusion include:
We increased the number of days off per year by replacing three “floating holidays” tied to federal holidays with four personal days, which employees may use at any time for religious observances or other reasons.
We increased paid parental leave from four to 12 weeks for employees — regardless of their gender — who deliver or adopt a child or children; become a foster parent; or whose spouse or domestic partner delivers, adopts, or fosters a child or children.
NEXT STEPS
NEXT STEPS
OUR VOICES
OUR VOICES
CHEMONICS 2022 DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION REPORT
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TALENT PILLAR?
Etimah Mutsago (she/her), training administrator,
USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program, Zimbabwe
Disability inclusion at Chemonics and in the communities where we work is very important. We believe that everybody has a right to equal opportunities and deserves to contribute to their communities. In my experience as a training administrator, when securing conferencing and training venues, we identify venues that provide services for participants with disabilities, including ensuring that the venue has accessible parking, is barrier-free, is easily accessible with elevators and ramps, and provides auxiliary communication aids and services. We do the same in our operations for our own employees. Promoting and supporting inclusiveness enables everybody to feel comfortable and valued for who they are, and it enables them to participate and work in ways that best suit their needs and capabilities.
At Chemonics, our goal is to foster and sustain a culture that empowers and engages our global workforce and an environment in which people’s passions intersect with their aim to achieve development impact. In 2021, more than 85% of our global workforce agreed that Chemonics encourages respect for diversity, fosters inclusion, and supports employees in bringing their authentic selves to work.
Culture
WELCOME
LEADERSHIP
TALENT
CULTURE
COMMUNITY
WELCOME
LEADERSHIP
TALENT
CULTURE
COMMUNITY
Percentage of Global Workforce Who Believe Chemonics Encourages Respect
for Diversity
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not a nice to have — they are a must and should be a given everywhere.
Mina Day (she/her), senior vice president, HR Division
Employees voluntarily lead and participate in ERGs to build understanding and belonging around a common interest or identity through employee development, engagement, advancement, and business contributions. ERGs support Chemonics’ DEI vision by engaging the global workforce and contributing to an inclusive workplace in which all employees can grow professionally, draw on their unique backgrounds, and bring their best selves to sustain our business of promoting meaningful change worldwide. Currently, more than 400 members of Chemonics’ global workforce belong to an ERG. Many employees are in more than one.
Established in December 2019, this ERG supports, represents, and advocates on behalf of the global disability community by sharing knowledge, building capacity, fostering resilience, and eliminating barriers to flourishing in their careers.
Established in April 2021, ChemGEN (Chemonics’ Gender Equity Network) promotes gender equity and is committed to representing women and others who have faced discrimination based on gender or gender expression in the workplace, including people of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, abilities, and gender expressions.
Established on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2021, ChemONYX cultivates Black leaders at Chemonics and beyond by promoting individual and collective growth and opportunity to ensure the international development industry reflects the diversity of the communities in which we live and work.
Established in March 2019, ChemPRIDE focuses on creating an atmosphere that welcomes, affirms, and empowers all members of our global workforce to reach their full career potential while bringing their authentic selves to work regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual characteristics.
ChemTEA, launched in 2021, is committed to supporting, connecting, and promoting Asian and Pacific Islander talent at Chemonics to grow as a community; fostering intersections and connections; advancing development and leadership; and increasing cultural awareness internally and externally.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ERGs
Established in December 2019, ChemVALOR aims to support a global workplace that welcomes, hires, retains, and values military veterans and their families as well as builds staff capacity to recognize the value of military talent globally.
OUR ERGs
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ERGs
NEXT STEPS
NEXT STEPS
OUR VOICES
OUR VOICES
CHEMONICS 2022 DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION REPORT
0.5%
0.5%
2%
6%
10%
44%
37%
1%
1%
2%
9%
13%
47%
27%
Percentage of Global Workforce Who Believe Chemonics Fosters an Environment of Inclusiveness
1%
2%
3%
9%
12%
48%
25%
Strongly
disagree
Slightly
disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Slightly
agree
Agree
Strongly
agree
Percentage of Global Workforce Who Believe They Can Be Authentic to Who They Are
Strongly
disagree
Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Neutral
Slightly
agree
Agree
Strongly
agree
Strongly
disagree
Disagree
Slightly
disagree
Neutral
Slightly
agree
Agree
Strongly
agree
WATCH THE “COUNT ME IN” VIDEO SERIES
WATCH THE “COUNT ME IN” VIDEO SERIES
As staff interests and needs arise, we will continue to create ERGs. Interested in establishing and formalizing ERGs at your organization or want to learn more about how we created ERGs? Please see our process map: “Starting an Employee Resource Group.”
Our Employee D&I Council and Executive D&I Council were established to elevate the voices of our global workforce by cultivating trust and respect for difference. The Employee D&I Council includes representatives from each division, ensuring it accounts for a breadth of experiences and perspectives. The Executive D&I Council is led by the president and CEO, and consists of members of Chemonics’ executive leadership and a chief of party or team leader from one of our global projects. Learn more about these Councils and their responsibilities and objectives.
D&I COUNCILS
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CULTURE PILLAR?
Ivan Plis (he/him), senior specialist, writer-editor,
Project Development and Support Division; ChemABLE co-chair
One of the biggest impairments resulting from my disability is trouble with unfamiliar or unstructured interactions. In the past, I’ve had jobs where I felt pressure to attend informal parties and gatherings — which sounds like a small thing but caused me a lot of stress and tension, including the feeling that my job somehow depended on my social skills. One of the things I appreciate about Chemonics is clarity about what’s core to my job function and what’s optional: and those informal events are truly optional! Being able to set that boundary brings me a sense of relief and safety at work, which is incredibly valuable.
Taylor Jack (she/her), program manager, East and Southern Africa Division,
and Baraka Ondiek (he/him), senior advisor, Project Development and Support Division; ChemONYX co-chairs
What excites us most about ChemONYX’s recent work are the connections that we make with Black staff throughout the company. There are truly some exceptional people within our workforce, and it is an honor to shine a light on their talent. Our biggest takeaway from 2021 is that there is a hunger for connection. We have seen firsthand the power of convening spaces for Black staff to be seen, heard, and understood.
Chemonics earned a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index in 2020 and 2021 and was named one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”
HONORS
Chemonics earned 90 out of 100 points on Disability:IN’s 2021 Disability Equality Index and was named a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion.”
BACK TO THE REPORT
BACK TO THE REPORT
Ayesha Ali (she/her), senior director, Contracts; SCORE member
“When I first started at Chemonics, “D&I” was not a term we referenced or a team we could reach out to for resources. As newer and wiser colleagues organized around D&I issues that we typically discussed in the privacy of our offices, many of them explicitly asked about my career trajectory and how I, as a woman of color, had achieved a leadership position at Chemonics. These questions gave me a sense of responsibility to join our employee Diversity and Inclusion Council and SCORE. Throughout these experiences, I’ve had the privilege of meeting, learning from, and creating deep friendships with people from across the company. These colleagues, who have created ERGs, served on councils, and organized D&I activities have taught me to be a stronger, more inclusive leader, willing to bring all of my identities to work and have both vulnerable and affirming conversations with colleagues.”
Building strong, inclusive leaders
“In 2017, just months after I joined Chemonics, the white supremacist demonstrations and violence descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, where I had lived previously. The events that day and the days that followed disturbed and devastated me. At work, no one brought it up, so I remained silent, but I felt distracted and heavy-hearted all day. The next day, I decided to mention it to a few colleagues. They confessed to feeling the same way about the events. That’s when I knew that it was important to intentionally create a safe, affirming, and inclusive culture at work for people to be vulnerable and honest about how current events — whether personal or social — affect their wellbeing at work. Since then, Chemonics has made great strides in building that culture, and it’s why I’ve become so deeply involved in and proud of our DEI work here.”
Intentionally creating a safe, affirming, and inclusive culture at work
Chad Anderson (he/him), senior specialist, External Communications and Outreach;
SCORE member
Lazarus Bennett (they/them or he/him), operations manager, Health and Supply Chain Executive Office; ChemPRIDE co-chair
“When I was first selected to join an LGBTQ+ Working Group — before ChemPRIDE chose its name and formally launched — it was to find others like me, and to help each other improve our wellbeing at work and our chances of career success. I never expected to become part of such an amazing community and to receive such overwhelming support across the company. Seeing pronouns in staff email signatures and gender-neutral language in our templates, hearing from colleagues how much they enjoyed a training or event, and knowing that our ERG played a part in those collaborations warms my heart every day. The most important lesson I have learned is that awareness building and creating a strong network of allies is critical to helping our LGBTQ+ staff be safe, supported, and able to thrive wherever in the world they work.”
Creating a strong network of LGBTQ+ allies
Our Voices
Our progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion would not be possible without the hard work, insights, knowledge, and passion of staff across the company. Their perspectives and commitment to Chemonics' values make us a stronger organization. Click through to meet just some of our colleagues from around the globe as they share their experiences and dedication to DEI at Chemonics.
EXPLORE
EXPLORE
Etimah Mutsago (she/her), training administrator, USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program, Zimbabwe
“Disability inclusion at Chemonics and in the communities where we work is very important. We believe that everybody has a right to equal opportunities and deserves to contribute to their communities. In my experience as a training administrator, when securing conferencing and training venues, we identify venues that provide services for participants with disabilities, including ensuring that the venue has accessible parking, is barrier-free, is easily accessible with elevators and ramps, and provides auxiliary communication aids and services. We do the same in our operations for our own employees. Promoting and supporting inclusiveness enables everybody to feel comfortable and valued for who they are, and it enables them to participate and work in ways that best suit their needs and capabilities.”
Enabling everybody to feel comfortable and valued for who they are
Paris Rossiter (he/him), senior specialist, Community Engagement and DEI
“The business case for D&I in today’s workplace is irrefutable. As a staff member who started working at Chemonics during the pandemic, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the desire of my colleagues across the company to make a difference in our local communities. It’s apparent that the hunger for connection, the desire for impact, and the willingness to help are alive and well at Chemonics. I’m so excited to be a part of these efforts moving forward and look forward to doing more on a global scale. Global is always local first.”
Global is always local first
Jamey Butcher (he/him), president and CEO
“We are committed to a workplace where belonging, inclusion, learning, and innovation are promoted and celebrated. By working together and learning from each other, we can continually grow and enhance our diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Committed to learning from each other
Phyllis Caldwell (she/her), board member; ChemONYX executive co-sponsor
“Serving as executive co-sponsor of the ChemONYX ERG offers me direct exposure to the creativity, career aspirations, and impressive depth of Black talent within Chemonics that might not otherwise be visible to a board member. It enables me to better amplify Black voices and deepen the Board’s perspective in strategic discussions around diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Amplifying Black voices
Shauna Aron Caria (she/her), global practice lead, GESI Practice
“As a child of a deaf adult (CODA), with American Sign Language as my first language, I grew up witnessing how being part of the Deaf community can be community-forming, and conversely, isolating from the world around us by ableist perspectives. It has shaped the way I view our systems, practices, and social norms, which influence an individual’s sense of belonging and access to opportunity. When I think about advancing Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in international development work, I know at the heart of this work is DEI.”
At the heart of inclusive development
is DEI
Chloe Chang (she/her), program manager, Health Supply Chain Division; ChemTEA co-chair
“Launching and leading ChemTEA has been the most meaningful and important work that I have done yet at Chemonics. I stepped out of my comfort zone and took a critical leadership role in the ERG, presenting to Chemonics’ senior leadership and the whole company, mediating disagreements, and leading a team and making tough decisions. I am beyond grateful for my ChemTEA co-leaders and their steadfast commitment to the ERG.”
Meaningful and important work
Victoria Cooper (she/her), senior vice president, East and Southern frica Division;
SCORE co-chair
“As co-chair of SCORE, I appreciated Jamey’s genuine commitment to empower and resource the committee and Chemonics to become the change we wanted to see in our industry and country. The professionals working on SCORE brought the same knowledge, skills, and passion to this task as we do to every development challenge! Through SCORE’s work, our company took the sometimes-painful look in the mirror to identify the behaviors, attitudes, and biases that hindered the diverse and inclusive environment we sought to achieve. We defined our expectations and committed to being accountability partners along the way because we are all determined to be better than we were before George Floyd was murdered.”
Becoming the change we want to see
Mina Day (she/her), senior vice president, HR Division
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not a nice to have — they are a must and should be a given everywhere. It is undeniable that the complexities of our work can only be addressed through collaboration and inclusion across all spectrums of diversity. In that process, we must pay particular attention to include the voices of those who are marginalized or underrepresented. In different contexts, these groups may look different, but they are there, and the onus is on us, who are in positions of power, to seek them out and create space for them to be heard and to grow. Someone did that for me, when I worked as project staff in my own country, sending me on a trajectory
I couldn’t have imagined. Being able to do so for others is the most rewarding part of my job.”
Collaboration and inclusion across all spectrums of diversity
Christopher Diamond (he/him), senior associate, Regional Security Management Unit; ChemVALOR co-chair
“After returning from a deployment to Afghanistan as a U.S. Army Reservist in 2021, the ChemVALOR ERG greatly helped with my transition back to Chemonics by reminding me that there are veterans everywhere, in all walks of life. I was afforded the chance to share the story of my transition and life as a part-time soldier with my Chemonics colleagues during a Veterans Day panel and found the experience and support I received from colleagues incredibly rewarding.”
Sharing my story
Dr. Kenya Dugger (he/him), senior director of Corporate DEI
“Chemonics seeks to engage a global community. We aim to live up to our values and create the same opportunities for engagement and growth for our workforce worldwide.”
A global community
Carlos Flores (he/him), senior program manager, East and Southern Africa Division; East and Southern Africa D&I Working Group and Latinx Honoring Our Differences Committee
“D&I is an avenue by which we can enact positive change to right the wrongs of the past and build a more inclusive future. Today, institutions like Chemonics are listening to the voices of communities that have been underrepresented and oppressed throughout history. Chemonics’ staff have contributed to so much progress in our D&I work, and we have built a foundation for Chemonics to stand up to racial injustice and structural inequality.”
Enacting positive change and righting the wrongs of the past
Melissa Gasmi (she/her), senior vice president, Middle East and North Africa Division; ChemABLE co-sponsor
“Supporting our staff with disabilities and strengthening a culture of inclusion at Chemonics is important to me as someone whose personal experience has intersected with disability. My brother was born with behavioral and mental health disabilities and encountered many challenges throughout his life, including exclusion and isolation. When he was in school and work environments in which there were accommodations available, he thrived. For Chemonics, in our journey to become a more inclusive organization, it is important that we enable our staff with disabilities with tools and accommodations so that our organizational decisions and direction represent the full diversity of our staff.”
Providing tools and accommodations to represent the full diversity of our staff
Caroline Gomez (she/her), senior DEI and Operations manager, Executive Office
“As a bilingual, first-generation Colombian American, I’ve previously felt that I had to mask my identity to succeed in a professional working environment. When I joined Chemonics, I was welcomed by colleagues who not only embraced my identity but saw my diverse experiences as something to be celebrated. I began working in DEI because I saw that not all of my colleagues had this same experience, and I believe it’s everyone’s responsibility to ensure we create an environment where our systems and behaviors truly reflect our values.”
I believe it’s everyone’s responsibility
Rowshan Hannan (she/her), program director, UK Division; D&I Council member
“Development work in Europe emerged largely from the work of missionaries that began along the slave trade route, and then later became associated with a new form of ‘colonialism’. Today, development in the UK market is very much about shifting that power balance and supporting the communities where we work to rewrite their histories and own their futures. For me, D&I at Chemonics is central to this development vision — a vision of social justice that embeds equity across our systems, processes, and how we operate every day.”
Shifting the power balance and supporting the communities where we work
Catherine Kannam (she/her), chief operating officer; executive sponsor of ChemTEA ERG
“In my experience at Chemonics, the principles of DEI have always been core to our work. Although DEI is central to who we are, our DEI systems are more robust than before we began this journey, and we’re excited to continue learning. We have seen great progress through specific initiatives such as the establishment of our ERGs and inclusion trainings for our managers. I am proud of this growth as it is critical to the type of organization we want Chemonics to be.”
DEI is central to who we are
Taylor Jack (she/her), program manager, East and Southern Africa Division, and Baraka Ondiek (he/him), senior advisor, Project Development and Support Division; ChemONYX co-chairs
“What excites us most about ChemONYX’s recent work are the connections that we make with Black staff throughout the company. There are truly some exceptional people within our workforce, and it is an honor to shine a light on their talent. Our biggest takeaway from 2021 is that there is a hunger for connection. We have seen firsthand the power of convening spaces for Black staff to be seen, heard, and understood.”
A hunger for connection
Rachel Marquez (she/her), senior manager, Supply Chain Management Division;
ChemGEN co-chair
“Leading ChemGEN from ideation to launch is one of my proudest professional accomplishments. It’s incredibly important to have a safe place where employees can discuss gender equity in the workplace. I am proud to be a part of a group where we can listen, learn, and then take action to make Chemonics a more equitable and inclusive place for all individuals – regardless of gender identity or expression.”
Listening, learning, and taking action
Asha Matthews (she/her), Enterprise Resource Planning global support specialist, Finance and Administration Division, and Bwalya Mwaba (he/him), records management coordinator, Global Technology and Infrastructure Division; D&I Council co-chairs
“As D&I Council leaders, we are most excited about the enthusiasm our colleagues bring to the DEI space at Chemonics. It is inspiring to see staff so invested in the success of DEI initiatives, such as the efforts to ensure Chemonics employees worldwide feel seen and are appreciated for the hard work and dedication put into our projects daily.”
Ensuring colleagues feel seen and appreciated
Maria Mendoza (she/her), chief of party, USAID/Colombia Human Rights Activity
“Human rights work in Colombia depends on respect for the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity. This respect is important both in our team dynamics and in our relations with stakeholders. We cannot achieve our development goals without respecting and honoring the differences within our team and valuing exercises such as the one we had in northern Cauca with a group of Afro-Colombian women who wrote songs in a traditional style to teach others about effective self-protection strategies.”
Achieving meaningful development through honoring our differences
Bernadette Naoum (she/her), director, Middle East and North Africa Division
“Coming back to the U.S. from a project assignment and becoming a mother in 2020 during a global pandemic was my most challenging ‘assignment’ to date. Easing back into work while receiving the support and flexibility from my teams made all the difference. Though we still have a lot of work to do, the efforts to provide increased benefits and flexible work arrangements during these trying times have allowed me (and so many others) to care for my child while also continuing to grow in my role.”
Support and flexibility among teams
Spencer Parsons (he/him), senior manager, UK Division; founding ChemPRIDE member
“Through working on ChemPRIDE community events, workshops, and virtual social channels, I’ve connected with people across the company and globe and in doing so discovered a new-found sense community, belonging, support, and ability to bring my whole self to work. It has also meant a lot to me to support colleagues around the company in navigating complex issues, like improving Chemonics’ safety procedures for LGBTQ+ travelers and helping teams foster more inclusive environments for gender non-conforming/non-binary colleagues.”
A new-found sense of community, belonging, and support
Karina Pérez Jvostova (she/her), monitoring, evaluation, and learning specialist, USAID/Mexico Violence Prevention and Reduction Activity (PREVI)
“Project leaders and Chemonics-Washington staff re-evaluated the salaries of our team to ensure gender pay equity, which resulted in an increase in all women’s wages. While the journey toward equal pay for equal work is still ongoing, I appreciate the effort to overcome historic and institutional barriers that perpetuate gender and economic inequality.”
Working to overcome historic and institutional barriers to equality
Ivan Plis (he/him), senior specialist, writer-editor, Project Development and Support Division; ChemABLE co-chair
“One of the biggest impairments resulting from my disability is trouble with unfamiliar or unstructured interactions. In the past, I’ve had jobs where I felt pressure to attend informal parties and gatherings — which sounds like a small thing but caused me a lot of stress and tension, including the feeling that my job somehow depended on my social skills. One of the things I appreciate about Chemonics is clarity about what’s core to my job function and what’s optional: and those informal events are truly optional! Being able to set that boundary brings me a sense of relief and safety at work, which is incredibly valuable.”
A sense of relief and safety at work
Lindsay Pollack (she/her), senior specialist, Internal Communications; SCORE member
“I have been incredibly inspired by my colleagues at Chemonics who recognized the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion work and built our systems from the bottom up. Women, people of color, and other marginalized individuals cannot shoulder the burden of educating others and standing up against inequity alone, and I have been so humbled to watch Chemonics learn from its brilliant workforce and begin to transform by enabling a more flexible remote work environment, improving upon the language we use communicate about our work and people, and continuing to explore processes and trainings to make Chemonics a more inclusive place.”
Building our systems from the
bottom up
Gwynn Pollard (she/her), senior associate, Project Development and Support Division; ChemABLE co-chair
“Before I knew I had ADHD, I was fighting against an invisible opponent. When I got a diagnosis, I was able to ask the right questions and make adjustments, ultimately improving my life. Disability inclusion works the same way on an organizational level — we can’t effectively identify the gaps in support for disabled employees if we don’t understand the makeup of our staff. With self-ID data, we have visibility into the needs of our workforce, and that information allows us to implement programs that address relevant problems. It feels so rewarding to connect with staff, listen and support as they encounter challenges, and work with experts around the company to improve our systems and ensure staff feel safe and have the resources they need to succeed.”
Visibility into the needs of our workforce
Audrey Spencer (she/her), global practice lead, Education and Youth Practice
“I’m proud to see my Chemonics colleagues bring the same passion and talent they bring to solving global challenges by making meaningful connections with the local community and meeting a real need to strengthen early grade literacy here in Washington, D.C.”
Meaningful connections with the
local community
Selamawit Tegene (she/her), advisor, Project Development and Support
Over the last few years, I've started seeing more people who look like me in the hallways, in meetings, and within our global workforce. Seeing that Chemonics values and invests in diversity and inclusion makes me feel like I belong and I feel more empowered to speak up and be myself. That’s why Chemonics’ diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are so important to me.
Representation and belonging
