For Eileen Dabrowski, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives aren't just a checklist; they're a way of life. Dabrowski, learning and development innovator at Werner Enterprises, has been a DEI advocate her whole life.
She began her professional career working in hospitality, and then learning, development and leadership, and then made the switch to academia, where she worked at a large public diverse institution in the Southeast United States.
"Being exposed to people from all over the world just further kind of ingrained the importance of surrounding yourself with people who look and think differently, who believe different things, and just move through the world in a different manner than you," Dabrowski says. "And, so I became kind of an expert in LGBTQ+ initiatives. I was a safe zone trainer in academia and then a victim advocate, crisis counselor and emergency responder. I got exposed to people kind of in their worst moments and I realized at that point, people who move through the world differently are just more likely to experience trauma."
"At that moment, it was sort of the catalyst that prompted me to kind of dedicate a lot of my passion projects," she adds.
Making the trucking industry more diverse
Dabrowski joined the transportation industry in 2016, and one of the first things she did was map out how to make this industry more diverse.
"I think what the world needs to understand about DEI is that DEI isn't about what we're doing wrong as humans, and I think a lot of people are so scared to move forward or tackle or enter the DEI space because they don't want to get it wrong, but not doing anything is actually often more detrimental than having a miss and owning it and learning from it," says Dabrowski. "Every step forward is a step in the right direction. And I think one of the most important things people need to remember about DEI is, if you have people making a decision about a different group of people, or there's not representation and access, meaning diversity of thought, diversity of humans involved in the decision, then you're doing a disservice."
That's why Dabrowski formed a Culture Club, which entails a representative from every facet of the organization, where these individuals served as the voice of their respective departments and the populations that they serve.
"Diversity isn't just about the color of our skin. It's about comfortability with technology, generational divide, language spoken, cultural beliefs and more," she says.
WATCH our exclusive interview with Dabrowski and learn more about the importance of involving people in organizational change management that are affected by the change and why striving for equity should be the ultimate goal.
CLICK HERE to meet all of this year's winners, effective Sept. 16.
