It’s our differences that make us unique, and that uniqueness makes us stronger.
For the month of October, Arkansas Money & Politics is recognizing those companies that have embraced diversity, equity and Inclusion into their workplace. DEI takes many forms, from skin color to sexual orientation, but also includes the disabled, veterans and more.
Join us as we highlight some of the companies across Arkansas that have taken up the mantle of diversity in their workplaces and who strive to make their workplaces more inclusive ones.
AARP Arkansas
AARP Arkansas is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. That means empowering all Arkansans regardless of race and ethnicity and acknowledging the challenges that each aging Arkansan faces. Arkansas AARP also works closely with diverse community projects by awarding grants.
Abilities Unlimited
Abilities Unlimited is a center-based program that serves people with developmental disabilities. The nonprofit organization was established in 1961 in Hot Springs to train and seek employment opportunities for those it serves. Abilities Unlimited is acutely aware that inequality can hinder one’s quality of life. That is why Abilities Unlimited is committed to ensuring that all Arkansans, regardless of race, ethnicity, belief or ability, is able to make the most of life and live out their dreams.
Acxiom
Founded in Conway in 1969, Acxiom is one of the world’s best marketing agencies and has a knack for data-driven, personalized and intelligent solutions to deliver better experiences for people everywhere. Acxiom takes diversity, equity and inclusion seriously and has more than 40 external and internal DEI events every year, along with quarterly surveys sent to employees to measure their progress.
Apptegy
Apptegy is a revolutionary company that helps design digital programs for schools. Apptegy has boomed in success since its inception and continues to work for the good of all schools. Apptegy is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion by serving a diverse community of teachers and by ensuring that all Arkansas students have the digital tools and experience needed to make a difference.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Founded in 1948, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is the largest health insurer in Arkansas. Arkansas Blue Cross and its family of affiliated companies have more than 3,200 employees. For more than 70 years, Arkansas Blue Cross has been trusted by Arkansans for affordable, reliable insurance plans. With more than 1,000 employees, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield works to create and maintain an environment where all employees feel welcome and valued and can thrive through monthly employee-led councils.
Arkansas Heart Hospital
Arkansas Heart Hospital has provided more than a decade of leadership in heart treatment technologies and is recognized as a leading provider of quality heart care. The hospital is a nationally recognized and award-winning hospital dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. AHH patients have access to advanced technology and surgical techniques in a hospital specially designed for their treatment and recovery. Diversity, equity and inclusion are integral to Arkansas Heart Hospital’s mission to provide care in a welcoming environment and create an inclusive work environment where differences are valued, allowing individuals to achieve and contribute to their fullest potential. That commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is woven into the fabric of Arkansas Heart Hospital.
Arkansas Myriad
Arkansas Myriad opened for business in 2003, performing specialty process and utility piping work specifically for the industrial market. Based in Fayetteville, the family-owned business gained a positive reputation locally, which has grown the company nationally. Arkansas Myriad grew from the bottom up thanks to a diverse community. Arkansas Myriad is dedicated to diversity and inclusion in its community and at the office for the betterment of the company and all of Arkansans.
Arkansas State Parks
Arkansas State Parks enhance quality of life through exceptional outdoor experiences, connections to Arkansas heritage and sound resource management. The goal of Arkansas State Parks is for Arkansans to experience excellent hospitality and to form a personal connection to the parks. Arkansas State Parks is committed to diversity by honoring tradition while seeking innovation and inclusion, aiming for experiences to be treasured by all Arkansans and relevant for generations to come.
Arvest Bank
Headquartered in Bentonville, Arvest Bank has grown since the 1960s into one of the largest banking branches in Arkansas and its neighboring states. Arvest’s mission is to help people find financial solutions for life, and that means all people. Arvest is committed to fostering an environment of diverse thoughts and ideas where everyone feels included, respected and heard.
Beyond Sports Lab
The Beyond Sports Lab is the first minority-owned indoor baseball facility in Arkansas. The folks at Beyond Sports Lab have committed themselves to reviving minority baseball to give kids a fun, safe extracurricular activity. Beyond Sports Lab has been pivotal in giving minority baseball in Arkansas a shot in the arm by providing more game opportunities, team growth and tournaments.
CARTI
CARTI’s workforce is united by the mission of making trusted cancer care accessible to every patient it serves through compassion, innovation and purpose. Its nearly 1,000-person team recognizes that embracing diversity is critical to achieving its goal. The not-for-profit provider executes strategic, sustainable efforts, including launching an inclusion council to identify potential areas of improvement. Leveraging internal feedback as a guide, CARTI implements initiatives that foster engagement, celebrate team contributions, and, ultimately, boost productivity and performance. With each, CARTI builds a culture that intentionally values the uniqueness of its employees and those they serve.
Central Arkansas Library System
The Central Arkansas Library System provides resources and services to help residents reach their full potential and to inspire discovery, learning and cultural expression. CALS is recognized as a leading community institution that improves literacy, the exchange of ideas, workforce development and social engagement. Among the Central Arkansas Library System’s core values is a commitment to respecting different perspectives and providing access to information and services to all. To that end, the CALS Board of Trustees has signed the Urban Libraries Council’s Statement on Race and Social Equity. The statement serves as a baseline upon which libraries can build policies and actions that make their communities more inclusive and just. CALS believes that libraries are trusted, venerable and enduring institutions, central to their communities and essential participants in the movement for racial and social equity.
City Year Little Rock
Inclusion and belonging are foundational values for City Year and the heart of its continued work to advance educational equity in central Arkansas schools. With the support of its AmeriCorps members, the nonprofit is equipping local students with academic, emotional and social skills for long-term success. Both in and out of the classroom, the organization provides equitable opportunities and a safe, welcoming space for team engagement, continued learning, and personal and professional development. Whether for its full-time staff or AmeriCorps members, City Year is focused on building and sustaining a diverse workforce.
Conway Area Chamber of Commerce
The Conway Area Chamber of Commerce leads its community toward sustainable economic growth, advocates a pro-business climate for members, builds upon Conway’s educational foundations, and establishes and executes the community’s vision, all with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. The chamber works to ensure its membership, board, staff, committees and programming represent the diversity within the Conway business community.
Conway Regional Health System
Conway Regional Health System believes every employee’s unique perspective and experiences are necessary to create and maintain an inclusive workplace that values individual differences. Conway Regional’s commitment is to an inclusive health care setting where all employees are treated fairly, acknowledged for their uniqueness, promoted by merit and pushed to their utmost potential. Conway Regional actively supports that ethos through initiatives such as inclusive paid parental leave for childbirth, adoption, fostering and bonding periods to support families of all kinds, tuition assistance for staff and their dependents, and volunteer time off, which frequently benefits organizations that serve marginalized groups.
FIS Global
Since 1968, FIS Global has been pushing the limits and strengths of financial technology from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. The folks at FIS make sure everyone is able to access banking and payment information while developing cutting-edge and innovative technology. There are more than 65,000 people at FIS, each representing a unique combination of age, gender, ability, race, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, beliefs, thinking styles, education, and work and life experiences. FIS Global is committed to empowering all individuals with the ability to plug into technology, manage their finances and better their quality of life.
Garrett Excavating
Garrett Excavating is a site-development company now in its third generation of ownership and one of the largest, most experienced and more technologically advanced site-development companies in the United States. Garrett Excavating provides turn-key solutions ranging from design engineering and clearing, grubbing and earthwork to paving, site lighting and striping. Hard work and a fundamental belief in doing the right thing for clients and co-workers have allowed Garrett Excavating to continue serving as a valuable construction team member for more than 65 years.
James A. Rogers Excavating
Fast, efficient and honest, James A. Rogers Excavating has become a reputable and well-known service provider since its creation in 1962. Its teams are up for every job, managing projects with the skill and experience clients have come to expect. James A. Rogers Excavating is dedicated to diversity and inclusion and has worked closely with the community and diverse initiatives. The folks at James A. Rogers Excavating break ground, move mountains and make new paths on-site and in the office.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control,
Camden Operations
Lockheed Martin believes that all employees should have a safe and inclusive work environment — one in which everyone is treated fairly and with the highest standards of professionalism, ethical conduct and full compliance with the law. The company believes it is the collective voice of its workforce that allows it to continue innovating a vision for a better tomorrow. LM values its employees’ unique backgrounds, their desire for career growth and their urge to solve some of the world’s most complex problems.
Nelson Intelligence Solutions
Nelson Intelligence Solutions was formed as a service-disabled veteran-owned business in 2016 and has offices located in Stafford, Virgina, and Little Rock. As a defense, information and intelligence firm with an emphasis on federal government opportunities in support of the Department of Defense, intelligence community and state and local government. Nelson Intelligence Solutions knows firsthand the inequality that can be caused by exclusivity. It is for that reason that Nelson Intelligence Solutions strives to serve the community to the fullest and to create a better America for tomorrow.
RPM Group
The RPM Group is a full-service Arkansas-based real estate firm that provides expertise in commercial and investment real estate, property management, residential rentals, and residential sales. Founded in 1955 by Arkansas Business Hall of Fame Inductee Billy F. Rector and partners Byron Morse and Fe Phillips, Rector Phillips Morse celebrated its 60th year in business by updating the name of the firm to recognize substantial growth and a much larger operating footprint. RPM Group has its roots in community and knows firsthand that diverse perspectives strengthen one’s foundation. That is why RPM Group is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in the community and in the cubicle.
Sierra Group & Associates Construction
Sierra Group & Associates Construction is an award-winning roofing contractor specializing in commercial, multi-family and residential roof replacement and storm restoration. The folks at Sierra Group & Associates have built the company into a leader in its field. A Latino-owned company, staff members know that while they focus on the roof, the foundation of every good house is diversity and inclusivity. It is the conviction of owner Marcos U. Sierra that integrity spans from the owner to the newly hired employee. This is what has made Sierra Group & Associates Construction one of the fastest-growing companies in northeast Arkansas.
Signature Bank of Arkansas
Signature Bank of Arkansas was established in 2005 by a team of well-respected and experienced local bankers who had the dream of building a bank where decisions were made locally and in the best interests of not only the bank, but customers and team members, as well. In recent years, Signature Bank of Arkansas has spearheaded initiatives to diversify staff, boards and partnerships in order to better grow its knowledge and equipment for the region.
Southern Bancorp
More than 30 years ago, some of rural America’s most underserved and distressed communities gained an economic development partner when visionaries such as then-Gov. Bill Clinton, Rob Walton, Mack McLarty, the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and others formed the Southern Development Bank Corporation, today known as Southern Bancorp. Southern Bancorp is devoted to ensuring that all Arkansans are able to have economic opportunity. One of Southern Bancorp’s founding pillars was to have a focus on building wealth in communities of color, and the organization has maintained and grown that commitment ever since.
Southwest Power Pool
Southwest Power Pool continuously strives to cultivate a diverse employee population where everyone feels a sense of belonging and is appreciated for being their true selves. Doing so is directly tied to SPP’s mission, vision and core values. Research shows organizations that commit to developing and supporting DEI are more successful, better able to provide higher levels of service, more capable of satisfying the needs of a diverse group of stakeholders and better at enabling their employees to be effective ambassadors of their brands.
Thaden School
Thaden School is named in honor of Iris Louise McPhetridge Thaden, who died in 1979. Born and raised in Bentonville, she was a proud Arkansan and one of the greatest aviators of her time. Her childhood home, the McPhetridge House, which originally stood on West Central Avenue in downtown Bentonville, was saved from demolition in 2017 and now serves as the Thaden School Office of Admissions. Since its founding in 2017, Thaden School has advanced its mission to foster the civil exchange of ideas in the center of the country. By inviting and engaging many perspectives, Thaden School enlarges its students’ capacity for understanding and prepares them for responsible citizenship and leadership in a pluralistic and multicultural republic.
The Design Group
The Design Group is more than a mere creative boutique. It is a full-service, multicultural communications firm with expertise in segmented and experiential marketing. The Design Group is home to the designers and architects behind communication platforms that bridge the gap between brands and the nation’s ever growing ethnic-consumer segments. Led by Myron Jackson, the Design Group is committed to marketing communications that are authentic and culturally relevant, as well as intellectually and emotionally engaging. The Design Group has raised the bar with its lifestyle and life-stage consumer segmentation approach. Every day, the firm validates the idea that being African American is more than skin color; it is about a mindset, one that evolves as one penetrates deeper and deeper within the subsets that exist within the African American consumer segment. The Design Group was founded in 2007 with the sole purpose of filling a marketplace void: telling the stories of people of color in an authentic way. At the heart of the Design Group, there is a team of talented individuals dedicated to giving a voice to Arkansans of color.
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Home of the Trojans, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock works to ensure opportunities for all students while nurturing the wider community. At UA Little Rock, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives help recruit and retain faculty, staff and students by providing leadership, resources and support to enrich time spent at the university. The chancellor’s fellow for diversity, equity and inclusion works to coordinate and support all DEI initiatives on campus, including training, recruitment and retention, program development, curricula development, and policy. Ultimately, UA Little Rock hopes to promote a welcoming, inclusive campus for all.
The Venture Center
The Venture Center in Little Rock focuses on education, collaboration and acceleration within the start-up ecosystem. To fuel innovation, the center partners with entrepreneurs, corporations, universities, government agencies, nonprofits, venture funds, service providers, program alumni and other organizations in the community. Folks at The Venture Center know that the cornerstone of any successful venture is education. That is why it has committed to a deeper understanding and education of diversity, equity and inclusion for the betterment of all Arkansans.
Think Rubix
Think Rubix is a culture-first public affairs firm that practices social innovation and drives change. Think Rubix brings together expertise in equity innovation, public engagement and storytelling to help clients do their best work. Think Rubix’s work goes hand in hand with racial equity and diversity by growing Black businesses, creating jobs and giving back to communities in need. Think Rubix emphasizes that diversity is not enough; companies have to aim for deep connections and relationships.
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods is a modern, multi-national, protein-focused food company that produces about 20 percent of the beef, pork and chicken in the United States, in addition to a portfolio of foods under the Tyson, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Park, Wright, Aidells and State Fair brands. Tyson Foods celebrates the diversity of team members, whether that is diversity in race, ethnicity, religion or none of the above. Tyson’s unique chaplaincy programs span a diversity of faiths and provide a listening ear for Tyson employees.
United Cerebral Palsy of Arkansas
United Cerebral Palsy of Arkansas is a nonprofit organization based in Little Rock and was incorporated in 1957 for parents of children with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities who could not find assistance. UCP of Arkansas was founded with the acute awareness of the inequality that differences can cause when not enough people establish pathways for equity. Since its inception, UCP Arkansas has been committed to diversity and ensuring that all Arkansans live fulfilling lives.
United Systems of Arkansas
United Systems of Arkansas in North Little Rock delivers more than 30 years of experience to meet clients’ printing and mailing goals. At United Systems of Arkansas, a team supplies Certified Mail solutions for customers seeking rapid mail processing, document imaging and custom inserting. With expertise in Certified Mail processing and a patented system for protecting private data, United Systems of Arkansas is the 100 percent solution for Certified Mail services. The folks at United Systems know that “united” means everyone. That is why at United Systems, there is a team of folks dedicated to a diverse and inclusive environment.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock is the only health-sciences university in the state. UAMS is the state’s largest public employer and has more than 10,000 employees in 73 of Arkansas’ 75 counties. As part of its commitment to diversity, UAMS has created a plethora of diversity committees and student groups that span races, ethnicities, genders and beliefs. UAMS also holds diverse and immerse cultural opportunities, such as International Fest.
USAble Life
USAble Life believes in making a meaningful difference in the lives of their customers and employees. Staff members know they are only as strong as their teammates — a wonderfully diverse group. USAble celebrates that diversity and the value it brings to the organization. The company wants all employees to have a seat at the table to create an inclusive workplace for all. USAble is making extensive strides in its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by establishing an inclusion council — co-chaired by Jim Casey, CEO — that is cross-functional, cross-location, cross- generational and multicultural.
Walmart
Walmart aims to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within the company and society. The company is focused on creating a more diverse, inclusive team at every level and fostering a culture where all associates are engaged to achieve their potential and deliver on the customer mission. Walnart also strives to use its business and philanthropic resources to assess drivers of systemic disparities in society, seeking to contribute to a collective movement to advance equity for all.
Winrock International
Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that implements a portfolio of more than 100 agriculture, environment and social development projects in more than 40 countries. Winrock combines technical expertise with entrepreneurial innovation to improve lives around the globe. Winrock International’s commitment to diversity consists of a plan to recruit, hire, retain and develop a workforce with diverse perspectives and initiatives.
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