Clive McFarlane, a columnist for the Worcester Telegram, wrote in a recent column about the city of Worcester's diversity and inclusion efforts. He spoke to several local leaders about the issue, including Bowditch chairman and member of the Worcester Redevelopment Authority Mike Angelini.
Said Mike in the article:
"Putting aside our commitment to each other, the strength of this community, if you compare it to communities around us, lies in its diversity," said Michael Angelini, chairman of Bowditch & Dewey, and a member of the WRA.
"It is characteristically and innately different from the communities around us, because it has diversity. In many ways, we are the real world. They are not the real world. They are the former world. What I think about diversity is the competitive advantage it provides for us in the modern world.
"It gives us assets which other people don't have, and the question is how do we capitalize on those assets. To me that is the question. It is a social, economic question than it is a personal question."
It is an easier question to answer in the private sector, according to Mr. Angelini, whose firm has made inclusion and diversity a priority in recruitment, retention and mentoring of its lawyers and staff.
"Business organizations are organized in a different way than public organizations," he said.
"They are much more vertical oriented, and much less horizontal collaborative, so that's more challenging. It is easier for a private organization like ours to implement change, because it can be commanded. It is more difficult in public organizations which are broad and have a diversity of opinions among the leaders."
Continue reading " Clive McFarlane: Plenty of work to be done if city's diversity committee ever returns" on the Worcester Telegram website.
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