Webday Wednesday - Diversity in Practice

Diversity in Practice
Date: March 25, 2020
Presenters: Farida Abu Bakare, Shiva Mendez, Damon Sheppard, Kimberly Dowdell

SESSION:

Creating and promoting a diverse and inclusive design team is crucial to the success of a global design practice. HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council was started in 2013 and is charged with enhancing the culture of inclusion and equity at the firm’s 23 offices. The DAC co-chairs and the regional representatives work with the regional leaders as well as the firm executive leadership to lead efforts in developing a diverse practice and equitable growth opportunity for all. 

During this session, each of the co-chairs and the Canada DAC representative will briefly review the initiatives that have been put in place over the last 6 years including 

      •    firmwide mentorship;
      •    recruitment and engagement with diverse universities and design community; 
      •    internal challenge to increase diversity in leadership;
      •    tracking engagement and inclusion efforts through a biannual survey; and 
      •    regional efforts toward intercultural competence. 

They will review why these initiatives were chosen and how successful they have been in improving firmwide diversity and inclusion.

The session will also include ample opportunity for Question and Answers for the audience.
 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

     •    Identify steps to set up committee/council to promote DEI efforts in single location vs.              multiple office/multi-national firms
     •    Identify various initiatives/actions that can support DEI efforts toward reaching goals                that are right for each firm
     •    Define criteria for success and means to analyze progress toward the goals identified.
     •    Apply strategies to engage with the broader professional and civic community to foster            a greater sense of belonging for staff. 

Continuing education learning hours: 1 credit

Farida Abu Bakare
MRAIC, AIA Associate, LEED Green Associate
HOK

Associate, Project Designer

Farida Abu-Bakare is an Associate and Project Designer at the global architecture, design, engineering and planning firm; HOK. Farida has lived and worked with HOK throughout Canada and United States to build an extensive portfolio including higher education, aviation, justice, science and technology projects. Within HOK, she is a board member of the HOK Diversity Council, which aims to promote an inclusive studio culture where employees with varied backgrounds and experience can work to meet client needs with diverse and innovative solutions. Outside of HOK, Farida is the emeritus Community Affairs Director of Atlanta’s NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) Chapter and co-founder of Canada’s BAIDA (Black Architects and Interior Designers Association)

Shiva Mendez
IIDA, CID, LEED AP BD+C, EDAC
HOK

Principal, Sr. Medical Planner

As Co-Chair of HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council, Shiva leads a firm wide effort to create a diverse business environment that promotes creativity and innovation through awareness, respect, and celebration of people with varied backgrounds, perspectives, skills and experience to meet the needs of HOK’s global clients. She recognizes that the Council’s work in promoting diversity and inclusion across HOK’s 25 offices worldwide requires a long-term focus, regular monitoring, and commitment to expanding opportunities for all employees.

Damon Sheppard
AIA, LEED® AP BD+C
HOK

Principal, Regional Leader of S+T

Damon is a licensed architect with a passion for designing, planning and programming complex projects in the Science + Technology and Higher Education markets. As the Regional Leader of HOK’s Washington DC S+T practice he leads a team of a dozen architects, lab planners and designers. In addition to his project responsibilities, Damon places a premium on dedicating time to people development through education, mentoring and diversity initiatives. He is a co-chair of HOK’s Diversity Advisory Council, champion of the local mentoring program in the Washington DC studio, and has been an adjunct professor at Howard University.

Kimberly Dowdell
AIA, NOMA, NCARB, SEED, LEED AP BD+C
HOK

Principal

Kimberly Dowdell is an architect with experience in real estate project management, development, public administration, entrepreneurship, teaching and organizational leadership. In addition to her role as a principal with HOK Chicago, Kimberly is the 2019-2020 president of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), a group of nearly 1,400 members who are all committed to making the profession of architecture more diverse, equitable and inclusive. Kimberly is a Detroit native with a mission to improve the quality of life for people living in cities by supporting efforts that facilitate sustainable design, economic development and socio-cultural justice. 

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: Monday, March 23, 2020, at 5 p.m. ET.

WEBINAR REGISTRATION FEE:
$50 for RAIC members, plus applicable taxes.
$75 for non-members, plus applicable taxes.

SCHEDULE: The Webinar will take place on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at 1 p.m. ET in English.
The Canada-wide schedule by time zone is:

More information, including online access instructions and a PDF copy of the slides will be sent to you by email on the Tuesday prior to the Webday webinar. 

*Purchase of webinars and events are non-transferable.