S2,E19 - Dr. Juhanna Rogers

This is Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, a semi-monthly podcast by CenterState CEO, Central New York's premier leadership and economic development organization. Join us as we meet the people and explore the projects driving the regional economy forward. This is Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank. I'm Katie Zilcosky, director of communications at CenterState CEO and your host for Talk CNY. Diversity, equity and inclusion or DEI initiatives have been declining nationwide over the past few years, but the values of these initiatives are vital to business and overall community success. As Central New York grows and we strive to be a region where all people can prosper, DEI initiatives have become even more important. Joining me today on Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank, to discuss the evolving DEI landscape and why equity work is a vital pillar of the local economy is Dr. Juhanna Rogers, CenterState CEO's Senior Vice President of Racial Equity and Social Impact. Dr. J., thank you so much for being here today.

Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be with you.

You've been with CenterState CEO for just under seven years now, and now you are our Senior Vice President of Racial Equity and Social Impact, also our, we call it RESI. What's been your path to that role? Can you give us a little bit of Dr. J history. What's

been my path to that role? That's an interesting question. So when I think about the path to that role, you know how you're doing things and you're like, is my life making a whole lot of sense?

I feel like coming into CenterState with a background in higher education, thinking about how to prepare faculty and students for the future economy, for workforce opportunities, just for participation in communities at large. I, like you said, landed here at CenterState seven years ago, and this has been the space where my real world experience, real world, aka academic world where that experience sort of morphed with how businesses, community leaders, nonprofit, education institutions, medical institutions can help forge a community and help move a community forward. And so it's been really exciting. I joined the organization seven years ago and worked for what was then our economic inclusion team and then 2020 Hit and CenterState had been talking about how can we help our members? How can we help this community think about diversity, equity, and inclusion in more intentional ways? And I kind of sat back and let that conversation happen.

I was kind of beat up from the DEI world. I wasn't necessarily interested in leaning into that work in the same way when I left Higher Ed, but 2020 happened and CenterState, like I said, the principles of it they had been working towards, but having more conversations about how is it that we help others do this work? And it wasn't until then that I kind of raised my hand and was like, so I have some ideas. I think I can actually help us shape a framework for leading this work as well as design educational training, professional development opportunities for organizations to also engage in this. I'm kind of trained to do that. And so Rob and the other leaders, the board even leaned in and was like Dr. J., absolutely.

I feel like while I've been here seven years, the first three were dedicated to getting to know CenterState, look at the different ways in which it's operating, really get to understand that we're not like an organization that is using the idea of diversity, equity, and inclusion as an afterthought. It's been built in to some of the things that CenterState has been doing over the last 15, 20 years. And so for me, it has been an opportunity to bring together some of the skills, but also the world that I have spent time in and helping to move forward in a really unique sort of way.

So you've been in this role now, you said about four years since 2020. And a lot has changed in the DEI landscape over those four years. Can you give us an overview of what it was like when you started out to where we are in this moment now?

That's a really great question. I had no idea what, when I stepped into this role, it was like August of 2020 I believe. And while folks were enthusiastic about me taking the lead here, I wasn't sure if in January it was going to fare well. I was like, we're going to kind of put ourselves out there and see what happens. And I feel like from that moment, I've still been seeing what happens next. Unfortunately, when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion, it's kind of a wave we ride as a society. (In) 2020, obviously everything from being shut in our homes to what we were watching on the screen charged us to have more critical conversations.

Absolutely.

Since that time we've come back outside and the emphasis on thinking about inclusive practices for the benefit of all people hasn't been something that folks have continued to double down on because we've gotten back to the normalcy of daily lives. What I'm working on now is, okay, what does this next rendition of equity-minded work look like and how is it with all of the economic growth and opportunities that we're seeing here in Central New York, I think we have a really, really great opportunity to lean into ideals and practices that are going to be beneficial for all people. Rob always is talking about how we we're helping businesses thrive and all people prosper.

When we think about what that means, it requires us to think about different demographics, think about our city dwellings versus our urban versus our suburban or rural dwellings. How are we engaging and partnering across communities, within communities with different segments of our population in order to take advantage of workforce opportunities? If you're thinking about being an entrepreneur in some kind of way, how can I get started with that? How can I build a home or see Central New York and the communities around it as my home as it begins to grow and expand? And so as we're in the midst of that and really excited about it, that means your neighbors might look a little bit different. The classrooms in some communities are going to change. The access to culture hopefully will shift as well as we think about talent and recruitment and growing that pipeline, I think this is an opportunity for us as Central New Yorkers to think about what could a really inclusive, wholesome community look like? And not so much stand on this idea of being just a good person or do it from a good hearted space. And I believe in different cultures. Well, if we believe that and we know we need that here in order for the economy to continue to thrive and for all of these opportunities that are coming down the pipeline for us or already here, how can we include different segments of our population within the gains from that

And how does that allow all of us to live more fuller lives and enjoy the gains from that? And I think that is where right now our opportunity around diversity, equity and inclusion might lie.

Now, all this, like you said, is changing. We're in a new phase both as a community and I think in the DEI landscape. So how is RESI as a part of our team kind of evolving as well while maintaining its original mission? How have you been steering the ship to respond to all these moments?

Yeah, great question. It's requiring myself; we had some funding thanks to one of our state representatives to bring on a RESI fellow to help using technology, but also economic equity frameworks. Think about what the next level of engagement from a CenterState perspective could or should look like. So ParKer Bryant is our RESI Fellow, and she's done an amazing job with the thought leadership and how coming alongside myself and thinking about, okay, well this is what we've done. We've provided services over the last three and a half years. Now it's time for us to think about more broadly what's happening across the region. And so one of the things that I'm working on outside of thinking about this economic equity framework that we can lean into and help drive programming and events as well as continued trainings around this model that helps more businesses or community leaders think about how their spend, how their growth, how their engagement within the community can help all of the development that's happening here, support more diverse communities. We're doing that, but I'm also helping to think about the equity frameworks within the tech hubs

efforts that are happening on the 81 Corridor or 90, I should say. And so I'm leading a team of folks from Buffalo and Rochester and thinking about how with the semiconductor technology, all of the business growth that needs to happen with that, the workforce growth, how does women, folks, new Americans, young people, how do we get trained or even seniors or folks that are maybe retired but looking to still be value adds to the economy in some way. How do we develop strategies to get them involved in the growth opportunities that we have before us? And so I would say we're in that phase of thought leadership and design around strategies and tactics that are embedded into the day-to-day operations of our organization more thoughtfully but also more intentionally so that it's not just Dr. J. and ParKer Bryant doing the racial equity and social impact work because that's, that's not truth. The Inclusive growth team is going out with Syracuse Surge and Tech and Culture and the things Syracuse Builds and so forth. Equity is built into all of that. What does our partnership with UMEA look like coming along the new executive director there and thinking about what we've done and what we haven't and creating some opportunities to deepen that engagement and help grow the MWBE pipeline. How do we actually manifest those things? Whereas, I think in 2020, we were talking about what are the things people are asking? What can we do? What should we do? We've trained over 45 companies in three years.

Wow.

Way more than 10,000 people trained. And now it's like, okay, if you all listened or got something out of our engagement with you, keep working on whatever those plans were, but now lean into where we are and help us as a region think about equity on an inclusion on a whole other level.

We're going to take a quick break here on Talk CNY for a word from our presenting sponsor, NBT Bank, but we'll be back with Dr. J. in just a moment.

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Welcome back. This is Talk CNY, presented by NBT Bank. I'm Katie Zilcosky, CenterState CEO's, director of communications and your host for Talk CNY. I'm here today with Dr. Juhanna Rogers, CenterState CEO's Senior Vice president of Racial Equity and Social Impact or RESI as our team commonly calls it. So we have been talking about the changing DEI landscape, and you mentioned before the break how you have worked with 45 businesses, over 45 businesses over the last three years, well over 10,000 people. I mean, what are you hearing from the business community that they want in terms of DEI trainings and initiatives, and what are they still struggling with in this moment?

One of the things that I heard a lot of over the last probably three years was tell us what to do. And I think when we talk about DEI and the changes, it's been stages of what's been considered acceptable for DEI training and what was kind of pushing a line. And I think that where we've landed over the last three years is getting folks comfortable with the conversation. I think that needed to happen. And if you are not trained, maybe necessarily in dealing with critical issues in regards to culture and difference and things we don't often think about, it's an educational cycle

For those individuals that had not had the conversations before. And I mean at work or with a mixed group of individuals, we had to get leaders comfortable with having a conversation and understanding that this work isn't about good person, bad person. Most times there's a lot more people I found that have restored my faith in humanity at times that would just, I just don't know what to do. I just haven't had a space to ask the questions. I haven't been challenged to think about these things. And I think we got a lot of individuals into a space to have those conversations getting uncomfortable, yet comfortable talking with their teams, their colleagues about these matters and what was happening within their organizations and what could happen. I think where we are now is, okay, what can be done, I think in a larger national way when we see states across the country eliminating DEI departments and staff and budget lines, right? It's like, hey, it's one of those moments where as a professional, but also just as a person, I feel like for New York State, we're doubling down and we're in a location where I feel like we understand and we celebrate difference, and we want to be an inclusive community. We understand the benefits of that, and similarly, we need to ask people to remain committed,

To put the dollars behind the positions, to continue to think about how you build networks and how as a collective community, what we're doing in this moment. I get excited about what that might offer in 50 years.

Right? Yeah, it's really exciting. It might be scary to say, but between here and Oswego, this could be, I often think of a mecca of culture, of people of opportunity that are tech based, but also tech adjacent and the outcomes of everything that comes when you have a community where innovation is at the center, they just become more robust. And so how do we get the people that have been here, they've been calling this home for a long time, more comfortable with young, innovative, creative minds that are looking for new opportunities. That means keeping the collegiate talent that we have, creating opportunities to keep them here, helping to think about how business leaders could also engage and support community efforts because people want to live where they feel like they see themselves. And so how do we as a business community think about our role in all that placemaking, as they call it? I think that that's some of the conversation we need to have. And then I think some of it is how do we move from just one company doing what I do to have spaces where companies that are engaged and believe in inclusive practices we're learning and connecting from one another.

Now, DEI initiatives are not just for the benefit of the whole community. I mean, the vision you've outlined sounds, I mean, it's wonderful. It would be great to be a mecca of innovation and culture and equality in the future here, but it's also a recruiting tool. If we put it a little plainly. I mean, there are young people. The talent that we want in this community is looking largely for inclusive workplaces to be in. Absolutely. Can you speak a little bit to how investing in DEI work and equity work can also be used as a tool to bring talent to employers and to the community?

I think one of the things that we've talked about, and I get it from folks that meet me, why are you here? Why did you stay here in Central New York? And sometimes when folks ask me that question, it reinforces the notion that other major markets have what we don't. And what I often respond with is no, I've been able to do professionally as well as personally a lot of things here in this community that I may not have ever gotten the opportunity to do in other spaces because of the culture here. Because of the space and opportunities that you have to cultivate talent. And I think I saw the opportunities, but how do you show these opportunities to other people? And so what we challenge people to think about is that talent that recruitment is thinking about, not just the person you want to hire, what does their partner need in order for them to choose Central New York?

What is it that they want to see for their children if they have children, or even for some people, if they're single, what does living here and taking this job mean for the person? And part of what we tend to ask our members or clients who are engaging with us in our DEI services, imagine what some of those answers are currently. Who are the networks that you have outside of your HR department that you all have a rapport with that you could put together a list for a potential employee.

So that they know where they can go to a barbershop or a beauty salon or where they can dine and have different cultural experiences. That may not be something that every entity could do, but could we as a community pull together to help provide that, right? That's going to help for the higher education institutions that are looking to attract faculty or administrators that could be helpful there for corporations that are trying to find top level executives or middle managers and recruiting them from sometimes in the community, but also outside of the community, right? Here are some things that you should know. And I think those types of things are important. But also when we talk about talent and recruitment in the future of growth here, how are we building relationships with folks that look different from us? How are we building relationships with the veteran community? I've had conversations between here and Utica about opportunities to reengage men and women who are coming out of the military service into jobs and opportunities that have a pathway for growth. How are we thinking about women hybrid entrepreneurs? We have many, many of them here in this community, and how do we help and support or partner with other entities that are supporting women-owned businesses here and helping to build out opportunities for recruitment and talent there as well. I think there's a lot of conversations around talent and recruitment when we think about it innovatively, right?

Yeah. And I'm using that intentionally. It is not just from a DEI perspective, but I think what DEI helps, if you can understand the distinction between diversity, equity, and inclusion and the strategies and tactics that go along with it, then what comes out on the other side is actually just innovative approaches to engaging people that may not have been deeply engaged or aware of how to apply for jobs at your particular company that could help you think about retelling stories at a high school level so that students from Syracuse City School District might be willing to think about working for some of these amazing global employers that we have here in this community, that they may drive past them every day and not know what they do or their value they add. And sometimes that seed planting those early on type of opportunities is what may bring a student back. Now, I have this professional, came to my class and talks to me about what it was like to be an engineer, and I didn't even know we had engineering or a Tech Garden or a drone hub here, and now I do. And now, ooh,

It's a whole new world. And so when I think about talent and recruitment specifically, that was a lot to say, but I think that's how big we need to think about that topic and issue because I think there's a lot of opportunity here for folks to take advantage of all of the positions that exist. And we can't be afraid. We can't be so set in the comfort of our ways because we're afraid of traffic or anything like that, but do the work that it takes to get the people here. So it is a big, exciting time, a lot of work ahead, but exciting nonetheless. And so I want to hear from you, what's a project you're excited for RESI as we wrap up the show here?

So all of these things can be really overwhelming, and so as we're thinking about an economic equity framework, what that might mean, how does that inform the programming and opportunities that we're presenting to members or the community at large that may be in 10, 15, 30 years, we can look back and say, Central New York didn't just put their staff through a training once a year and check the box and everybody's different. No. They really thought about how all people could prosper here, could live their life here, and the business community, their partners, other entities leaned into that and held themselves accountable and did something that changed this community, hopefully for the better.

Dr. J, it's been a great conversation with you today. Thanks so much for being here. Thank you for having me.

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