By Gina Gallucci-White
When Karen Bond became president of Executive Alliance (EA) in 2017, she was the first African American woman to hold the top position at the nonprofit. As a part of her time leading the organization, Bond made Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts a priority — long before other entities and nonprofits in the region did so.
“I had been a member for more than 10 years and just quietly tried to make those advances,” she said.
She learned that being the head of an organization is not the magic bullet to implement any DEI effort. “It is just the start of it because everyone else has to join you as a champion,” Bond said. “I am grateful to many of the members of EA that during my time really helped me advance the agenda. Just becoming the first African American president wasn’t enough. It took ongoing work. I am proud of where we are today. We still have miles to go before we sleep but we are doing much better and our numbers truly reflect more diversity.”
For EA’s most visible platform, the acclaimed Women of Excellence event, Bond advocated for bringing in diverse keynote speakers including former NASA astronaut and the first African American woman in space Mae Jemison as well as BET co-founder and Salamander Hotels and Resorts CEO Shelia Johnson. “We needed to show our audience that talent is equally distributed in all communities,” she said. “It was not just for our members but for the daughters of our members, showing women of color also as leaders not just as support members.”
She also championed having critical DEI conversations where members could speak in a confidential environment, seek support and discovery strategies on how to address issues in their workplaces. The organization also examined who they were inviting to be members.
Bond is extremely proud that every president after her term has continued the DEI efforts.
“This is not my mother’s workplace,” Bond said. “This is not the workplace I started in 20 years ago. We were just starting within so we could continue to lead with other organizations. I love Executive Alliance and any woman who joins now I think would come into an environment that truly embraces their differences and they are most welcome.”
Since EA is a volunteer-based organization, our members then go back to their workplaces with the DEI lessons they have learned. “I think it is why we are adding value to the City of Baltimore,” Bond said. “…We have never done this to just check the box. It is about talent. It is about creating a better world for us. We are proud to have lead. We have been tapped to support other organizations in telling our story. Sometimes people feel ashamed or embarrassed that they I have not been doing this with their organization but they shouldn’t. It is all about starting. It is important for the market we serve. This is a primarily an African American city. A very talented city so why wouldn’t we be an organization that embraces the talents of a diverse set of women?”
DEI efforts are critical to companies for several reasons, according to Bond. “First, it is vital because simply it is the right thing to do. Second, it is about being competitive in the market and serving one’s customers and clients effectively because people are now not just shopping for the best price they are shopping to make sure they are working with an organization that reflects their values.”
These efforts offer a competitive advantage. “We are living in a world that is incredibly polarized,” she said. “A good DEI effort allows everyone to sit at the table and be able to express their views even, if we are not in agreement, but to express them and to channel them into an effective and dynamic workplace and team and that is easier said than done but having skilled members of your team who can facilitate these conversations is essential.”
Not taking part in these DEI efforts may cost companies and organizations hundreds of thousands of dollars in either lost revenue, lawsuits or just lack of productivity because teams aren’t making the most of their diversity.
Since 2020, Bond has served as the director of strategic partnerships with the University of Maryland. In addition to EA, her volunteer efforts in DEI includes working with the Junior League of Annapolis. “They were very reflective on who they were as an organization and realizing that they needed to reinvent,” she said. “Very much where (EA was) 10 years ago.“
The Junior League of Annapolis has partnered with other nonprofits on a major DEI training initiative with several phases with the second one occurring this summer. “We are going to go deeper because it is not just like ‘Take one aspirin and you will feel better in the morning.’ It is not take one DEI course and your organization is going forward. …America did not arrive here overnight and it is a complex story of issues of race and that is why organizations can not do one and done.”
Bond compares the DEI classes to CPR. You don’t just take one and think you are set to save people for life. Follow up courses are always needed. “It is continuing to look within and understand current terms, to not be offensive to coworkers, to understand the growing field of DEI and it grows every day,” she said.
Attending Duke University at age 16 was a life changing experience for Bond. “I know the other side of what it feels like to be isolated and not included in the conversation and that is when I decided that I was going to focus my career on helping others not feel as bad as I have felt.”
Her approach involves listening, valuing all the voices at the table and helping organizations turn what could be incredibly divisive into an asset. “It is my privilege,” she said. “It is a part of my life’s work because I am better because I have a diverse group of friends. I am better because of EA. I am better living in a city like Baltimore and having the experiences of living in a diverse community. It is added value. …Remember at the end of every day we all want the same thing for our families and our children and our careers. My goal is to help people see it as an asset not a liability. EA is living proof that it is truly an asset.”