Tag Archives: equity

Important Conversations

Important Conversations

By Gary Means, CAPP


THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS lately about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. If you didn’t get a chance to catch the Fireside Chat On Industry Inclusion back on August 20, 2020, I would encourage you to do so (click here).

I was joined by a fantastic panel:

  • Richard Easley, CAPP, president of E-Squared Engineering.
  • Keith Hutchings, director, municipal parking, City of Detroit.
  • Kim Jackson, CAPP, director, transportation and parking services, Princeton University.
  • Tiffany Smith, director, Parking Authority of River City, Ky.

I opened up the conversation with this statement: “As a result of the protests and news coverage in response to the very recent and preventable deaths of several Black Amer­icans, I did a little soul searching, listened to podcasts, read posts and articles, watched videos on YouTube and Facebook, and most importantly, had one-on-one conver­sations with several of my Black friends and associates. My eyes have been opened to a problem. I’ve learned a lot and while I’d love to change the world, I thought maybe focus­ing on my circles would be best.”

In this column, I want to expand a little more on my reasoning for asking IPMI if we could have an open conver­sation about inclusion. You see, until recently I understood very little about the challenges of the Black community in America and of our friends and colleagues in the parking and mobility industry. It took a horrible news story to really get my attention and for me to start digging deeper as I mentioned above. I now, more than ever, realize that things aren’t the way we think they are when we only look within our own circles, or when we look through our own lenses.

That is why I wanted to start this conversation. I’m sure I’m not the only white guy who hadn’t heard the term “driv­ing while Black.” Or if I had heard it, I must have ignored it. This phrase is just one of many things I’ve learned in my recent journey. The most important thing I’ve done is reach out to friends like the people on the panel listed above and asked difficult questions. I’ve specifically looked up Black acquaintances such as previous employees and leaders in my community. All have stories and all reinforce the fact that there is a deep-rooted issue in our society that needs to change.

A New Focus

So with the support of the leadership at IPMI, we will continue focusing on the topic of inclusion in the following ways:

  • Implementing this new column on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
  • Encouraging and establishing training sessions and courses.
  • Encouraging more open conversations that help us learn more about the needs of all of our members.

After our fireside chat, we were asked why did we not use the word “diversity” in the title or during our chat. Our answer centered around the idea that ”diversity” has been used a lot and folks might already have a preconceived idea about what it means—and that focusing on diversity alone might even water down the current issues of our day. We felt focusing on “inclusion” would be more powerful. Simply put, diversity re­fers to the traits and characteristics that make people unique while inclusion refers to the behaviors and social norms that ensure people feel welcome. The most powerful part of our fireside chat was hearing the experiences and stories of our esteemed panel. I hope it has encouraged or this column will encourage more courageous conversations within your organization.

Breaking it Down

To start off the first of many columns on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), I thought I might make an attempt to help break down some of the ideas and definitions of DEI.

Diversity vs. Inclusion: In simple terms, diversity is the mix and inclusion is getting the mix to work well together.1 Verna Myers says “Diversity is being asked to the party. In­clusion is being asked to dance.” In a recent blog post, Meg Bolger writes: If we aren’t clear on the words and ideas, (of DEI) how will we be clear on the solutions? Meg also included these definitions:

  • Diversity is the presence of difference within a given setting. Diversity is about a collective or a group and can only exist in relationship to others. A candidate is not diverse—they’re a unique, individual unit. They may bring diversity to your team or your hiring pool, but they themselves are not diverse.
  • Inclusion is about folks with different identities feeling and/or being valued, leveraged, and welcomed within a given setting (e.g., your team, workplace, or industry). You can have a diverse team of talent, but that doesn’t mean every­one feels welcome or are valued, is given opportunities to grow, or gets career support from a mentor.
  • Equity is an approach that ensures everyone access to the same opportunities. Equity recognizes that advantages and barriers exist, and that, as a result, we all don’t all start from the same place. Equity is a process that begins by acknowl­edging that unequal starting place and makes a commit­ment to correct and address the imbalance.

I hope this first edition of our new diversity, equity, and inclusion column gives you some insight on what future col­umns may hold. If you have any ideas or questions please feel free to reach out to me at gmeans@lexpark.org. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

GARY MEANS, CAPP, is executive director of the Lexington& Fayette County, Ky., Parking Authority and chair-elect of IPMI’s Board of Directors. He can be reached at gmeans@lexpark.org.

Read the article here.

Ways Cities are Leveraging Micro-mobility for Good

Micro-mobility–shared scooters, bikes, etc.–is proving fantastic for getting people around, particularly in a COVID world. But a new resource says cities have evolved in the way they work with the vehicles and social good is coming from that.

The Micro-mobility Policy Atlas, developed by the Shared-use Mobility Center, New Urban Mobility Alliance, and World Resources Institute, tracks more than 100 micro-mobility policies in 25 countries, and shows trends, including:

  • Equity mandates and policies resulting in more equitable distribution of micro-mobility throughout cities and surrounding areas.
  • Managing system growth through safety infrastructure improvements.
  • Fleet caps that minimize waste and street/sidewalk clutter.

The trends are growing and will be tracked further through the atlas.  Read more about it here.

 

Frontline Fundamentals: Working Toward Equity: Discussing Diversity, Inclusion, and Microaggression, Presented by Kim Jackson, CAPP.

Free to IPMI members, pre-registration required.

REGISTER HERE.


Non-members may attend for a $35 registration fee.  Click the register link above to attend as a non-member.  Need help logging in?

Contact us at professionaldevelopment@parking-mobility.org.

NOT A MEMBER? JOIN TODAY.


Working Toward Equity: Discussing Diversity, Inclusion, and Microaggression

 Kim Jackson, CAPP.

This session will examine systemic racism that is embedded as normal practice within any organization. It involves policies, practices, structures, and norms that can result in inequitable outcomes for people of color. The session will look at diversity, inclusion, and microaggression’s impact on organizations.


Kim E. Jackson, CAPP, Director, Transportation & Parking Services, Princeton University

Kim Jackson, CAPP, provides leadership, expertise and management for university transportation and parking operations, services, facilities, and programs. In 2008 she was hired as the first Director, Transportation & Parking Services for Princeton University. Kim previously worked at IPMI as the Executive Director. Prior to IPI, Kim was Director of Parking & Transportation at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she was responsible for the university’s parking and transportation programs, and management of daily operations of a multi-faceted program for five New Brunswick campuses and contracted bus services. Kim is a class of 2000 CAPP graduate.

October 21: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Webinar (Free to Members Only)

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Webinar

Free to Members, Pre-registration required.

Register button

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are three distinct ingredients that some feel are missing from the American Pie. They are equally imperative to changing the trajectory of today’s workplace. Systemic racism has not only found its place on our streets, social media, and politics, but in our business.

Failure to properly address DEI in the workforce will inevitably affect employee morale, efficiency, and productivity. How do we create an environment that is receptive to DEI? Verna Myers, vice president of inclusion strategy at Netflix, once said “Diversity is being asked to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.” Only through a comprehensive understanding of DEI and new ways of doing business and viewing employees, especially those within minority groups, will companies begin to create change.

This session is intended to show how open dialogue can be productive and break down barriers and myths to educate some on the why behind the movement; and t look at the root of the issues and learn to better and more openly listen to our fellow employees.


Tiffany Smith bio pixTiffany Smith is the Director of the Parking Authority of River City in Louisville, Ky.  She has worked for PARC for 25 years.  She leads a diverse staff of 32 employees with a focus on employee engagement and a commitment to superior customer service.  Her operations include 15 garages, three surface lots and 4,800 on-street spaces.  Her department recently earned IPMI’s Accreditation Parking Organization with Distinction certification.  She is a member of various boards and organizations and in her free time, enjoys playing tennis.  She loves parking, people, and living with a purpose.

 

 

 


Mike Tudor, CAPP, is the Assistant Director of the Parking Authority of River City (PARC), Inc. in Louisville, Ky.,where he has worked since 1997 within key off-street and on-street operational, management, and leadership roles.  He currently serves as President of the Midsouth Transportation and Parking Association (MSTPA) with a previous role of Secretary since 2015. He serves on the IPMI State and Regional Association Committee. He holds an undergraduate degree from Cincinnati Christian University (CCU).  He spent the early part of his career in all aspects of parking with the private sector to include management of private lots, garages, and valet services.  He earned his CAPP certification in 2019. Mike has a passion for God, family, outdoor activities, and supporting inclusion in the parking industry.

Submit your questions and thoughts for the discussion to Kim Fernandez at fernandez@parking-mobility.org.

Mobility and Societal Considerations: What’s Happening?

More people than ever are enjoying the convenience of shared-mobility services: transportation network companies (TNCs–Uber, Lyft, etc.), bike-share, scooter-share, and other easy ways to get around. Eric Haggett, senior associate with DESMAN and a member of IPMI’s Planning, Design, & Construction Committee, found himself pondering this recently and wondered if there isn’t more to it all than meets the eye:

  • While there are real and potential benefits to society of increasing mobility options, how do we ensure these benefits are available to everyone?
  • Do we care if these options are not available to some groups?
  • If the trend in society is toward mobility-as-a-service, what happens to the segment of society that can’t afford those services or are not physically capable of using them? Will this be yet another way in which the “haves” separate themselves from the “have nots”?

In this month’s The Parking Professional, Haggett breaks down these concerns along with others. How will underbanked or unbanked people use these systems? What about disabled people? And what is our industry’s responsibility, especially while mobility is young?

It’s a great, thought-provoking read: check it out here. And then share your thoughts on Forum: Are these challenges ones our industry should address? And how?