Today marks one year since the murder of George Floyd, which, along with many other events, has led all of us to reflect, discuss and take action to address the many different underlying social issues and realities of racial inequity in our country. As we mark this somber occasion, I would ask you all to continue to help us move forward together in positive and constructive ways, as a company and as a nation, to find solutions, equity and peace.
As I’ve said before, I am committed to making Day & Zimmermann a safe and inclusive environment, and while we still have work to do, I’m grateful for the many D&Z employees who have stepped up and helped to further the conversation. In the past year, our Employee Resource Groups have done a great job providing information and continued focus on Diversity and Inclusion – and expanded the conversation to Equity. The many webinars and panel discussions were particularly helpful, along with the Executive Diversity and Inclusion Board round-tables, which sought to foster greater understanding. I hope we can build on this progress and find other ways to take action and provide more information to our employees.
We continue to focus on diversity in our recruiting efforts, and in our employee development programs to ensure a more level playing field for everyone, and to provide access to opportunities at all levels. I know that in order to achieve our vision of Accelerating the Next Generation of Innovation we need engaged, inclusive and diverse teams. It’s important to me that everyone at D&Z feels that their voice can be heard and that we are creating a safe workspace for everyone so that we can partner together to innovate, collaborate and succeed.
These are just a few of the things we have been discussing and working on, and I look forward to many more in the coming weeks and months. I know that this is a journey, which at times involves difficult conversations, but I hope you feel we are making progress and I hope you will join me in continuing this journey together.
Hal Yoh is chair and chief executive officer of Day & Zimmermann, a leader in construction & engineering, staffing and defense solutions for leading corporations and government agencies around the world. He is the third generation of the Yoh family to lead Day & Zimmermann—a family-owned business and former recipient of the U.S. National Family Business of the Year award. As chairman and chief executive officer since 1999, Hal has helped shape the strategic growth that the company has achieved over the last few decades.