CPAmerica ADVANTAGE News From Your Accounting Association
July 2022 IN THIS ISSUE: ► Diversity, equity and inclusion: GRF CPAs & Advisors’ journey ► Preferred Provider Spotlight - Surgent ► Scholarship & AICPA opportunities ► Member News ► CPAmerica Insights - Grace Horvath
Diversity, equity and inclusion: GRF CPAs & Advisors’ journey
By Trevor Williams, CPA, Audit Partner and Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, GRF CPAs & Advisors
With the passing of the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death this May, and other incidents of racism in America often cited as the spark that intensified awareness and scrutiny around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, GRF CPAs & Advisors (GRF) stands out as a firm working actively on addressing DEI issues. Audit Partner and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Trevor Williams, CPA, Trevor Williams GRF CPAs & Advisors explained, “As we continue to work together to improve who we are as a company, we’d like to share what we’ve done thus far in the belief that our actions and lessons we’ve learned may be useful to your own DEI efforts. This is our ongoing journey.” GRF’s DEI initiative was formally launched in 2019, but elements of program were coming together prior to 2017. The objective was to create an atmosphere of belonging and inclusiveness where individuality is celebrated and a working environment where everyone is valued and respected for who they are. With immediate buy‐in and continued commitment from the firm’s leadership, GRF formalized their DEI committee in July 2019. The mission was to engage team members from various departments in the firm to participate in open discussions and plan activities that recognize the racial, gender, religious, ethnic, cultural, and sexual diversity at GRF. Williams explained, “With the DEI committee firmly in place and
its roles, goals, and initiatives communicated to the entire firm, we clearly signaled a commitment and a promise to our employees that they should be true to themselves at work.” The initial impact was nearly immediate. GRF’s DEI initiatives set the groundwork for improved employee performance, lower turnover, greater profitability and increased job satisfaction. GRF’s President and Managing Partner, Jackie Cardello explained, “All of this contributes to GRF’s bottom line. Each department within our firm is expanding and GRF is constantly innovating and adding new opportunities for both employees and clients.” Moving into 2022, Cardello said, “We knew from the beginning that DEI needed to be a long‐term, continual effort to be fully embedded in all aspects of the firm. As we continue to grow, we felt the need to further our commitment by appointing Trevor to director of our DEI initatives.” Williams added, “While this is a great opportunity, as black man in this role, before accepting the appointment it was important to me to be sure this was not a token initiative; to see what impact this would have on my current client load; to know I’d be provided a sufficient budget and support; and to see I’d have a seat at the senior leadership table to make meaningful change. Thankfully, the firm’s leadership once again showed its commitment to DEI, and I made the decision to accept the role.” Since Williams’ appointment, GRF has conducted/implemented the following initiatives: consistent DEI training (both mandatory and voluntary), voluntary “Watch & Learn” Parties and monthly celebrations highlighting of the firm’s diverse cultures, DEI content on the firm’s intranet, department head diversity accountability metrics, affinity groups, performance evaluation bias disrupter, DEI outings to various museums and volunteer opportunities, employee surveys, and development of a robust pipeline of diverse talent to retain and promote. As important as DEI is to GRF’s culture, it is even more important See Diversity, continued on page 2