Team Members: Jerry Adger, Tommy Lavender, Chakisse Newton, David Pankau, Ben Rex, Amy Shumaker, JoAnn Turnquist

Columbia’s future depends heavily on our region’s ability to attract and retain human capital.  ‘Why Columbia’s’ goal is to help recruit potential new hires by dispelling the negative impression that the Midlands of South Carolina are neither inclusive nor progressive.  To achieve this goal the ‘Why Columbia’ team is promoting the Diversity Recruitment Consortium (DRC) in our region.

The DRC is a group of organizations working together to collectively develop innovative programs, practices, and processes to increase the diversity of professional and executive talent throughout South Carolina.  The program began in the upstate and the majority of members are based in that region.  Our team is focused on increasing the membership base in the Midlands and creating a replicable recruitment model that can be employed throughout South Carolina.

Our team has recruited two sponsoring and seven regular members.  We have also provided DRC staff with fifteen promising leads.   We have provided feedback, secured from the organizations we contacted, on the recruiting process including the need to develop new marketing materials and a comprehensive orientation process.  The DRC is now updating its materials and refining its processes in order to expand the network of member organizations across the state.