Cablefax The Magazine October 2022 - 39

D&I CHAMPION
Until earlier this year, Schroeder
served as Altice USA's first-ever
Chief Diversity Officer before passing
the torch to Lisa Anselmo. She
had initially planned to exit her government
affairs role over the summer,
but opted to stay, much to Altice's
benefit. Some of her accomplishments
over the past 12 months have
included developing public-private
partnerships to support broadband
adoption and establishing company
grants and mentorships for Blackowned
small businesses around the
country.
Her advice for fostering community
connections is to get hyper local.
Dennis Williams
SVP, Corporate Affairs
& Corporate Social
Responsibility
Warner Bros. Discovery
Williams is a connector, establishing
partnerships with organizations like
the Trevor Project and GLAAD and
introducing those groups to internal
business resource groups seeking
support. He's also been key to the
production of PSAs on an array of social
issues over the last year including
voting rights and vaccine information.
Williams wants to see employers, insurance
companies and society as a
whole embrace the idea of a chosen
family. For many marginalized individuals,
those closest to them aren't the
ones bound by blood ties and it's important
to validate those connections.
" For many, family isn't a biological
connection-it's about a decision to
care for and love another person as a
family member, " he says. " Being able
to name and define what your family
is for the purpose of healthcare, insurance
and other benefits would be
transformative for so many communities. "
Advice
for allies on how to show up
for their LGBTQ+ colleagues? The
best ally is someone who says, " Don't
worry,
I got this one, " and they use
their time, resources and power to advocate
for change so that others don't
have to.
CablefaxDiversity.com
October 2022
39
" Work to understand the unique
characteristics of each community
and then apply your resources accordingly, "
she says. " We are continually
refining our programs based
on what we hear from community
leaders and organizations as being
a true partner requires listening and
adjusting to meet the specific needs
of the community. "
As Chief Diversity Officer, Schroeder
established the company's DEI roadmap,
helped develop eight employee
affinity groups and is still an influential
leader on DEI as a member
of the company's Executive Council.
Altice USA has been recognized
by the Human Rights Campaign
Foundation as a best place to work
for LGBTQ+ employees for several
years now, a feat Schroeder is especially
proud of. " Looking back at
my career, I could not have imagined
the progress that has been made,
both in society and in the workplace,
on equality for the LGBTQ+ community.
And yet, we still have a long way
to go, and I continue to learn ways
that I can be more inclusive, " she
says. " I think that it is essential that
each of us remain open to learning
what we can do as individuals to improve
inclusivity and use our voices
to champion the cause and push for
more progress and change. "
Schroeder's many accomplishments
include leading Altice's first-ever
town hall on race relations and implementing
a regular series of company
events that have encouraged
thoughtful discussion and reinforced
the responsibility of being an active
ally. Altice USA has received various
accolades over the years for its focus
on DEI, but Schroeder, who was
honored in 2019 at a WICT Woman of
the Year, celebrates something much
larger.
" While the external recognition we
have received is terrific, the real evidence
of the program's success is
the sentiment from our employees
about their pride in the D&I program
and the feedback that we've gotten
on how it has made Altice USA a
more desirable place to be, " she says.
" Consistent with the company's culture,
the D&I program's focus, from
its inception, was on creating an inclusive
culture that attracts and retains
the best talent, because each
person feels the most comfortable
being his/her/their authentic self.
Critical to achieving this culture are
the Employee Affinity Groups, which
continue to be the heart of our D&I
program. "
Lee Schroeder
EVP, Government Affairs
Altice USA
DIVERSITY
PRIDE
http://www.CablefaxDiversity.com
Cablefax The Magazine October 2022

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