Commercial Integrator June 2022 - 50

DIVERSITY Female Voices
GOING BEYOND
THE TABLE
In the fi nal part of CI's three-part series, the powerful
women of AV tackle DEI and belonging.
By Amala Reddie
IN THE APRIL ISSUE'S installment of this
three-part series on women in the commercial
AV industry, Commercial Integrator
delved into the achievements of women
who broke barriers and commanded the table
as directors, as CEOs and in other executive
positions. In the article, we witnessed
these women soaring to great heights,
while still taking time to mentor young, upand-coming
females in our industry. These
leaders have undoubtedly helped pave the
way for others' future successes.
Throughout this series, virtually every
interviewee underlined the importance
of creating a culture of inclusivity and
equity...a culture within which women and
others from marginalized communities can
be seen and heard. Several groups have
arisen in our industry in recent years that are
leading the eff ort to inspire companies and
individuals within commercial AV to embrace
diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
These groups include the AVIXA Diversity
Council and the NSCA DEI Action Council.
Those programs notwithstanding, however,
there's still a long way to go before our
industry truly embodies inclusivity.
CI spoke with two of AVIXA's powerhouse
women, Joé Lloyd and Sarah Joyce, and
we reached out to Shen Milsom & Wilke
(SMW)'s Jenn Steinhardt and LyncVerse
Technologies' Shameka Dunbar for their
50
Commercial Integrator JUNE 2022
perspectives on these issues. In this feature,
we will explore the eff orts and achievements
of these commercial AV industry leaders.
Moreover, CI will espouse the importance
of inculcating DEI and embracing people of
diff erent backgrounds and identities, both
within and outside of the offi ce.
Defi ning " Culture "
In recent months, we witnessed ongoing
discussions of how to incorporate diversity
and inclusivity within commercial AV companies.
In those discussions, the term " company
culture " rose to prominence. Several
HR departments also pride themselves on
fostering a great company culture for their
current and prospective employees, but
what does " culture " mean in the AV industry?
For Lloyd, senior director of communications
at AVIXA, the foundation of culture is
" creating an environment of belonging. "
Part of fostering a culture of belonging is
cultivating a willingness to embrace other
perspectives, cultural traditions and life
experiences. When employees step into the
shoes of their peers, they expose themselves
to new and diff erent experiences.
This, then, builds a more tight-knit community.
During our conversation, Lloyd mentions,
" ...[P]eople from multicultural backgrounds
- especially women - oſt en [have to] adapt
their meeting schedules during religious
'An inclusive culture
supports people to be
their fully authentic
selves'
- Sarah Joyce, AVIXA
celebrations. When all employees are aware
of such challenges, they can address them. "
In that vein, Lloyd points to a project that
involved celebrating Ramadan and Passover
in the offi ce kitchen with all employees -
not just those practicing those respective
faiths. In so doing, employees fostered that
sense of community.
Joyce, chief global offi cer at AVIXA,
defi nes culture from her perspective. She
remarks, " An inclusive culture supports
people to be their fully authentic selves. "
While discussing the multifaceted nature of
her position, she describes her eff orts in this
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