Expanding the diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiative that it launched 2015, Mathematica Policy Research announced a comprehensive plan to embed new D&I efforts throughout its workplace practices. The announcement follows a multiyear assessment of the culture, practices, and communication of the company, which included qualitative and quantitative data collection and rigorous regression analyses that controlled for numerous variables. The expanded D&I initiative sets in place concrete steps to ensure that diversity is woven into all aspects of Mathematica’s business, including employment practices, corporate values, products, and services. In its first phase, to be implemented this year, the D&I plan calls for providing leadership with unconscious bias training, creating peer-organized employee resource groups, and expanding the company’s recruitment pipeline.
To oversee execution of the D&I plan, Mathematica has named its first Chief Diversity Officer, Vice President Diane Herz. The appointment is a recognition of her ongoing leadership in this area, and Herz will continue to work across the organization to create and sustain a welcoming and supportive culture that draws on the individual and collective strengths of employees from different backgrounds, cultures, identities, abilities, beliefs, and experiences.
“We are deeply committed to diversity and inclusion as a core organizational principle that supports our clients, projects, and staff,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Decker. “I’m delighted that Diane will lead our D&I efforts in her new role as Chief Diversity Officer. We understand that diversity and inclusion for everyone is essential to effectively deliver on our mission to improve public well-being. Diane’s guidance and leadership will help us continue to strengthen an environment at Mathematica that is enriched and informed by diverse perspectives.”
Herz, a nationally recognized leader in employment-related research and statistics, will also continue in her role as Vice President and Director in the Human Services Unit. She previously served as president of the Washington Statistical Society in 2015 and chaired the American Statistical Association’s LGBT Concerns Committee in 2016.
“I’m honored to take on this new role. Working together across the organization and with our partners, we will foster an environment that values and actively encourages diversity and inclusion,” said Herz.
Read CEO Paul Decker’s blog post and learn more about D&I at Mathematica.
