Speaking out on diversity

While we are making progress. I'm not satisfied. We are not where we should be. For our businesses to succeed, we must attract diverse talent and help create a climate where each individual feels welcome, respected and valued. As we change our company, so we help change the nation.

I've asked Weyerhaeuser leaders to remember these words of Dr. Martin Luther King: "Something tells me that the ultimate test of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and moments of convenience, but where he stands in moments of challenge."

Dr. King moved our nation by appealing to our common aspirations: respect, trust, equality and opportunity. I'm committed to ensuring that our company achieves those aspirations.

We have a long road ahead of us, but I'm optimistic. We have a better understanding than ever of the environment we must create to attract diverse talent. And we are putting meaningful actions behind our words.

Geeks On Call[R]

Geeks On Call[R] is the nation's leading on-site computer service company with over 340 independently owned franchises in 25 states nationwide. Such expansive reach creates the need for an all inclusive environment in everything we do. The only way to adequately communicate and address the needs of our customers, clients, franchise owners, and employees is to actively manage and implement our strategic initiative to embrace and support a diverse workforce.

But diversity in our hiring practices is only the surface of our much broader corporate mission. Computing is an all inclusive activity available to everyone regardless of socioeconomic situation. Because we offer a service that reaches across all borders and boundaries, we must have open lines of communication to help people reach the full potential of the Internet. It is through understanding diverse cultures, lifestyles, experiences, and backgrounds that these lines of communication remain open. As the population of America becomes more diverse, it will be more and more imperative that we match that diversity and listen to the broad spectrum of voices that make up our workforce and our clientele.

Geeks On Cal[R] is dedicated to bringing talented people together to exchange different viewpoints and develop innovative strategies which help the company grow into the future. Today we're an American company, but the global reach of computers and the Internet is undeniable. Our continued success as a provider of computer services will depend on developing strategies to embrace a new frontier of diverse users in many cultures. We must mirror not just the American cultural landscape, but the cultural landscape of our planet if we are to succeed with the globalization of our brand. Diversity provides the broad insight necessary to successfully serve our growing customer base across ethnic, political, societal, and cultural barriers and achieve higher levels of brand acceptance and customer loyalty.

BellSouth

At BellSouth, we take diversity a step further with a focus on inclusion. This is a business approach that embraces diverse characteristics and leverages similarities to engage all employees at all levels, supporting individual success as well as the success of the company.