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PESA Racial Equality Working Groups Provide Progress Updates

PESA’s Racial Equality Task Force met on December 15 to hear progress reports from each of the working groups on specific action plans and goals developed since the last time the full group met.

PESA Vice President Strategy & Programs Molly Determan opened the virtual meeting with a review of the taskforce’s mission plan. Once Determan discussed PESA leadership involvement and next year’s planned Board session, the working group leads presented details of what their groups have accomplished since the last meeting.

The Board-level meeting on these initiatives is a priority in 2021, as vaccines are distributed and people are again able to meet face-to-face.

“There is a desire and an understanding from the Board to have a meaningful discussion,” said PESA Advisory Board Member Dave Warnick, Weir Oil & Gas.

Amanda Jean, Director of Human Resources, NOV — Industry Partners & HBCUs Update

  • Identifying areas of collaboration, the group developed an introduction letter describing the initiative to increase recruitment at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
  • The working group met with Paula Glover, President and CEO of the American Association of Black Engineers (AABE) to identify ways the groups can work together to help blacks and African Americans in energy. Goals for 2021 include developing a pipeline to students, increasing student engagement and interaction, and focusing on supplier diversity and scholarship funding.
  • PESA will also work with AABE to increase access to Member Company internships. “Sometimes internships slots are filled based on who you know,” Jean said. “The working group, in an effort to broaden that, will let AABE know what opportunities are available for both the summer and winter sessions for students.”
  • The working group will have a follow up meeting with AABE so they can select one to two proposed targets. They will meet with the National Society of Black Engineers in early January.

Chris Jost, Senior Manager, HR Organizational Development, Oceaneering International — Diversity Study Update

  • The working group successfully developed an expanded diversity survey to encompass race and ethnicity.
  • Jost discussed the 2018 study and how it has evolved based on working group sessions, taskforce feedback and the data collected. Jost encouraged members to participate.

“The more data we get with the diversity survey, the better story we can tell,” Jost said. “What I really took away from PESA’s Inclusion & Diversity Business Champion Program was all the insight and feedback. We used the resources, specifically the Toolkit, to look at what we are going to do as an organization.”

Shanta Eaden, Director, Project Management Office, Weatherford — Expanding I&D Program Update

  • This working group made adjustments to PESA’s Inclusion & Diversity Business Champion Program 2020 program to include a focus on racial equality.
  • The working group found immediate opportunities to insert discussions of race and ethnicity into seminars and supplemental resources that will be carried over into future curriculums.

Michelle Risinger, Human Resources Director, TechnipFMC — Petroleum Academy Reinforcement

  • This group worked with IPAA/PESA Energy Education Center leadership to identify diversity needs and develop an action plan for the IPAA/PESA Petroleum Academies. Execution is under way.
  • The working group proposed several ways to support the Education Center, such as sharing “day in the life” videos with students. Risinger emphasized the need for videos to reflect diversity so that students can see themselves represented. The group agreed that companies may already have existing diversity videos that could also be used to meet the request.

Molly Determan — Mentoring & Sponsorship

  • The working group created and distributed a best practices document establishing a mentoring and sponsorship framework for Black and other minority employees.
  • The taskforce will identify a new lead on Mentorships who will collaborate with the working groups to identify and execute mentorship opportunities.

Lamonica Spivey, Corporate Diversity & Inclusion Sr. Manager, TechnipFMC — Employee Resource Group (ERG) Working Group

  • To begin a cross-organization African American and Black Employee Resource Group, the ERG working group developed a group name (PESA NAABE), mission statement and bylaws. It also distributed a survey to PESA Members to gauge NAABE interest.
  • The group will continue working on this important initiative to improve the sector’s racial inclusion and diversity.

For more information on or to participate in the working groups, please contact PESA Vice President Strategy & Programs Molly Determan.

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