CoreNet New England's Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) committee is dedicated to raising awareness, providing education, and delivering programs to our members that promote and support equity, inclusion, and diversity in our community and within our Chapter. Our goals and objectives are to:
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- Align
- Promote
- Raise Awareness
- Create
- Empower
- Identify, Attract, Retain
- Educate
As CRE professionals, we influence design decisions around space, which can distinctly impact how and where people see themselves living and working in their space. We also manage access to space and are tasked with creating a "place" where people want to succeed and thrive. We represent a diverse yet significant portion of jobs in America, which should be reflected in the workplace. We have the ability and power to influence decisions on the supply chain, where diversity spending is possible, and we impact and support company culture through the spaces we deliver. We are excited to lead many engaging and necessary conversations in the CRE world and to grow our impact within CoreNet New England. Please reach out to Mark Watkins with any ideas or suggestions for this initiative.
Commercial Real Estate Success Training (CREST)
CREST is a local, non-profit organization that provides meaningful summer internships along with personal and professional skills development to highly motivated and talented college students who have been historically underrepresented in our industry. CREST works with partner firms to recruit the right intern for real estate organizations and provides on-going support and skills development training throughout their internship. Learn more about CREST from previous participant, Markos Alemu. In this video he speaks about his experience interning at Liberty Mutual through CREST last summer.
CoreNet Global New England is a Champion partner of CREST and this allows our association to mentor, educate, and support CREST. To learn more about the partnership and how to get involved, visit the CREST page on our website.
Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee Policy
- We will annually compile statistics as to women and people of color serving on its board and will publish those statistics with its membership and the Great Boston CRE/EID Collaborative, and (b) will work with its board to establish measurable goals for the following year to increase diversity, promote cultures of belonging, and encourage practices of inclusion.
- We commit to annual professional coaching and development for board members and staff that includes EID-related topics (whether developed by such organization or developed by other organizations). Each organization will also include programming for the broader membership and sponsor companies around DEI, similar to the 2019 and 2020 CRE Summits on Equity, Inclusion & Diversity.
- Board members, as part of their leadership commitment, will also commit to advocate for their firms to participate in the current and future EID pipeline programs for young adults in commercial real estate. Examples of such programs of this date include but are not limited to: CREST, REEX Summer Program, and Mayor's/City of Boston Summer Real Estate Jobs Program.
- We actively promote the value of diversity, equity and inclusion in our staff and board. This includes identifying a pipeline of diverse board candidates and actively recruiting those members.
- We will maximize opportunities for each individual to contribute to the organization's goals by actively ensuring a fully diverse body og staff and volunteer participants in appointments to task forces, special projects, decision-making activities, and leadership roles. This includes ensuring that speakers, panelists or other program leaders are diverse.
- We will seek for the best and brightest to participate in our programs with a regard for diversity of gender, race, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, veteran status, disability, religion and age.