Two employees at Community Financial Services Bank (CFSB) attended the Racial Equity Track at the DE&I Academy Pilot this spring, which is a part of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) efforts in the state of Kentucky. KY Chamber members were invited to attend the pilot program and bring a c-suite executive from their respective organizations. Paige Kindle, a member of the KY Chamber's statewide DEI Task Force attended with Andy Murrell, Chief Information Officer, both on behalf of CFSB.
Executives from 50 Kentucky businesses took part in the Kentucky Chamber Foundation's Center for DE&I's Pilot Academy on Racial Equity, which was designed for business leaders to gain a foundational understanding and awareness of DE&I concepts to create an inclusive culture.
Paige Kindle is a professional in the community banking industry with over fifteen years of experience in client service, marketing, training, compliance, culture, and product development, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion. Currently, she holds the position of Marketing Product Specialist and DE&I Champion at CFSB.
Kindle said, "It has been an honor to serve on the DE&I Task Force because it has not only allowed me to learn about DE&I on a state level from legislature to programming by the Chamber Foundation, but it has provided me with the gift and power of networking. Through these opportunities, I've had the pleasure of meeting so many great leaders across the Commonwealth, and I look forward to expanding on that and learning as much as I can so that I can be a part of the positive change in Kentucky."
According to the Kentucky Chamber Newsletter, this event taught participants about starting or continuing DE&I efforts at their respective organizations. "Participants gained a foundational understanding of DE&I topics pertinent to organizational health, sustainability, and profitability, and also received actionable steps and tools to use in their organizations to help create an inclusive culture. Participants also had the opportunity to examine how their own biases and privileges manifest themselves throughout an organization.
Kindle will bring this knowledge back to the CFSB team to use in initiatives and efforts already in process. The DE&I initiative at CFSB strives to foster a creative and inclusive environment for team members and clients. The goal is to create a safe, welcoming space and build strong partnerships with the Western Kentucky community and support them...