SPECIFICALLY SPEAKING | DIVERSITY
NYC’s Human Rights
Commissioner Addresses Issues
of Diversity and Inclusion with
CLM Forum Attendees
At the recent Claims and Litigation Management Alliance Diversity Forum, a wide
ranging audience of professionals from corporations, businesses, and the legal
and insurance industries were addressed by Patricia Gatling, commissioner and
chair of the New york City Commission on Human Rights. Gatling provided the
Forum’s keynote speech.
Commissioner Gatling shared withtheattend- ees some insight into her professional and personal perspectives
on making the workplace into a more
diverse and inclusive environment:
“When viewed in terms of today’s
global economy, ‘diverse’ and ‘
inclusive’ have different meanings than they
have had historically — even 10 years
ago. In the global economy, you need
to rise above the usual protected classes found in our anti-discrimination
laws to evaluate whether your business
is both diverse and inclusive. And, if
the only thing I accomplish today
is to remind you of the importance
of the spirit, rather than the letter of
these laws, this talk will be a success.
If I can remind you to institute policies that promote inclusion, appreciate
the differences in your employees and
nurture those differences, it will assuredly have a positive influence on your
bottom line.”
She spoke about the challenges and
opportunities her position affords her
