Press Releases
CONTACT:
Diversity in Government Relations (DGR) Coalition
info@dgrcoalition.org
www.dgrcoalition.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 5, 2022
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR ARE BEING OVERLOOKED IN THE WORKPLACE SURVEY FINDS
Washington, DC – Today, the Diversity in Government Relations (DGR) Coalition launches preliminary findings from its inaugural Diversity & Inclusion in Government Relations Survey released last fall.
The findings from the Snapshot Report reveal—among nearly 900 respondents—historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups disproportionately report feeling they are being overlooked in the government relations profession.
African Americans, Asian Americans, and other people of color are less likely to feel like they belong, are treated fairly, or have equal opportunities to succeed at their organizations in comparison with their White colleagues. They are also less likely to feel respected, to agree that their organization values diversity, and are less comfortable voicing their opinions at work.
“I don’t think any of us are surprised by these findings. People of color—particularly African Americans—have long experienced microaggressions and bias in the workplace. What is most unfortunate is the gap in responses across groups. The gaps are monumental—which leads me to believe there are many professionals of color working with their heads down probably looking for their next opportunity,” said Dr. Monica Almond, DGR Coalition Co-Founder.
The inaugural survey, which included demographic data and data about workplace experiences, gathered anonymous self-reported information from individual employees who work directly or indirectly to influence local, state, and federal policy.
The full report, launching this fall, will detail DEI experiences across individuals of different backgrounds (e.g., White women who identified as being of Hispanic or Latino origin, LGBQ males, African Americans in leadership, etc.) and will highlight the intersection and variance of these experiences—to include an in-depth look at registered lobbyists.
These findings have broad implications for the government relations industry as well as those tied to it.
The DGR Coalition is led by:
Monica Almond, Ph.D., The Almond Group
Kodiak Hill-Davis, Republican Women for Progress
Gina Kim, National Journal
Angela Lee, Goodwill Industries International
Liz Lopez, Hispanic Lobbyists Association
Cicely Tomlinson, The Almond Group
Jaime Werner, Congressional Management Foundation
Gerald Yao, FiscalNote
About the DGR Coalition: The Diversity in Government Relations (DGR) Coalition exists to foster and strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion among entities that influence local, state, and federal policy through data collection, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement--leading to a more diverse government relations workforce, which yields inclusive and transformative policymaking that reflects the diversity of America.
###