Slide 1

Board Diversity

• Adding Diversity to the Conservation Partnership

Slide 2

Partnership

• NRCS enjoys a great partnership with the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the National Associationof Resource Conservation and Development Councils, Inc. (NARC&DC).

Slide 3

Partnership Challenge

• The challenge is to provide every community with an opportunity to serve on boards/councils that address their community’s natural resource issues.

Slide 4

Meeting the Challenge

Recruiting people of different skills, backgrounds, and ethnicities is one method to enhance creativity and diversity on your boards and councils.

Ethnically and culturally diverse boards and councils can produce comprehensive and powerful solutions to community problems.

Slide 5

Recruitment Questions

• Who is affected by your board/council’s actions?

• What groups in the community should be represented?

• Does your board/council mirror the community?

• Is your board/council diverse?

Slide 6

Recruitment Tips

• Conduct analysis of demographic composition you serve

• Identify recruitment barriers and strategies

• Enlist help of community leaders• Partner with groups that work with

diverse audiences

Slide 7

Tips, continued

• Invite diverse community leaders to come to participate and/or speak at your local meetings

• Use non-traditional communication methods to reach diverse audiences

• Ask partners, friends, neighbors, and associates for names of people they would recommend to work with you

Slide 8

Tips, continued

• Develop messages that promote diversity • Invite potential recruits to meetings and

field visits• Share the benefits of being a board/council

member with potential recruits• Share your diversity achievements with

others

Slide 9

Summary

Recruiting and maintaining diverse boards and councils can facilitate community involvement from persons who previously had not been aware of the work of NRCS, NACD and NARC&DC which will result in the message of conservation being spread to a larger audience.

Slide 10

For more information

• National Civil Rights Committee• http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/civilrights/• Social Sciences Team• http://ww.ssi.nrcs.usda/gov• American Indian/Alaskan Native Association for NRCS• http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/partners/employee_org.html• Asian Pacific Islander Organization• http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/partners/employee_org.html• National Organization of Professional Black NRCS Employees• http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/partners/employee_org.html• National Organization of Professional Hispanic NRCS

Employees• http://www.usda.nrcs.gov/partners/employee_org.html

Slide 11

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer