Program & Services
In addition, I-DIEM has Experienced Consultants who deliver any of the following services:
•Equity Assessments
•Executive DEI Coaching
•Policy Review
•DEI Certification for individuals, businesses, and organizations which are trust-worthy credentials for action planning in building diversity, equity, and inclusion among its stakeholders.
•Leadership Development through a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lens
•Onsite & Virtual Training
•Anti-Racism, LGBTQIA+ Inclusion
•Employee Resource Group (ERG) Facilitation/Setup
•Equity Committee Facilitation
•Fractional CDO (Chief Diversity Officer) Services
•Speakers for your engagement
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Open in new tab News and Events
The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM), a nonprofit focused on addressing equity in disasters and emergency management, will co-host a webinar with the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) to discuss the impacts of Hurricane Ian among underserved communities in Southwest, […]
The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) recently participated in the recent Native American Commission meeting in Baton Rouge, LA. Opportunities where marginalized communities are prioritized within the government are key examples of how we can empower our communities toward a resilient future. […]
WASHINGTON — FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell traveled to southern California and participated in two events on Friday, Aug. 5 — the HERricane Los Angeles conference, followed by a Women in Homeland Security SoCal Chapter meeting. Both events celebrated women working in emergency management and encouraged the nation’s […]
ATLANTA – August 2, 2022 – The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) announced Brittany Giles-Jones, Jacob Zamorano, and Taylor Nicks as recipients of the 2nd Annual Lt. General Julius Becton Jr. Scholarship Program. Brittany Giles-Jones is a Ph.D. student in humanities at […]
The Leflore County Board of Supervisors learned valuable EMERGENCY management skills in a tabletop exercise Tuesday at the Leflore CountyCourthouse. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson chose Greenwood as one of five locations within the state for the exercise. Thompson’s choice was made in part to aid the […]
On July 20, 2022, the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) was invited to testify before the 117th Congress’s House Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery on the topic of “Supporting Underserved Communities in Emergency Management.” I-DIEM’s testimony focused on the impacts […]
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) hosted a briefing on how the federal government as well as states and cities around the country can better incorporate equity into emergency management. Climate change is driving more frequent and severe impacts such as polar vortices, sea level […]
This article was originally published on Politicopro.com He grew up in the segregated South attending elementary schools with no indoor plumbing, no cafeteria and no white students. Later, he went on to lead efforts in Congress to make the federal response to disasters and climate change […]
African Americans and people in lower socioeconomic groups are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to speakers on a coronavirus webinar hosted by Virginia Commonwealth University and the American Society for Public Administration. Susan T. Gooden, Ph.D., dean of the L. Douglas Wilder School […]
Ida made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 storm on Sunday. Reports of damage are still coming in, but the recovery for Louisiana and other Gulf States is expected to be lengthy based on the devastation seen so far. We’re approaching the peak of a […]
Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States are disproportionately affected by disasters. This disparity stems from decades of historical and systemic disinvestment and discrimination in communities of color, resulting in socio-economic inequities, poor health outcomes, high incarceration rates and environmental justice issues.
When people discuss research in the context of corporate Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), the vast majority of references point to one of two types of findings that allegedly support the value of D&I: (1) studies showing a correlation between various types of corporate diversity and some […]
Injustices like racism and white supremacy extensively manifest in emergency management and disaster preparedness. As the world faces more disasters each year, the need to name, understand, and address racism and white supremacy is all the more needed. We will discuss: •The causes and effects of […]
A House Homeland Security subcommittee examined the coronavirus response and the impact of the virus on minority communities. The hearing focused on the health and equity disparities in minority communities that have contributed to high COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. Witnesses highlighted lack of testing, high […]
The Southeast and Caribbean is a diverse region of people at different levels of readiness for a disaster. Deep and complicated legacies of inequality and injustice along lines of race, gender, and other identities amplify barriers to resilience, recovery, and adaptation. As we concurrently face a […]
On Friday, May 28, 2022, Senators Schatz and Cassidy reintroduced the Disaster Learning and Lifesaving Act which would create the National Disaster Safety Board. I-DIEM provided policy review and recommendations on the legislation which was first introduced in October 2020.IDIEM provided additional Disaster Expert, Scholar and […]
Subcommittee on the Department of Homeland Security
After attending a racial equity training session hosted by NLC in 2019, Stevie Freeman-Montes, Sustainability Manager for the City of Sarasota, Florida at the time, returned home knowing that she wanted to share what she had learned with her own city staff. But the timing was […]
The country’s top environmental official, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, joined a panel of health center leaders and other experts to discuss the impact of climate change and a toxic environment on public health. Panelists dEscribed how health centers are responding and working to promote environmental […]
FEMA is making changes to a policy that has disproportionately affected Black homeowners in the South who didn’t have documentation like deeds to show proof of ownership. They will now be able to receive aid after a disaster. Here & Now’s Tonya Mosley talks with Chauncia […]
Internal FEMA documents suggest low-income disaster survivors are less likely to receive some types of housing assistance. Critics point out there are also racial disparities in who gets help. ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: An NPR investigation finds the federal government is not providing crucial assistance to some […]
The people who need help the most after disasters are least able to get it from the federal government. Internal records show that FEMA knows it has a problem. AILSA CHANG, HOST: When a hurricane destroys your house, the clock starts ticking every day without stable […]
Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chauncia Willis, discusses the systemic impacts of disaster assistance on generational wealth among African American families and offers hope for new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) policies geared toward “heirs properties” embracing the […]
On Thursday, October 21, 2021, at 12 pm Eastern Time, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a virtual briefing on the civil rights implications of the federal response and impact of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. At this virtual public briefing, the Commissioners heard from subject […]
How can emergency management (EM) change? Include different kinds of staff? Better serve diverse communities? Join this Multi-Hazards episode as Chauncia Willis, Co-Founder and CEO of the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) and seasoned EM practitioner herself, shows us the joys and […]
Wildfires. Flooding. Hurricanes. These all come to mind when one thinks of natural disasters. There have been many this year including the most recent flooding in Tennessee where at least 21 people died and many more are still missing. But just how natural are these disasters? […]
The enemy of equity is the failure to acknowledge existing inequities. Now more than ever, it is critical that we—as a society—acknowledge the embedded bias that exists within all systems and structures, including emergency management and hazards mitigation.
Lisa Joyslin of the Minnesota Association of Volunteer Administrators (MAVA) and Chauncia Willis of the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) address racial justice and equity within the emergency management industry.
The “Emergency Management as a Career” panel series introduces students, professionals and those interested in or thinking about a career in Emergency Management to experts in the field. This panel is aimed at those with a background in public administration/the nonprofit space.
Lt. General Julius Becton Student Scholarship Fund Winners Tidal Basin and the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) congratulate the winners of the first annual Lt. General Julius Becton Student Scholarship Fund. C. Wendell Grinton Jr., Carmen Reed, and Daniella Plaza will receive a […]
The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) Resilient Opportunity Zones (ROZs) program is an innovative approach for communities to equitably build disaster resilience and build economic vitality in underserved communities. ROZs provides local governments with guidance on how to leverage and integrate multiple […]
I-DIEM’s Chauncia Willis responds to Texas’ winter storm – USA Today As millions of Texans grapple with the aftermath of a deadly winter storm, people of color and low-income communities who were disproportionately affected by blackouts and burst pipes could now face the hardest journey to […]
Statement from the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) on President-Elect Joseph R. Biden’s nomination of Deanne Criswell as Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ATLANTA – January 15, 2021 – The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management […]
An overwhelming number of emergency managers in the U.S. are white, and the profession must diversify to reverse decades of disaster response policies that have shunned minority communities and perpetuated racial discrimination, a state emergency manager told Congress yesterday.
I-DIEM Receives Walmart Foundation Grant to Combat COVID-19 Health Disparities Funding to Help Develop COVID-19 Education and Awareness for African-American Communities ATLANTA – September 1, 2020 – The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management was awarded a Walmart Giving Local Initiatives grant to develop […]
March 12, 2020 On March 12, 2020, I-DIEM Co-Founder and CEO, Chauncia Willis, provided her perspective during the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Office of Equal Rights (OER), Women’s History Month Observance Event. The theme of the event was “Women in Emergency Management: Riding […]
The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) appreciates the opportunity to provide Public Comment on revisions and updates to the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operation Plans (CPG 101). January 14, 2020 Read CPG 101 Comments by clicking here IDIEM […]
It’s official! The BAF Flagship at UD has completed its partnership agreement with the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management. I-DIEM has a similar mission to the BAF Flagship in that it advocates for greater inclusion of women and people of color in emergency […]
I-DIEM was pleased to discuss the challenges of marginalization and inequity in emergency management and provide recommendations for any necessary changes to FEMA policies, programs, or statutory authorities that address the challenges. As was discussed during the session, the challenges of marginalization and inequity in emergency […]
December 4-6, 2019 Philipsburg, Sint Maarten The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) was delighted to attend the 11th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management in Sint Maarten. I-DIEM is committed to supporting communities of color and building resilience in vulnerable areas, worldwide. […]
December 4, 2019 San Francisco, California The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) enjoyed participating at the Silicon Valley Disaster Response Forum in San Francisco, California. Great discussion on how the Emergency Management enterprise can leverage technology to improve disaster response in an […]
December 4, 2019 Washington, DC The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) was honored to participate in the Member Briefing for the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery of the Committee on Homeland Security (U.S. House of Representatives) in Washington, D.C. on […]
November 1, 2019 There is a “fierce urgency of now”. More complex and dangerous natural disasters are expected to impact the United States. Communities of color, women, people with disabilities, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are disproportionately impacted by extreme weather and other emergencies due to […]
November 16, 2019 The Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) would like to thank everyone who attended the Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management Convening held at Savannah State University on Saturday, November 16th! The historic event was the first of its kind […]
