Northwest Center, Seattle, Wash., is increasing its Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) commitment by adding a new position and new steering committee to the NWC team that provides reception and other office support services on the Amazon campus. Corporate Receptionist Courtney McGhee has been named Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Engagement Coordinator, a role that she has taken on part time in addition to her reception work. McGhee joined Reception Program Manager Cheryl Keyes to create the new role, which is part of Northwest Center’s commitment to equity and inclusion of all races, genders, identities and ethnicities, and which includes an equity committee that was established in 2015.
As DEI Engagement Coordinator, McGhee works alongside a newly created Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee to engage with Northwest Center leadership and staff who work on the Amazon campus, to set DEI goals and track outcomes aligned with work experiences, to ensure that the team’s DEI efforts support the entire NWC organization and mission, and to foster a positive and inclusive work environment. The DEI Steering Committee includes members of NWC’s leadership and Human Resources teams.
As DEI Engagement Coordinator, McGhee works with staff on all levels to provide DEI support, communication, and direction, including measuring performances and outcomes and seeking new and improved DEI methodologies to develop a more inclusive culture. McGhee helped found Northwest Center’s Black Affinity Group which helps guide equity efforts while providing information on Black history and current events to NWC staff. She has also created company-wide trainings on topics including “Racism and Acceptance vs. Tolerance in the Workplace.”
“It’s important to make sure diversity, equity, and inclusion are truly being represented in the work space as well as our personal lives,” says McGhee, who says her driving forces is making sure everyone has a voice and standing up for what is right. “After all the terrible things we saw and continue to see on television and social media that happen to people of color, I made it my duty to find a way to bring change,” she says.