DiversityInc - January/February 2007

Completed Downtown Projects by Year

Source: Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.

$600

$386.74

Total Project Cost (in millions)

$500

$400

$300

$200

$100

$512.55

$307.25

Inclusion in this city extends beyond ethnicity and race. “Persons with disabilities are an essential part of Indianapolis’ diverse culture,” says Juli Paini, coordinator of the Mayor’s Office of Disability Affairs (MODA).

To help the corporate community recruit talent and integrate people with disabilities into the workplace ( 70 percent are unemployed or underemployed nationally), MODA hosts an annual Accessibility and Diversity job fair. During last year’s event, dozens of employers met with 300 job seekers. This spring, the city will host the Mayor’s Summit on Inclusive Employment, featuring disability service providers and accessibility workshops for both corporations and potential employees. In recognition of such efforts, the National Organization on Disability ranked Indianapolis one of the top 10 “disability friendly” cities in the nation.

0

2003 2004 2005 Year

Economic Empowerment & Development

Part of Mayor Peterson’s overall plan is to provide housing for all residents to revitalize the region. That’s why the city invests in redevelopment projects such as Red Maple Grove, a pub-lic/private partnership that will include 165 rental units, 52 sin-gle-family houses and 10,000 square feet of retail space. The project is expected to be completed by 2009. Nearly all of the

Duke Realty: Building a Culture of Diversity

Diversity is woven into the fabric of Indianapolis-based Duke Realty Corporation. The largest publicly traded office and industrial property owner in the United States, Duke embraces diversity. And the commitment starts at the top. Key associates are encouraged to lead and be involved in the community—and they’re evaluated on their level of involvement. MicroInequities training shines a light on the little things that foster—or detract from—a culture of inclusiveness. Duke’s Diversity Council promotes diversity through training, communications and partnerships. “The goal is to create an inclusive environment and to remain competitive by doing so,” says Duke CEO Denny Oklak.

Denny Oklak In 2004, the company launched a Supplier Diversity Program, and already it’s having an impact. Duke spent $4.5 million with minority business enterprises and $31 million with women’s business enterprises in 2005.

Working with nonprofits is another facet of Duke’s commitment to diversity. Bosma Industries for the Blind, with a mission to enhance opportunities for blind and visually impaired workers, hired Duke. Through suggestions aimed at reducing cost, a response to requests for in-kind donations and a relationship with the customer, Duke helped Bosma build a building with features and conveniences it wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Duke is involved with INROADS, offering minority student internships; Project REAP, training minority professionals in commercial real estate; and IndyCREW, a chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Women network. The company builds its diverse work force by actively recruiting at multicultural and minority career fairs as well as Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

And once recruited, Duke employees benefit from a culture that supports different backgrounds and lifestyles. Diversity retreats, flexible work arrangements, mentoring programs and a company-sponsored loan for new homeown-ers keep the doors and opportunities open for employees and potential employees.

“Our diversity program is paying off,” says Oklak, who has seen the percentage of Duke employees who are racial or ethnic minorities rise 70 percent since 2002. “And we’re creating a culture that positions us well for the future.”