TOLEDO, Ohio, April 11, 2024 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), an internationally ranked architecture and engineering firm, is excited to announce the firm’s CEO Vince DiPofi, PE, will provide opening remarks at the third annual Diversity Equity Access Inclusion (DEAI) Alliance of Northwest Ohio’s Diversity Summit. The event takes place on April 19, 2024—on Toledo’s “419 Day”—from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at downtown’s Imagination Station, and includes a CEO panel, presentation by Equality Ohio on LGBTQIA+ advocacy, closing remarks from Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken, and more.
At last year’s summit, DiPofi joined two of SSOE’s clients on the CEO panel to discuss how he’s navigated the firm toward inclusion, access, and increasing minority workplace and supplier representation—among other advancements.
DiPofi shared, “When I was invited to participate in the CEO panel last year, I was extremely honored. So, to be asked to provide opening remarks at this year’s event is truly humbling. We’ve put so much work into diversity, equity, access, and inclusion at SSOE and I love sharing our journey with other organizational leaders. The theme of this year’s event is ‘DEAI: The Human Perspective,’ and I think it’s perfectly fitting—we all need to remember that each of us has a story and can bring value to the conversation of how to elevate underrepresented groups in our community.”
Candice Harrison, SSOE’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) who coordinated SSOE’s involvement in the upcoming summit, shared, “Since we’ve taken an intentional and public stance on diversity, equity, access, and inclusion as a company, it’s had a profound and positive impact. Sometimes the changes may seem small, but we’re making a difference incrementally—not just in terms of our diverse employee base, brand reputation, and turnover, but also in terms of profitability, productivity, creativity, and innovation. Creating a more equitable environment is truly a win for all, and we’re seeing it first-hand as we’re steadily getting to where we want to be.”
In addition to the work the firm continues to do internally, SSOE recently launched an annual scholarship that will support students from underrepresented groups in the engineering and architecture fields at Historically Black Colleges and Universities—and named its first recipient, a junior at Tennessee State University. Harrison also hosts a quarterly podcast, A Blueprint for Equity, that is sponsored by SSOE and dedicated to exploring challenges, uncovering opportunities, and celebrating successes surrounding DEI in architecture, engineering, construction, and adjacent industries.
At a local level, SSOE formed a corporate partnership with Toledo Public Schools (TPS) Hawkins STEMM Academy in 2022 after a long-standing relationship with the district. The firm previously partnered with TPS in 2017 on a pilot apprenticeship program to engage students at the high school / pre-college level and provide them exposure to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers.
On the higher ed front and also in 2022, SSOE and DiPofi announced a combined multi-year gift to the University of Toledo (UToledo) College of Engineering. This gift primarily supports personnel and programming in the Office of Student Success, Opportunity, and Engagement. That team, housed in UToledo’s College of Engineering, helps ensure every student has access to the resources and tools needed for academic and career success. The contribution also includes funding for scholarships that will target high-performing students belonging to groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in engineering professions—as well as classrooms.
For additional information about the DEAI Alliance of Northwest Ohio’s Diversity Summit, click here.
