OneSpartanburg’s Pipeline Project to offer diversity training

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The Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Nika White Consulting in Greenville to offer board diversity and inclusion training to Spartanburg area nonprofits.

The training fulfills a portion of the Pipeline Project, a OneSpartanburg initiative that promotes broader and more diverse membership on area boards “to create new champions for Spartanburg County that reflect its diversity,” according to a news release. The training is made possible by the Duke Energy Foundation.

An initial training session, held in partnership with the Spartanburg County Foundation, will be offered to nonprofit professionals on Thursday, May 31, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Spartanburg Chamber. Anyone interested in attending can register at no cost by contacting Betsy Sikma, [email protected].

Training also will be provided to organizations’ boards of directors, available on a first-come, first-served basis, the release said.

“As Spartanburg thrives, it must remain intentional about engaging diverse populations in leadership roles,” said diversity and inclusion practitioner Nika White, owner of Nika White Consulting, in the release. “I’m glad to see Spartanburg focused on curating more representative boards.”

In addition to offering board diversity trainings, the Pipeline Project will identify rising stars in underrepresented populations, channel those individuals through community leadership programs, and connect graduates with organizations seeking board leadership. Engaging these individuals in community leadership roles increases the likelihood that they will remain in Spartanburg, the release said.

“The OneSpartanburg community assessment reinforced that we need to see a more diverse range of people in leadership positions,” said Betsy Sikma, vice president of talent and economic inclusion at the Spartanburg Chamber, in the release. “The best place to begin is by educating nonprofit organization boards in order to create more opportunities for involvement. The trainings will help organizations remove barriers and unintentional bias in order to foster a more inclusive environment.”