Over the past several weeks, you have heard me speak about the unrest and anger in our nation and the loss of hope following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and many more incidents before that. We must find our way to peace and respect, and above all, truly live out our core value of diversity that we follow here at Citizens Energy Group. That means zero tolerance for not respecting others.
Personally, I want action to take place not just words spoken. I am dedicated to deepening our long history of diversity and inclusion here at Citizens. I know we can all do better. But we must act as a team, as members of the community and ambassadors of the Trust. I understand these occurrences have impacted us in different ways. We need to share our personal experiences, engage in difficult discussions and continue to lift each other up.
As I reflect on the tumultuous events of the past several weeks, I have been encouraged by the growing number of examples of demonstrators and law enforcement officers following the path to reconciliation that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated. Last month, I was heartened when I saw media reports about protester Malik Muhammad joining with Indianapolis Police Lieutenant Andrew Rolinson and other assembled officers to ensure a peaceful demonstration near the Governor’s Mansion. It is my continuing hope that the love shown that night by Malik Muhammad and Officer Rolinson will lead the way to understanding and reconciliation here in Indianapolis.
As I’ve mentioned before, I've been engaging with many community leaders about what can be done to improve race relations in our community. How can we as businesses, how can we as leaders, how can we as people in the community impact and improve the relationship between races? How can we improve the relationship between the African American community and the police? Given the mission and purpose of the Trust, all of these people are our beneficiaries. So how can we help? How can we become engaged? These are questions we need to continue to have conversations about.
Here at Citizens, since 2002, our Diversity and Inclusion cross-functional team has existed to guide the Trust’s efforts to be a better place to work, a more successful provider of utility services, and a more responsible citizen within our community. If you are interested in getting more involved in these efforts, you can submit a request on iTrust to join the D&I team. The current members of the team are great resources if you are seeking someone to talk to or ask questions about current issues. Also, please remember to utilize our Employee Assistance Program. Free, confidential counseling is available 24 hours a day to employees and anyone who lives in your household by calling 800-543-4158.
Our diversity core value guides us to foster a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone's ideas are valued, and everyone is respected. We will continue to take steps to strengthen our efforts.
Jeffrey A. Harrison
President and CEO
