Council Chair
Dorene Wilbur, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Specialist
I have been a proud Pennsylvanian all of my life. In fact, my experiences in this great state have affirmed my belief that diversity is a fact and a gift, equity is a right, and inclusion and belonging are necessary for a strong Commonwealth. In today’s climate, building strong relationships amongst private and public sectors, communities, and law enforcement will require hard work, honest conversations, a willingness to learn, and open minds. DEI is hard work. We must recruit, train, and retain. But above all, we must eliminate the damaging impact of bias and intolerance by seeing every person’s humanity and worth. It can be done, and with the full support of Attorney General Shapiro, I am here to serve and facilitate that process.
Allentown
Joshua Gonzalez
Diversity is acknowledging and understanding the variety of cultures, races, genders, and beliefs we have crossing our paths each day, in our lives, or within the OAG. It provides us with the abilities to better understand our neighbors, peers, friends, and families. And allows us to understand our adversaries and the everyday challenges they pose, it creates better relations within law enforcement, allowing us to better serve the community.
Butler
Sean Kirley
Working for an agency with such an eclectic group of agents and employees, I feel that understanding each other‘s values and personal histories is very important to positively advancing the agenda of the office of Attorney General. By learning to positively work with one another I feel we will be able to accomplish such great things. I feel that accepting people for who they are is such an important characteristic because it will expand your understanding of the world.
Erie
Barbara Connelly-Sessamen
The first step toward diversity is understanding that each individual is unique and experiences vary from culture to culture. To find value in diversity you must have mutual respect for the person and recognize differences as assets. The benefit to our agency would be an appreciation of others and realize our own self-worth.
Harrisburg
Jodi Lobel
Diversity means appreciating and valuing other people’s contributions and perspectives based on their backgrounds, cultures and life experiences. Understanding diversity and promoting inclusion is crucial to achieve the most well rounded OAG to serve every population in our state fairly and respectfully, and with a broader acknowledgment of how a diverse workforce can contribute to creativity, innovative solutions and more successful outcomes.
John Kitzinger
Diversity means recruiting, recognizing, and understanding individuals for their unique differences. It is important to have diversity at OAG because it promotes mutual respect for each other, fosters a creative atmosphere of ideas, and allows us to better serve the special needs of ALL communities across the commonwealth.
Lemoyne
Danielle Brown
Diversity is recognizing and appreciating differences among people; whether that be race, cultural, gender, sexual orientation, social class or age. As a Black woman, I have often experienced a lack of diversity in both educational and professional settings. These deficiencies has made me strive to encourage and support diversity of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. To achieve this, it is especially important that all members of the OAG feel comfortable and welcome and that their voices are heard. I hope to accomplish this as a member of the Diversity Leadership Council.
North Huntingdon
Brenda Sawyer
I am diversity, being the first African American female officer sworn into office in the City of McKeesport on August 8, 1988. The first female officer was sworn in 17 years before me. I am also the first African American female Regional Director to be hired with the OAG/BNIDC. I have opened the doors and paved the way for others who look like me.
Norristown
Benjamin Walton
Diversity means each individual is unique in their own way. It recognizes that we are all different in varying dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, abilities, ideologies, etc. I firmly believe that each attribute that makes us different, can be a valuable asset.
As the former Deputy Police Chief in Daytona Beach and here at the OAG, I initiate efforts of targeted recruiting for all underrepresented populations. Due to the OAG’s size and scope of work, it is critical that the organization be representative of the entire state.
Philadelphia
Sarah Charles
Diversity and inclusion must be set in the foundation of any organization that wishes to maximize their employees’ potential and that of the organization. Exposure to a diversity of thoughts, cultures and practices, and fostering its growth is key to professional advancement. When you include a diversity of minds, you have stronger and greater success because the environment becomes open.
Anthony W. Luker
Diversity symbolizes our differences. Those differences encompass: culture, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and various lifestyles and interests. The willingness to embrace those differences is fundamental to the success of any social institution. Government agencies must focus on reflecting the communities we serve, and do so at all levels of the organization. Accepting others in celebration of who they are and creating environments where everyone can flourish with the same levels of support, respect, and participation is paramount.
Pittsburgh
Simquita Bridges
Diversity is important to the Office of Attorney General because the office needs to look and feel more like the communities we serve. For people to have faith in the mission of our office, they have to believe that the office empathizes with persons from all walks of life. They will only achieve that belief if the office’s employees are representative of all of the different kinds of people that make up Pennsylvania. I am committed to creating an environment that promotes activities and programs that helps us recognize the barriers faced by minorities and to promote values that discourage intolerance and discrimination
Scranton
Sarah Modrick
Diversity and inclusion are paramount to the continued success of the OAG. We must reflect the population we serve and be a welcoming place for potential employees of diverse backgrounds. One significant step we can take toward embracing a more diverse and inclusive work culture is in continuing outreach efforts. The OAG should be visible as a place to grow career-wise. We must be proactive in empowering students of diverse backgrounds to realize their potential in becoming the next generation of professionals.
State College
Barry Howe
By providing equal access and opportunity for everyone to be part of the OAG, we can continue to expand diversity in our organization. By having different contributions and inputs within the agency, and valuing these inputs, we can better serve the diverse population of the Commonwealth. To expand Diversity and Inclusion I feel we need to start with the applicants, which means recruiting and educating about the agency every chance we get, especially when a representative of a community gives us an audience and a microphone in their community.
Wilkes-Barre
Leonard Musto
Diversity encompasses not just acceptance but also mutual respect. To have a positive and accepting environment in a community or group, there must be understanding that each individual is unique. In order to have a truly diverse community, we must endeavor to move past our basic understanding and tolerance of each other’s differences, to acceptance and respect. We must be willing to explore each other’s input and perspective, while fostering a climate of equity and mutual respect.
- Diversity: presence of individual and group/social differences
- Inclusion: active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity
- Equity: creating opportunities for and giving equal access to protected classes under EEO Law
- Equity-minded: a demonstrated awareness of and willingness to address equity issues
- Equity vs. equality: consideration for individual/group needs vs. treating everyone one the same
- Belonging: the result of inclusive and equitable efforts and actions; feeling as if one is valued; belonging often leads to empowerment
- BIPOC: acronym for Black, Indigenous, People of Color
- AANHPI: acronym for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander
- Diversity: increase the overall representation of women, BIPOC and underrepresented groups, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and the differently-abled.
- Inclusion: create intentional opportunities for active and ongoing engagement with diversity to increase awareness, empathetic understanding, and social/cultural intellect.
- Communication: develop a process to share Diversity and Inclusion initiative, actions, and results for transparency and to build trust and relationships.
- External Relations: : External Communications: establish meaningful relationships and engage with external groups that align with the Office of the Attorney General’s mission to maximize and sustain diversity and inclusion efforts. We strive to create relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), community organizations, and local non-profits.
- Accountability: build in measures to hold all levels of the Office of Attorney General accountable for Diversity & Inclusion goals and objectives.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG) is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to strengthening diversity within our agency.
The OAG believes that representation is a critical indicator of diversity and inclusion and understands its importance to our organization’s success. With intentionality, we are creating an environment that inclusively reflects all the constituents of the Commonwealth. We respect and seek to build an organization that represents diversity of culture, background, life experience, and skill. The OAG is an equity-minded agency in search of diverse talent to recruit, to retain, and to empower allowing us to give our best in service to the Commonwealth.
Transgender Inclusion Trainings in partnership with:
Other partnerships:
- NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference & multiple NAACP state units
- Philadelphia Inter-Agency Civil Rights Task Force
- Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations
- Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
Other:
- School District of Philadelphia – Career Week
Dorene Wilbur
Office of the Attorney General, DEI Specialist
dwilbur@attorneygeneral.gov
diversity@attorneygeneral.gov
Message from the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Specialist:
I have been a proud Pennsylvanian all of my life. In fact, my experiences in this great state have affirmed my belief that diversity is a fact and a gift, equity is a right, and inclusion and belonging are necessary for a strong Commonwealth. In today’s climate, building strong relationships amongst private and public sectors, communities, and law enforcement will require hard work, honest conversations, a willingness to learn, and open minds. DEI is hard work. We must recruit, train, and retain. But above all, we must eliminate the damaging impact of bias and intolerance by seeing every person’s humanity and worth. It can be done, and with the full support of Attorney General Shapiro, I am here to serve and facilitate that process.