The PCC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is a subcommittee of the Professional Chapters Council (PCC.)
This committee comprises 30+ volunteers from a wide range of AMA chapters across the nation, including Toronto, New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Triangle, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Minnesota, Austin, Portland, Puget Sound, and more.
The PCC DEI mission is to guide and advise the Support Center, PCC, and Chapter Leaders on how to integrate and develop sustainable and measurable change with regards to diversity, equity, and inclusion both within AMA’s chapter network and the communities which those chapters serve.
Looking for help or assistance in getting started with DEI for your chapter? Check out the DEI Resource Hub.
History of PCC DEI Committee
In 2019, the Professional Chapters Council (PCC) officially adopted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as an important initiative.
During the 2019-2020 PCC term, which began on July 1, 2019, the PCC DEI committee held an open forum. It began recruiting national volunteers to help identify and outline the committee’s purpose and mission.
While the idea of the committee was still being formulated, there were only a few chapter leaders involved. It was clear that we needed to build a bigger committee to have a more diverse representation of chapters and chapter leaders’ voices.
During the early months of 2020, conversations about this committee’s role continued. The committee was in early development.
As an important initiative, DEI was added to the programming agenda for Leadership Summit 2020. The DEI committee presented a LOUDtable talk on DEI and its importance within local AMA chapters. As well, the DEI committee presented a focus session on DEI. The session, an introduction to DEI, was a first step in creating a basic understanding of DEI and how DEI initiatives can be incorporated at the local level within chapters.
The presentations proved highly successful, and many attendees commented on the importance of incorporating DEI as a main priority for the AMA. The Leadership Summit presentations also helped raise awareness of this important initiative and became the major catalyst for volunteers to participate in the committee’s efforts.
While the committee was starting to really take shape, on May 25, 2020, a major national crisis surrounding the murder of George Floyd further elevated the topic of DEI and racial injustice in America. The controversy surrounding his death and the national reaction propelled the committee and amplified the need for faster and more systemic change within the organization.
Realizing that this committee has influence and power, the committee organized and formulated strategic goals to serve and advocate for the local AMA chapters and chapter leaders.