Springfield Business Journal_2021-02-22

“If that number is 25%, or the number is 18%, we don’t want anyone to feel unwel- come or unsupported,” he said. “This is not just students. We want our employee base to be more welcoming, … more diverse.” Diversity minded Ogunyemi is the latest of several local di- versity and inclusion leaders hired in recent years at area organi- zations. Springfield Pub- lic Schools hired Yvania Garcia- Pusateri as its first chief equity and diversity officer, and Drury Univer- sity named Marilyn Harris its chief hu- man resources and diversity and inclu- sion officer. Both hires came in 2019, eight years after Missouri State University created its first diversity and inclusion posi- tion, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The city of Springfield currently is interviewing candidates for its first director of diversity and inclusion, said spokesperson Cora Scott. She said there’s no timetable on when the position will be filled. Tyree Davis started in September at Com- munity Partnership of the Ozarks Inc. as the nonprofit’s first community diversity and equity director. He is tasked to advance diversity and equity in the community and create infrastructure for other institutions to improve their equity and inclusion culture. “Anything that an organization wants to do around [equity, diversity and inclusion], I can help with that,” Davis said, noting he’s been spending the first few months on the job earning a professional credential through the Institute for Diversity Certification. Davis said his work cov- ers small and large businesses, nonprofits and faith-based organizations. He is teaming with Krista Moncado, a pro- gram coordinator at Commu- nity Foundation of the Ozarks Inc., to develop training on an inclusive excellence model. He said the model, first brought to Springfield and implemented at MSU in 2010, promotes in- clusive organizational cultures and opportunities. The CPO program is expected to roll out to nonprofits and businesses as early as this spring, he said. “We can tailor it to each organization. Ev- ery organization won’t be ready for inclusive excellence,” Davis said. “It’s a chance for the organizations to frame what they want to do to better their own work environment around diversity and inclusion.” Wes Pratt, chief diversity officer and an assistant to the president at MSU, said diversity is a much broader concept than people think. “Unfortunately, it gets po- liticized too often,” he said. “But basically, it encompasses just about everyone.” Pratt said he is in charge of executive-level efforts at the university to promote the value of inclusion. He works with fac- ulty, student affairs and administration to improve the campus climate, promote learning development and broaden the school’s sup- port for valuing diversity. “I also work externally in the larger community because it’s critically important that our larg- er community is welcoming and respectful of diverse employees, students, staff and faculty who are part of the university,” he said. That work includes the Fac- ing Racism Institute, an annual event hosted by MSU that includes speak- ers, videos and opportunities for conver- sations about racism and its impact on individuals and the workplace. Last year’s presentation was held virtually in October amid the coronavirus pandemic. While Springfield-based companies such as Bass Pro Shops, BKD LLP and O’Reilly Automotive Inc. (Nasdaq: ORLY), have invested in diversi- ty and inclusion positions, Pratt said the local business commu- nity is still behind larger cities in those hires. “In urban areas like Kansas City and St. Louis, they have rec- ognized the value of it,” he said. “Springfield and this metropoli- tan statistical area is probably a bit slower than the metropolitan areas of the state and the nation. But we’re becoming more aware.” Pratt said promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace isn’t just up to the people in leadership positions. “It starts at the top and has to permeate through the organizations and the institu- tions,” he said. “Everybody has to be invested and promote the value of inclusion to have a workforce where folks are valued.” OTC’s Ogunyemi said it will take him some time to determine what diversity, eq- uity and inclusion means for the various communities OTC serves. “What might work in Springfield might not work in Christian County. What might work in Christian County might not work in Hollister,” he said. “It’s just figuring out what it means for the different locations and then how to affect changes systemwide.” SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 21 FEB. 22-28, 2021 NEWS Grading Excavation Land Clearing Home Sites Septic Tanks Utilities Licensed and Insured 417-683-0446 www.Ace-Grading.com Ace Grading, Land Clearing and Utility Installations, LLC C Arch Bay building OTC: Diversity efforts underway in city Continued from page 1 Hal Higdon: OTC is fortunate to be more racially diverse than the community it serves. Tyree Davis is developing an inclusive excellence model for organizations. Wes Pratt: Everyone has to be invested to promote the value of an inclusive workforce. said his office has corrected errors as tax- payers report them, and some errors were caught and corrected as the process was on- going. “I call it a perfect storm,” Kessinger said. “The chances that all the issues or hurdles that were thrown at us would come up in one year, I don’t believe anybody could’ve predicted. It’s just one of those once-in-a- lifetime occurrences – or at least I hope it’s once in a lifetime.” Late payments The collection delays mean tax distribu- tions of some $56 million also will be late to the benefiting entities: school districts, libraries and fire departments. About 20% of the roughly $280 million in taxes collected in the county comes from personal property taxes, with the rest coming from real estate, which was sent out and collected on time. Betts said although there will be a delay, the amount collected will be the same. The only change in the amount of revenue the districts will see is the loss of late fees paid by residents who miss the deadline. These fees have been removed due to the delayed forms, but Betts said the amount is small in the grand scheme of what they receive. For example, last year Springfield Public Schools received about $26 million in tax revenue, and about $39,000 was from late payment fees from the personal property portion. Calls to SPS officials were not returned by press time. Collector position The county collector’s office will see a shift in leadership for the coming year. Frustrated by the delays, Betts announced her resignation in January, effective Feb. 28. She was first elected to the position in 2014. Betts said she resigned be- cause she attempted multiple times to call attention to the possible delay without results. After communicating with the IT department directly, she ap- proached the Greene County Commission, which oversees the IT department, in Septem- ber about the issue. “I went to the commission, and I said, ‘We have an emer- gency, and I need your help. We need to do something drastic or my statements are go- ing to be very late,’” Betts said. Meetings between her office, the asses- sor’s office, the commission and the IT department took place, but Betts said they did not result in any action to stop the de- lay from happening. “I know it was the first time we’ve all been through this, but I was on the other side consistently and constantly asking for help,” Betts said. “I wholeheartedly believe if they had listened to me and heeded my warnings, that this could’ve been prevented. I can’t do my job efficiently be- cause of these roadblocks and therefore I’m not going to do the job because I only want to do my best.” Her resignation requires a gubernato- rial appointment to fill the collector posi- tion by March 1. Taxes: Distribution of $56M will be late Continued from page 3 Rick Kessinger: Issues in the process were a perfect storm.