Steve Pemberton, Walgreen’s Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Named to NAAEE Board
WASHINGTON, DC (PRWEB) May 04, 2016 -- Steve Pemberton, vice president of diversity and inclusion for Walgreens Boots Alliance, is one of the five newest governing board members for The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), one of the world’s largest organizations dedicated to the profession and advancement of environmental education and civic engagement.
The expanded board, along with a newly constituted advisory council comprising distinguished professionals in the field of environmental education, is part of NAAEE’s revised governance framework. The new structure enhances the organization's ever-expanding network of partners for the next-generation of work in environmental literacy and civic engagement and the underlying science that supports the work, according to Judy Braus, executive director.
"I believe in taking every opportunity to raise awareness and consciousness not only in the critical challenges of equity, diversity and inclusion but also the responsibilities of the corporate relationship to the environment,” Pemberton says. “NAAEE abundantly and clearly works to emphasize why all of these issues matter. I also am excited to have the opportunity to connect and align environmental education, especially regarding people with disabilities. There is much power along with potential in expanding the coalition for collective action.”
The first person in Walgreen's 114-year history to hold the title as chief diversity officer and currently as vice president in an expanded division, Pemberton has guided the company’s exemplary record of performance on nearly every measure of diversity and inclusion from representation to supplier diversity spending. Previously, he held similar posts at Monster.com, the leading global online careers property, where he had end-to-end management responsibilities for the diversity and inclusion business unit, which focused on helping employers diversify their workforce. At Monster, Pemberton gave substance to the now-prominent term “Next Practices,” which reflects strengthening the alignment between diversity and inclusion and how those efforts increase shareholder value.
Serving as the company’s public ambassador on matters of employing people with disabilities, he has frequently represented Walgreens’ employment model at the White House and on Capitol Hill. In 2015, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez appointed him to serve on an advisory committee for the Competitive Integrated Employment of People with Disabilities. Pemberton is the author of a 2012 best-selling memoir, A Chance in the World (Thomas Nelson), which chronicled his childhood experiences as a ward of the state.
With 53 state, provincial and regional affiliates in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, NAAEE has expanded its partnerships with corporations, foundations, NGOs, universities, and governmental agencies and institutions. Some of the most recent work has involved the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), CalWater, the National Environmental Education Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service, just to name a few.
About NAAEE
The North American Association for Environmental Education is a pioneering membership organization dedicated to accelerating environmental literacy and civic engagement through the power of education. NAAEE supports a network of more than 20,000 educators, researchers, and organizational members working in environmental education in more than 30 countries through direct membership and regional affiliate organizations. Through community networks, publications, signature programs, and eeNEWS and eeJOBS, NAAEE provides programming and resources for professionals working in all areas of the field. NAAEE’s annual conference, now entering its 45th year, convenes leaders from private and public sectors to advance the field of environmental education. For more information, visit naaee.org and naaee.org/eePRO.
Christiane Maertens, North American Association for Environmental Education, +1 (310) 279-7370, [email protected]
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