Why is Hispanic Heritage Month Important?
The US economy is powered by diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the remarkable achievements, culture, and contributions of the Latino/Hispanic people to our country. As a proud member of Peraton’s C-suite, I regularly tap into the incredible support system found within this community. Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to pay homage to the trailblazers before me and serves as a reminder to look out for the next generation.
In my role as chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, I’m able to partner with leaders across the enterprise and within our employee resource groups to promote a culture that fuels industry-leading solutions for our customers. Peraton’s workforce is as diverse as it is innovative. We celebrate a range of heritage months to reflect the diverse backgrounds and cultures of our people.
Through this diversity of thought, experiences, and leadership styles, we are able to solve the toughest challenges for our customers and trusted government partners. By recognizing heritage achievements and cultural months, our employees are both inspired by previous efforts and challenged to pick up the torch as we continue to shape the world.
How is the organization celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month?
At Peraton, we encourage allyship and understanding among our people while championing excellence in each respective role. Like many of our DEI initiatives, our programming calendar for Hispanic Heritage Month is largely employee-led. In partnership with our multicultural employee resource group, the DEI team and I have created a schedule to highlight the voices and experiences of Peraton’s Hispanic leaders. By connecting the month to the unique stories of fellow coworkers, our employees receive an intimate view into the upbringing, family, and career path of Hispanics/Latinos. During these open dialogues, the leaders shared their wisdom and expressed how being Hispanic/Latino influences their lives. We also have other events to allow our employees to learn about, engage with, or celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, including book discussions, dance demonstrations, and cultural education.