The conversation around diversity, equity, and inclusion—what we now know as DEI—has been hijacked. Let’s just call it what it is.
I’ve spent nearly 50 years building platforms that spotlight excellence, particularly for those long overlooked. Through Career Communications Group, we’ve honored engineers, scientists, innovators, educators, and executives—Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, and more—who have built careers on merit, grit, and undeniable performance.
We didn’t wait for DEI to become a trend. We were doing this work long before the acronym existed. And back then, it meant something powerful. Access. Opportunity. Recognition.
It didn’t mean entitlement.
But now, I’m seeing something different. Something dangerous.
If DEI today means hiring and promoting based on identity alone, without regard to qualification or capability, then I can no longer support that version of it. Because what I’m seeing in real time is that good people—qualified people—are being pushed aside. And they come from every background.
We’ve got young talent, seasoned professionals, and rising stars who’ve put in the work, earned the credentials, and demonstrated their excellence—now looking around and asking: What happened to performance?
Let me be clear: That is not the DEI we built. That is not the DEI that lifted communities, inspired generations, or opened doors in STEM, in government, in defense, and in Fortune 500 companies.
The DEI I stand for is about diversity of thought, excellence in execution, and innovation driven by capability. It’s about finding those who have been left out—not because they weren’t ready, but because they weren’t seen—and giving them the platform they’ve always deserved.
And let me say something else: this community we’ve built? It’s not only people of color. Many of our strongest champions, allies, and award winners have been white professionals who share our values—who understand that equity is not about exclusion, but about recognizing excellence wherever it lives.
This has never been a movement of division. It’s been a movement of expansion—expanding what leadership looks like, where talent comes from, and who gets the chance to lead.
But when DEI becomes about checking boxes or fulfilling quotas—when it becomes a performance instead of a principle—we all lose. Especially the very people it was meant to help.
Let me remind you: 40 years ago, there wasn’t a single woman in the C-suite of a major defense company. Today, women are leading at the highest levels in national security. That didn’t happen because someone handed them a title—it happened because someone finally opened the door and looked at what they had to offer.
That’s the kind of DEI I believe in. One that’s built on merit, mentorship, and movement—not manipulation.
So, yes—I am DEI.
But I’m not here for a version of DEI that sacrifices standards for symbolism.
If we want the best for our companies, our country, and our future, then we must be honest. We must demand that excellence remains the standard, regardless of what someone looks like, who they know, or what narrative they fit.
Because I’ve worked with the best. I’ve celebrated the best. And I’ve spent my life helping companies and institutions find the best—from every community.
So to those trying to redefine DEI into something it was never meant to be—stop. We see you. And we’re not going along with it.
We’ve come too far to let this work be distorted.
Because I am DEI.
And so are the thousands of qualified, competent, committed people I’ve had the honor of working with.
We earned this. All of us.