awareness among CB&T employees, but he is also taking his passionate advocacy of the DEI concept into the community. He’s proud to be spearheading a handful of community outreach programs that help promote and extend diversity awareness issues in the California communities the bank serves. “One of the programs that I’m incredibly proud of is called Cultures United,” he says. “It’s an Orange County community-based forum in which local leaders speak on a variety of topics. The bank was the founding — and sole — sponsor of this program two years ago, and we’ve been using it to create conversations in the community.” In fact, Alvarado is a chair of Cultures United. Administered under the United Way umbrella, the program is designed to promote conversation, collaboration, philanthropy and unity in the community, all of which is informed and motivated by diversity, equity and inclusion. One of the latest such Cultures United efforts featured a two-part program celebrating the past, present and future of Black History Month and Women’s History Month. “Over the past 12 months, we’ve been getting out in front of a lot of boards that we sit on, and organizations that we volunteer on,” Alvarado says. “Again, it’s all about promoting awareness of these programs in the community. That’s a major thrust of what we’re trying to accomplish.” On the horizon Alvarado has a vision for the future of DEI at the bank. Among many plans, he talks enthusiastically about implementing an Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) into the CB&T culture. “It’s really a way to assess the awareness and sensitivity of cultural differences and similarities in an organization,” he explains. “For example, you may not think you have any biases, but when we do an IDI, it helps to expose some aspects of our beliefs or behavior that we might not have been aware of. It helps us answer how culturally competent are we, and how much do we want to be?” Alvarado makes clear the benefits of
DEI EXPLAINED
“When we all bring each other’s perspectives into the mix, that’s when the magic happens, and we see real progress in DEI.” Ben Alvarado Executive Vice President and Director of Core Banking, California Bank & Trust
DIVERSITY The recognition of vital
differences that exist within a given group or environment.
that he was “singled out” for his ethnicity as a child. “I was sort of a kid and young adult without an island,” he explains. “I was never ‘Mexican’ enough for some, but then not ‘white’ enough for others. That experience has made me infinitely curious about others, and led to my enjoyment of hearing their different ideas, thoughts and perspectives. My sense is that everyone has a story, and it’s important to create spaces where people can confidently and safely share those stories.” Further building the DEI program at CB&T is a critical goal of Alvarado’s mission.“[The] first objective for an organization that embraces DEI is to create awareness of it,” he says. “What is DEI and why is it important? I want people to understand its impact on our lives and business, and promote openness and willingness to learn about that impact.” Once employees know what DEI is, Alvarado says the next question to answer is how the practice of it will impact the business. “People in the organization ask, ‘Now that I know what [DEI] is, where do I, personally, fit into it?’ We need to create a safe space to reassure people as to why it would be so valuable to have them sit in on or lead a diverse group, whether it’s diverse in its cultural makeup, gender or any other. When we all bring each other’s perspectives into the mix, that’s when the magic happens, and we see real progress in DEI.” As important as DEI is internally to any organization, its practice also offers the company a competitive advantage in the marketplace, Alvarado points out.
“It really gives a huge advantage competitively,” he says. “Especially since COVID, people have taken the time to reflect on who they are, who they work for, what their organizations are all about, and what is their purpose in life. These considerations have become even more important now, as people are looking for different jobs and changing lines of business. As an employer, focusing on [DEI] and letting people know that it matters helps turn a business into an employer of choice.” For example, at CB&T, one of the bank’s main expressions of DEI policy is its budding Small Business Diversity Banking Program. In short, the program provides loan credit to women, minority, LGBTQ+ and veteran-owned businesses. “This program expands the credit box that we look at in our loan decision-making process,” Alvarado explains. “The parameters that guide us in these decisions are expanded somewhat. So, if they happen not to qualify under the standard regulations, this box under the Small Business
EQUITY The act of ensuring that processes and programs are administered impartially and fairly, and that they provide equal possible outcomes for every individual.
Diversity program helps re- evaluate their application under a new lens.”
INCLUSION The practice of making sure that all people — regardless of their color, culture, gender or sexual preference — feel a sense of belonging in the workplace.
Community outreach Not only is Alvarado working to help generate diverse cultural
these DEI initiatives. “By promoting a rich culture of diversity in the workplace, it can help teams to be more creative and productive in their work — all while engaging in a lot more interesting conversations,” he notes.
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IN YOUR CORNER ISSUE 11 | 2022
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