Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Adrianna Tušek Erickson, DEI Program Coordinator for the City of Chandler, AZ. Connect with Adrianna on LinkedIn.
- What I’m listening to: Arooj Aftab
- What I’m watching: Impatiently waiting for the Pittsburgh Steelers to start their season.
- What I’m dreaming about: Cooler temperatures and hiking season.
We’re drawn to movies, books, and podcasts because of one thing: the story. The real story. The intricate details that can impact a situation, the “why” behind the action and the lessons learned from all of the above. At the City of Chandler, our DEI Division has taken the story — the authentic, lived experiences of our community — to drive meaningful change. Our DEI Internal Speaker Series is an opportunity to amplify diverse voices and perspectives and give our employees an opportunity to listen and learn. We’re not just listening to stories, we’re creating a more inclusive and collaborative culture that is grounded in understanding and empathy.
When we set out to create our DEI Internal Speaker Series, we knew one thing was essential: every speaker had to bring their lived experiences to the table. Our speakers have included volunteers, teachers, musicians, lawyers, and others, but they are not professional speakers. They are members of our diverse community who have lived experiences that could be very different or very similar to our own.
We can all agree that a professional speaker has all the right tools: a polished presentation, engagement strategies, and expertise in the subject, but oftentimes you are left with insightful information but not heartfelt impact. We understood that bringing in community members with diverse and unique stories would be key to creating the impact we wanted.
As a city with more than 288,000 residents and 1,700 employees, we have the opportunity to interact and serve a diverse population, one of the most diverse in Arizona. Our experiences often shape our viewpoints, limiting our understanding of others. How do we bridge the gap between our own experiences and those we have yet to understand?
For us, the answer lies in stories.
Imagine employees voluntarily attending a speaker session, drawn in by curiosity. They may not know the speaker’s story yet, but they’re eager to listen and learn. Whether driven by past interactions or simply wanting to learn something new, they’ve shown up — and that’s where understanding begins.
Last year, we welcomed two Muslim women from our community to share their faith and traditions. They dispelled myths and answered vulnerable questions, sharing deeply personal stories, one about being born into the faith, the other about choosing to convert. Our employees didn’t hold back; they asked bold questions that might have felt out of place in other settings. But in this safe space, they weren’t just asking anyone — they were engaging with people who were open to sharing their truths.
We also had the privilege of hearing from Ashli St. Armant, a talented playwright who was debuting her musical “NORTH” at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Ashli shared the journey of discovering her ancestors’ history as slaves, uncovering details that became the foundation of her work. Her story wasn’t just about writing a play. It was how she invested time, space, and energy into researching and discovering who her ancestors were and putting pen to paper to narrate a journey of grit, hope, and joy.
Sierra’s story was another unforgettable presentation. Becoming deaf in her toddler years, she shared the challenges and opportunities she’s encountered as a member of the deaf community. She explained that when people lose their hearing, they are not considered to have hearing loss; instead, they are welcomed as new members of the deaf community. Her experiences — from learning sign language in college to navigating conversations where being dismissed felt like an insult — offered us a new perspective. Sierra’s passion, emotion, and firsthand experiences brought her story to life in a way that left a lasting impression on all of us.
These stories have done more than just educate us, they’ve shifted our perspectives. Each speaker has left an imprint on our employees and, in turn, on our city. We’ve taken their experiences and insights and integrated them into our daily roles, seeing our residents and community members through a more compassionate lens. Behind every face is a story waiting to be told — we just have to be ready to listen.
An internal speaker program can be a vehicle for connection and understanding. Through our DEI Internal Speaker Series, we’re committed to using lived experiences to build a more inclusive workplace — one story at a time.