Fayetteville, Arkansas (November 1, 2021) - Zweig Group’s ElevateHER™ program has opened applications for the class of 2022, a group that will work on initiatives to combat recruitment and retention issues while ensuring equal opportunities for everyone in the AEC industry. All individuals, regardless of age, experience, gender, background, or job role, are welcome and encouraged to apply to the third annual cohort.
In 2020 and 2021, cohort members worked in smaller project groups on self-chosen focused topics, creating a focused deliverable to be shared with the rest of the industry at Zweig Group’s ElevateHER Symposium and ElevateAEC Virtual Conference. Project topics ran the gamut including methods to support individuals in the industry at all stages and phases of their life, addressing conflict and implicit biases, designing career paths, awarding and incentivizing diverse projects and firms, and much more. The focus of the 2022 cohort will be to continue furthering the existing projects, and on implementation and advancement of the ideas initiated by the last two cohorts.
“The hope is that this will be a sustainable year for participation, encouraging leadership of firms with commitments to furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to join the class of 2022 and take action to make change within their firms, and advocating for change within the industry overall,” said Jamie Claire Kiser, Zweig Group’s managing principal and founder of ElevateHER.
2022 cohort members will meet in-person at the program kickoff in Spring 2022, and will receive resources such as presentation coaching, training, Zweig Group research, networking opportunities, and more, and will present to the first-ever in-person ElevateHER Symposium in Las Vegas on September 14, 2022.
“The third year of our program will provide tremendous opportunity to give back to the profession and build your legacy in a way that enhances the experience and success that future generations can have in AEC,” said Chad Clinehens, president and CEO of Zweig Group. “I want to especially encourage firm leaders to contribute to this call to action to combat recruitment and retention issues within the industry. As a leader, your ability to take visible leadership and set an example is needed if we are going to make meaningful progress. It all starts at the top.”
Applications for the 2022 Cohort are due by December 17, 2021. To download the application form, click here. ElevateHER is also looking for sponsors and partners to prevent finances from being a barrier to participation. For all other inquiries, please email ElevateHER@zweiggroup.com
