February 22, 2024
Marcheta Turner isn’t just passionate about creating an inclusive workplace – she’s taking steps to make it happen. Recently, she earned her Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) Certification, demonstrating her commitment to fostering a diverse and equitable environment at Community Housing Partners (CHP), which provides affordable and sustainable housing throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. This achievement signifies her personal dedication and CHP’s broader vision for a future where everyone can thrive.
Turner shared her motivation for pursuing the CDP Certification, saying, “What motivated me to pursue this certification is the position that I’m in as the Recruiting Manager and the Co-Chair of the Equity and Inclusion Team at CHP. Those two positions can hold hands because, as the recruiting manager, part of my job is to ensure we reach diverse applicants to have diversity in our selection pools” (Learn more about the E&I Team).
CHP aims to create a workplace that embraces differences through several initiatives, starting with the newly revamped New Employee Orientation. This program focuses on cultivating a welcoming environment and a culture of belonging. Turner takes part in the orientation process, engaging all new hires in conversation around CHP’s diversity, equity, and inclusion priorities and practices on their first day with CHP. She discusses why an inclusive culture is not just good for the company but essential for every employee to succeed.
“You can see in the past years that CHP has stamped a commitment to equity and inclusion. The equity statement in our core values is evidence that the company is committed to equity, inclusion, and diversity,” Turner said, highlighting the seamless alignment of the CDP Certification with CHP’s values. The certification equips Turner with heightened awareness and a strategic understanding of how inclusion directly impacts organizational success. It goes beyond moral correctness, becoming essential to a thriving workplace.
Turner emphasized the importance of learning to be an ally and embracing the positive impact of diversity on creativity and productivity. The CDP Certification, described as the “gold standard” for DE&I professionals, holds significance not just for Turner but for CHP as a whole. As Turner points out, “We have to learn how to get past our similarity biases and start focusing on what people bring to the table and how it’s different and can help us be more creative and productive as an organization.”