Despite our country’s pledge that all people are equal under the law, communities of color, indigenous communities, and low-income communities have historically shouldered the burden of environmental impacts and continue to do so today.

We recognize a need to represent these disproportionately affected communities and promote diversity – both within and beyond the Center, in our staff and in the clients and partners we work with. This is critical to our success.

We have work to do on this front, and transformation is not going to happen overnight. To move us forward, we are taking everything we have learned from our past to evolve our culture and create a strategic plan for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at The Marine Mammal Center.

To guide us, we will use a CARE model as the framework into a new approach to upholding the values of justice, excellence, partnership and inclusion.

• COMMUNITY: Nurturing a community that reflects the diversity of our lived and shared experiences.
• ACCOUNTABILITY: Aligning our actions with our mission and values, with a commitment to self-reflect, learn and improve.
• RESPECT: Respecting who we are, where we come from, and the policies and practices that guide us at work.
• EMPATHY: Infusing empathy into how we relate to one another.

Our Action Plan

During the summer of 2019, the Center applied for and received a grant from the Marin Community Foundation to conduct an assessment and create a comprehensive Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan.

The Center is currently working with DEI consultants to assess the Center’s starting point – including current areas of strength and areas for improvement – and create a recommended multi-year strategy for how the Center can become a more inclusive, equitable and diverse organization.

Leadership is committed to creating the time, resources and systems of accountability needed for the Center to evolve.