Catherine Smith, CEO of TrueBlueInclusion+, summarizes changes and additions to the company's leadership team and offerings over the past 18 months. She introduces 5 new leaders who have expanded the company's expertise: Chance Patterson for communications, Graciela Meibar for international markets, Sara Borchgardt for training, and Carlton Yearwood remains as Chief Diversity Officer. The re-engineered TrueBlueInclusion+ now provides more robust membership offerings, solutions, and an approach to bias and leadership training delivered by experienced faculty.

1. TrueBlueInclusion+
Hello again.
These past eighteen months I have led a re-engineering and re-imagining of TrueBlue+’s value.
At different points along the journey, as innovative solutions and ideas emerged, I realized that each
necessitated new expertise and capabilities. Ideas are power. Solutions that work are valuable. The people
who bring them to life are rarely who you would have imagined. Today’s TrueBlueInclusion+ has all
three, powerful ideas, valuable solutions and an expanded team. Each uniquly talented, experienced with
a good amount of hard-won success along the way.
Let’s start with the familiar: myself and our long-time in house “Chief Diversity Officer,” Carlton
Yearwood. We look forward to continued success together (no exit stage left or right between the two of
us). And, I knew what TrueBlueInclusion+ and our clients would most need in the next several years is
world-class communications expertise. Both internal and external, at the executive level with a keen
understanding of how to tell the story of inclusion to wall street, investors, regulators, press, employees
and consumers. Someone who deeply understood the experience of being different, and also was adept at
navigating among the powerful. And, that is exactly who Chance Patterson1
is.
Once we arrived at the three C’s (Catherine, Chance and Carlton), things were already more interesting.
I also knew we would need a greater mastery of the diversity environment beyond the U.S.Someone
who could bring together our work in South Africa,Europe and Africa over the past ten years and expand
our reach into new markets with enterprise-wide solutions. I admit, this was a very short search. I
already knew the right person, one Graciela Meibar2
. A former Chief Diversity Officer herself, Graciela is
famous (I mean this) in Puerto Rico for being the inspiration and force behind the Puerto Rican Barbie.
She also built a world-class Global Sales Training platform for Mattel while establishing its long-standing
position on Fortune’s Best Places’ to Work List.
1.Learn more about Chance Patterson:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chancepatterson/
2.Learn more about Graciela Meibar:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracielameibar/

2. Next,to put it kindly,it is no secret that effective behavior-shifting training has been an elusive
capability for many of our clients. I had an idea, a plan, and fortunately, it wasn’t long before I found a
transformative, passionate learning and development legend (and all-around change guru) in Texas of all
places. Sara Borchgardt’s career started as a 4th grade teacher in Houston, Texas, with a front row seat to the
disparities we see in our own organizations. Her innate ability was the spark that made her one of the most
valued school district turnaround consultant and coaches in the country. Together we have designed
an entirely new TrueBlueInclusion+ approach to bias,inclusive leadership and experiential learning
delivered by seasoned faculty with in-person and asynchronous curriculum - Master Classes for the
Non-Diversity Executive+.
Chance,Carlton,Sara,Graciela and myself.And there is more.The solutions and new offerings,
as well as an enriched and more robust member offering are waiting for you here.
Before we turn the page here on ten years, I want to thank the many leaders and companies that invested
in the vision and the work of TrueBlue+. Too numerous to name here, I thank you! You have provided the
room to innovate, explore and create. Budgets are always hard fought, and the investment in TrueBlue+,
even as we have undergone a remodel these past months, has been both generous and sustaining.
The entire team here at TrueBlueInclusion+ are more than ready to be in your work and in your life.
As before, we remain bound together by our common purpose, a belief in one another and a dogged
determination to succeed.
I almost forgot! You will want to clear your calendar for Friday,September 27th. Our Fall MasterClass+
is happening at our headquarters office here in Washington, D.C. and it is all about the Conundrum of
Backlash. Watch your mail soon for your official invitation.
All the Best,
Catherine
Catherine Cornelius Smith
CEO
TrueBlueInclusion+
The Arris Building
1331 4th Street, S.E. #915
Washington, D.C. 20003
www.trueblueinclusion.com