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Region of Choice Initiative

Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
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Membership > What we do > Equity

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Improve the recruitment, retention, and advancement of Black & Brown talent

With the goal of making Milwaukee’s workplaces more inclusive, companies signing the Region of Choice pledge are committing to collectively increasing the number of African American and Hispanic/Latino employees in Metro Milwaukee.

​They also committed to publicly reporting aggregate data on an annual basis to measure progress, sharing best practices and meeting CEO to CEO to discuss efforts.
Quicklinks
  • Take the Pledge
  • Non-disclosure agreement
  • Pledge FAQs
  • Background & Research on diverse talent in metro Milwaukee
  • Replay ROC webinars
    ​

View companies that have signed the Region of Choice Pledge >>

Region of Choice companies, change from 2018-2022

In November 2022, MMAC released the following report, tracking change from 2018-2022.
>>View our 12/12/2022 press release

Goal for overall employment:
​15% growth in Black & Brown talent
This is expressed as a percentage of overall employment, over five years and using 2018 as the baseline year.

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Through 2021, the ROC companies had 12.3% growth in Black and Brown talent as a percentage of overall employment.
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The ROC consortium’s growth of 12.3% significantly outpaced the 1.7% growth in diverse hiring for all metro employers reporting EEOC data through 2020. All companies with more than 50 employees must report demographics of their workforce and in management positions.
Goal for management:
25% growth in Black & Brown representation
This is expressed as a percentage of overall employment, over five years and using 2018 as the baseline year.

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Through 2021, the ROC companies had 26% growth in Black and Brown management as a percentage of overall management – meaning that companies met their five-year goal in this area ahead of schedule, and hope to exceed it.​
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This 26% growth in management-level representation compares to 6% growth for all metro Milwaukee employers reporting EEOC data for the same period through 2020.​

ACTION PLAN

Best practice sharing
  • Representatives from each company signing the pledge participate in a best practice exchange to improve their individual corporate processes and gain collective insights. Representatives meet in small groups to share experiences and ideas and in larger sessions with subject matter experts.
  • MMAC has developed a resource portal with links to local and national best practices, a service provider directory, and tools such as podcasts, videos and white papers. If you have a resource recommendation to include, please contact Corry Joe Biddle, VP of Community Affairs.
  • Annually, MMAC will survey African American and Hispanic Latino employees from companies making the pledge to gauge movement on key performance indicators, including how likely they are to recommend their employer to other candidates of color. 

2021 Culture Survey of Managers
in Region of Choice Employers

In September of 2021, MMAC asked companies participating in the Region of Choice pledge to survey their managers on their perceptions of their workplace and community culture.

​We used a widely accepted measure known as the Net Promoter Score to gauge satisfaction.

We received more than 2,000 responses to the following two questions:

How likely are you to recommend working at your company?

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The responses reflected positively on the companies, with a total average score of 61. However, the ratings varied widely by race.
Would you recommend Metro Milwaukee as a place to live?

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Respondents gave high marks to metro Milwaukee’s restaurants, sports, lakefront, vibrant downtown and entertainment. The biggest negatives were crime, racial segregation, income inequality and political divides.
Managers were also asked if they believed their company had made a greater commitment to equity and inclusion in the past two years.
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Employers who cultivate an environment where all employees can bring their full selves to work will have the greatest long-term success. We have made some progress but know there is much more to do.
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301 W Wisconsin Ave., Ste. 220 | Milwaukee, WI 53203 
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  • JOIN
  • Membership
    • The benefits of joining
    • Member directory >
      • Member Spotlights
      • Talent Solutions Directory
    • What we do >
      • Talent >
        • Ranking Milwaukee County Schools
        • Education recommendations
        • Technology Education & Literacy in Schools (TEALS)
        • Career-based learning experiences
      • Growth
      • Livability
      • Equity
      • Peer metro comparison
    • Cost saving programs >
      • Health insurance plan
      • Office supply discount program
    • Events >
      • 2021 All Member Meeting
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit
      • Talent Solution Series
      • Emerging Leaders Series
      • Global Business Insights Series
      • Member Orientation
      • Replay: The Business of MKE Series
      • Replay: Race Bridge Series
    • For members only >
      • Fall 2022 Impact Report
      • Sponsorship
      • Advertising
    • Need more info?
  • Networks
    • Leadership Council
    • President's Huddle
    • Executive roundtable program
    • FUEL Milwaukee for young professionals
    • Future 50 Awards Program
    • Networking Forum for referrals
    • Region of Choice Initiative
    • Roundtables for high-growth companies
    • World Trade Association
  • Advocacy
    • 2021-2022 Legislative Scorecard >
      • Senate Votes
      • Assembly Votes
    • Recent Legislative Wins
    • Funding Local Governments
    • Miller Park economic impact study
    • Wisconsin State Legislature
    • K-12 Education Recommendations
  • Economic Development
    • Milwaukee 7 Partnership for Economic Development
    • MKE Venture Mentoring Service
    • Milwaukee Development Corp. >
      • Rebuild & Revitalize Program
    • Milwaukee Urban Strategic Investment Corp. (MUSIC)
    • Milwaukee EB-5 Visa program
    • Starting a business >
      • BizStarts
      • New business planning guide
  • Metro MKE
    • 2022 Navigate Business MKE
    • Business outlook survey
    • Economic trends
    • Local media listings
    • Major employers in metro Milwaukee
    • Metro Milwaukee demographics
    • Order a publication
    • Relocating a business
  • About
    • Board of directors
    • Career Opportunities at MMAC
    • Staff
    • Milwaukee Commerce magazine
    • Press releases
    • Members of the media >
      • Recent Media Coverage
    • Scholarships for minority students