Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) recently hosted its third annual Belonging at Blue Summit, a celebration of the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

This week-long event brought together employees, leaders and community members to engage in meaningful discussions, share experiences and highlight the importance of creating an inclusive workplace.

BCBSNE’s eight employee resource groups (ERGs) produced and planned the summit, which featured daily sessions that highlighted each of the ERGs’ missions:

  • Young Professionals (YP) Connect, supporting YPs and their advocates.
  • Fearlessly You @ Blue, supporting LGBTQ+ employees.
  • Military Families United Together, supporting veterans and military families.
  • Building Leaders Like Us for Excellence, supporting Black employees.
  • Latinos Empowered to Achieve Their Potential, supporting Latino employees.
  • Possibilities, supporting disabled/abled employees.
  • REMOTE Together, supporting remote employees.
  • FORWARD for Women, supporting women in the workplace.

“The summit gets better every year because of the incredible efforts of our ERGs,” said Jay Warren-Teamer, executive director of the Nebraska Blue Foundation and diversity, equity and inclusion at BCBSNE. “Each year, they set the bar higher, and with the addition of two new ERGs this year, we’ve reached new heights.”

The summit kicked off with a DEI update from Warren-Teamer, a few words from BCBSNE’s President and CEO Jeff Russell and a keynote presentation from Cammy Watkins, executive director of Inclusive Communities.

Watkins shared her expertise on the important work of creating inclusive communities and understanding identities.

“The work of building inclusive cultures can only happen when we put intention into facing the issues that might create a lack of belonging,” said Watkins in her keynote presentation. “It’s not enough to just try to create belonging or inclusion. We also have to acknowledge, confront and address the things that create a lack of belonging and inclusion and then have the courage to change, starting with me and you, as an individual.”

Over the course of the week, employees could attend various sessions that featured guest speakers and BCBSNE’s own employee advocates. Topics included:

  • Experiences of a minority entrepreneur
  • Maximizing remote participation
  • Ensuring access to confidential PTSD treatment
  • Panic and anxiety at work
  • Embracing generational differences
  • And more

“We had such a wide range of topics this year,” said Karah Gardner, event co-lead and manager of health and business analytics at BCBSNE. “The diversity of thought created an environment where vulnerability and growth flourished, creating moments I am incredibly proud of.”

To wrap up the week, employees came together virtually for a celebration. During the wrap-up event, employees could win prizes, share their favorite moments from the week and learn more about DEI at BCBSNE.

“Putting together this summit is voluntary work for the employees on the planning committee,” said Warren-Teamer. “It’s not part of their job description, but they do it out of passion and love for the work. Their commitment is a powerful reminder of the bright future we have ahead.”

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