Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) recently hosted its fourth annual Belonging at Blue Summit. The week of events celebrates the company’s commitment to employee engagement and creating a culture of belonging by providing an opportunity for employees, company leaders and speakers to connect through meaningful discussions. 

“Employees volunteer to be on the summit planning committee,” said Jay Warren-Teamer, community and strategic engagement leader at BCBSNE and director of the Nebraska Blue Foundation. “It’s outside of their job responsibilities, but the passion drives their work around the summit. That dedication is a powerful reminder of the importance of creating belonging in the workplace.” 

BCBSNE’s eight employee resource groups (ERGs) and Wellness Committee produced and planned the summit, which featured daily sessions that highlighted their 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 employees with disabilities. 
  • REMOTE Together – supporting remote employees. 
  • FORWARD for Women – supporting women in the workplace. 

“Our ERGs play an important role in creating a culture of belonging,” said Warren-Teamer. “The annual summit provides an opportunity for us to come together as a company to learn and grow.” 

The summit kicked off with ERG updates from Warren-Teamer, a few words from BCBSNE’s President and CEO Jeff Russell and a keynote presentation from Ralph Kellogg, assistant vice president of human resources at Lutheran Family Services.  

Kellogg highlighted the fundamental importance of workplace civility and fostering genuine connections at work. 

“Everybody has the opportunity to make a difference in the workplace,” said Kellogg. “Regardless of the chair you occupy, everyone has the opportunity to intervene, to support, to get involved, to make a difference.” 

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

  • Unlocking and owning your creativity hosted by the Building Leaders Like Us for Excellence ERG 
  • Maximizing remote participation through work life balance hosted by the REMOTE Together ERG 
  • Sharing resources for veteran employees  
  • The mental load of caregiving  
  • Embracing change  
  • And more 

BCBSNE Agile Project Manager Dorina Mahler said she found new inspiration from the sessions. 

“Attending the Belonging at Blue Summit renewed my belief in the importance of creating an inclusive environment in the workplace,” said Mahler, “where everyone is motivated to deliver their best efforts.”  

The week ended with a virtual employee celebration with opportunities for employees to win prizes, share highlights from the week and learn more about employee engagement efforts and the commitment to employee engagement at BCBSNE.  

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