Believing that most successful businesses are built through relationships, and mutual mentorship and support, APACC strives to provide its members with information that is current and important in making strategic business decisions. We continuously identify timely topics and seek leaders in their field to address them from different perspectives to enhance their knowledge and network base in this global economy. APACC represents Asian Pacific American businesses that have origins that are either Asians, Pacific Islanders and Subcontinent Asian Ancestry, which includes persons from Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, China, Taiwan, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Korea, The Philippines, U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Guam, Samoa, Macao, Hong Kong, Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Northern Mariana Islands, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal.

In order to ensure all children in the Holland/Zeeland/Hamilton area are ready for school, we need our organization to reflect the diverse fabric of our community. Ready for School's vision is to leverage a diverse and inclusive workforce & partnership to enhance our ability to increase opportunities for all families and children to succeed. We know people from diverse backgrounds coming together can create powerful change. This is why Ready for School values differences among individuals across multiple dimensions including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, physical ability, religion and socioeconomic status. Our Mission for Diversity and Inclusion is to build and leverage a diverse and inclusive workforce and workplace by building leadership capability and organizational capacity within the community. Ready for School's diversity initiatives are applicable-but not limited-to our practices and policies on recruitment and selection; professional development and training; promotions and the ongoing development of a work environment built on the premise of diversity, equity and inclusion that encourages and enforces respectful communication and cooperation among all employees, community partners and members. Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our work to ensure we are meeting the needs of the people we want to serve. Donna Lawry and Patrick Johnson of Ready for School joins host Laurel Hess to discuss the importance of diversity and inclusion. Click here for part 2 of Increasing Opportunities for all Families. Interview recorded September 21st, 2017.