KC Chamber, businesses: We won’t back down from DEI initiatives; city’s top diversity advocates honored

LeAna Flores knows those three little letters — DEI — can trigger a lot of people these days, she said.

“For me, as a DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) practitioner, I live and breathe by this quote — especially in the climate that we have right now — ‘They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds,’” continued Flores, the director of diversity, inclusion, and belonging for H&R Block, which boasts headquarters in downtown Kansas City.

The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce awarded H&R Block its 2024 Champion of Diversity award Friday at the annual POWER of Diversity Breakfast. The event drew more than 900 people to the Marriott Downtown Hotel, bringing together the region’s diverse business community to celebrate leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion. 

The Champion of Diversity honoree is meant to be a business that is making exceptional efforts to foster DEI in the community they serve, according to the Chamber.

“At H&R Block, our purpose is simple,” Flores explained. “It’s to provide hope and inspire confidence in our clients and communities everywhere and we take that very seriously. And we know that our clients and our communities everywhere look very different.”

LeAna Flores, the director of diversity, inclusion, and belonging for H&R Block, accepts the Champion of Diversity Award from Stephanie Robinson, chief diversity officer at Lockton, the 2023 winner, during the KC Chamber’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Diversity and inclusion aren’t just values for H&R Block, she continued, they’re the heart, soul, and fabric of the company and its success.

“Our commitment to fostering a diverse, inclusive environment shines through in every aspect of our organization,” Flores explained. “From our visionary senior leadership team, to our dynamic belonging council, and our vibrant associate resource groups — which we call ‘belonging groups.’ We strive to create a culture where every voice is heard and every associate feels safe, included, and inspired.”

This year’s POWER of Diversity breakfast also included a panel discussion with former Ace Award honorees Drew Eanes, senior client solutions manager for JE Dunn Construction; Dr. Andrea Hendricks, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for Authentico and Walz Tetrick Advertising; Michael Gonzales, principal at NE&E Consulting; and Edgar J. Palacios, president and CEO of the Latinx Education Collaborative and executive director of Revolucion Educativa.

Lisa Ginter, chief executive officer of CommunityAmerican Credit Union — presenting sponsor of the event — moderated the panel discussion, where speakers addressed practical solutions to the pushback and resistance to DEI initiatives.

Michael Gonzales, principal at NE&E Consulting, center, speaks during a panel conversation at the KC Chamber's POWER of Diversity Breakfast alongside moderator Lisa Ginter, chief executive officer of CommunityAmerican Credit Union, and fellow panelists Andrea Hendricks, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for Authentico and Walz Tetrick Advertising; Edgar J. Palacios, president and CEO of the Latinx Education Collaborative and executive director of Revolucion Educativa; and Drew Eanes, senior client solutions manager for JE Dunn Construction; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

A crowd fo Kansas City businesspeople and civic leaders applauds during the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce's annual POWER of Diversity Breakfast at the Marriott Downtown Hotel; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Gonzales — who also co-founded the Kansas City Diversity and Inclusion Consortium — said he has had many clients and consortium members ask him what to do now that they have threaded DEI into the tapestry of their organization — only to have it questioned and minimized in the current political and social climate.

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“I think what you need to do — and what I tell my consortium members and my clients — is that we can’t wait for the anti-DEI wave to hit us,” Gonzales explained. “We have to be proactive and either internally or externally go and reinforce the inherent value of DEI to your organization. It can help the bottom line and how it can help you understand and relate to the emerging market.”

Click here to learn more about the 2023 POWER of Diversity winners.

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Ace Award recipients

This award honors up-and-coming senior level managers who are advocating for expansion of diversity, equity, and inclusion networks in their organizations and businesses. 

The 2024 Ace Award winners included: Anna Bazan-Munguia, director of community outreach of Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City, Kelly Hass, senior director of quality at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, and Jenn Miller, DE&I partner at Henderson Engineers.

Anna Bazan-Munguia, director of community outreach, Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City, accepts an Ace Award during the KC Chamber’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News

Anna Bazan-Munguia, director of community outreach, Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City

At Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City (BBBSKC), Anna Bazan-Munguia leads her team to create welcoming environments that foster feelings of love for little brothers and sisters from all backgrounds and cultures.

Bazan-Munguia feels that becoming chair of their Justice, Equity, Diversity Inclusion Advisory Board is a full circle moment for her, starting as a board member years ago. She credits her mother for exposing her to different cultures when traveling for her passion for DEI advocacy.

“She taught me the importance of showing respect for all. I really feel that has set my foundation and the person that I am today, and in the role that I do,” said Mungia.

Bazan-Munguia’s bottom line as chair is matching every child with mentors from communities that relate to them, and also makes them feel comfortable and supported.

“Our little brothers and little sisters can say, ‘Wow, my big brother looks like me,’ or ‘Wow, my sister speaks Spanish just like my family does.’ So, it’s very important in leadership to be present in all communities,” she said.

Kelly Hass, senior director of quality, Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, accepts an Ace Award during the KC Chamber’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Kelly Hass, senior director of quality, Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies

As one of the only women in her chemical engineering program, Kelly Hass knows what it feels like to not fit in, she said. That past experience informs her responsibility to be equitable and inclusive in her leadership at Honeywell, which manages the Department of Energy’s Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC).

One of her engineers suggested supporting the LGBTQ+ community within the business. Together, they created their first Pride Network, where she now serves as executive sponsor, supporting emerging LGBTQ+ leaders, allies, and mentors.

“A lot of people have come together with a level of comfort and connectivity within that organization,” said Hass, “It’s been really inspirational to me as an ally and to learn a lot about the LGBTQ+ community.” 

For leaders, Hass believes allyship with different communities shows that you are willing to learn and ask questions to be able create a workplace that better reflects the world around you.

“Allyship is so important because it is an opportunity for anyone to participate in anyone to see that they play a role in inclusion and diversity and really helping make the business better from that aspect,” she said.

Jenn Miller, diversity, equity and inclusion partner at Henderson Engineers, accepts an Ace Award during the KC Chamber’s POWER of Diversity Breakfast; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

Jenn Miller, diversity, equity and inclusion partner at Henderson Engineers

Early in her career, Miller realized a need for someone to bring opposing perspectives together, she shared. She just happened to be really good at that.

Cultivating places where all feel understood and heard is what inspires her.

“I often found myself in business development roles where I would hear opposing sides on issues all the time,” Miller explained. “I recognized that there was a need for someone to be able to bring folks together that had a foot in each of these arenas. And I was able to bring this scope into the business world by navigating and facilitating these conversations with DEI.”

As the diversity, equity and inclusion partner at Henderson Engineers, Miller supports all 1,000 of its employees by providing programming, which allows both diverse and non-diverse employees to rally around DEI.

“The community inspires me to do what I do,” she said. “I think recognizing that I’m able to be in a position where I can advocate for the community is what inspires me to get up every morning and do my job.”