Columbia hires Jones as director of diversity & inclusion

North Reading, MA Columbia has hired Jerrett Jones, PhD, as director of diversity & inclusion, a new position that fulfills a key goal of Columbia’s DEI Strategic Plan.

“Over the past several years, Columbia, like many American businesses, reviewed its commitment to recruiting and supporting a diverse workforce,” said Columbia president Shaun Lover. “We decided to engage in a proactive, company-wide learning process, with the goal of developing a meaningful DEI roadmap. Earlier this year, we unveiled the result: a detailed strategic plan for accomplishing thoughtful, long-lasting change. Hiring a full-time director of diversity & inclusion is an essential part of that process, and Jerrett is the ideal person to fill that role.”

Jones comes to Columbia from Tufts Medicine, where he served as DEI program manager. Previously, he worked with the leadership team at the Department of Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin to align diversity and inclusion initiatives with the agency’s culture and objectives. As an instructor at the University of Wisconsin, Jones focused on race and ethics.

At Columbia, he will work closely with Columbia executive vice president Bill Aalerud and Columbia’s DEI Working Group.

, and the firm’s executive leadership to oversee the continued implementation of the three goals of Columbia’s DEI Strategic Plan:

Goal 1: Create and foster a psychologically safe and accountable workplace culture 

Goal 2: Build and maintain a diverse group of employees across all levels of the organization

Goal 3: Serve as a change agent for a more diverse and inclusive construction industry

“Columbia is fully committed to achieving an inclusive workplace and a diverse workforce,” said Aalerud. “I am thrilled to welcome Jerrett to our company and to work with him to accomplish these important goals.”