Minority company embraces equal opportunity
By Kenya Vaughn
For the St. Louis American
“If we don’t do it, we can’t expect it from everyone else,” Nicole Adewale, co-founder and principal engineer of ABNA, an award-winning local civil engineering firm, said of diversity within minority-owned businesses.
“This is the only way for progress,” said Donald M. Suggs, president and publisher of the St. Louis American, although black owned and controlled, has a majority-black, but diverse (race and gender) staff.
“African-American organizations and companies that endorse diversity must themselves embrace diversity to be credible.”
“Our companies have to set an example for others to follow,” said Adewale.
The husband and wife team of Abe and Nicole Adewale established ABNA in 1994. Aside from being involved in high-profile projects – such as the new Lindbergh Tunnel at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport; the Natural Bridge/Lindbergh Interchange; the proposed new bridge over the Mississippi River and the Interstate I70-270 interchange – they have been busy ensuring that their team has an adequate balance of ethnicity and gender throughout the organization.
“It’s not that we have a major magic formula,” said Adewale.
“The key questions we ask potential employees are: ‘How do you feel about working in a small company?’ and ‘How do you feel working with a diverse environment?’”
“We look at every possible opportunity and do not turn them down unless they truly do not fit,” Adewale said. The Adewales’ attitude of inclusion is manifested in the nearly 30 percent of non-minorities on the ABNA team. “Every once in a while, we may look at a department and think, ‘We could use a little more diversity here,” Adewale said.
When the need arises, ABNA pools the many resources that it receives through referrals and works to create the type of variety with regard to ethnicity and gender that would be expected within any organization or enterprise.
“To be honest,” said Adewale, “in our field there are more non-minorities, especially in the entry-level, and there are not many women. It is the higher levels of employment that are more diverse.”
The lack of variety among entry-level engineers does not stop Adewale and ABNA from picking up the slack in other areas within the organization.
“For example, we’ve been working to fill a couple of accounting positions,” said Adewale. “We had someone in mind for the junior position. She was not familiar with the accounting practices in the United States, but was willing to learn.”
“What if I asked you to set up for a reception and clean up afterwards?” Adewale asked during the interview process. The potential employee exclaimed that she would do whatever was needed, as long as it was in the best interest of the company.
“She showed me that she was interested in us and doing what it takes for our company to be a success,” Adewale said.
“It doesn’t always strictly depend on whether the person’s qualifications perfectly match what an employer is looking for.”
On the traditional side of the diversity, Adewale says that ABNA is proactive in assuring that there is equal ethnic and gender representation in the field of engineering.
“We have to expose girls to the field early,” said Adewale, “and generate interest among young people, especially minorities, so they can generate an interest in science and engineering and how exciting they can be.”
Each summer, ABNA hires one female and one male minority intern. The company is actively involved in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), The Science Center and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics to help promote science, technology and engineering among children and teens.
“Through these organizations, we work with youth to expose them to the field of engineering and sciences,” Adewale said.
To the minority organizations looking to diversify their staff, Adewale stresses, “Be a little more open-minded. Look at who’s willing to learn and work hard.”
“We have to be willing to put our money where our mouth is and practice what we preach,” Suggs affirmed. “The American can vouch for the value of diversity, particularly the competitive advantage, in an organization with a diverse customer base (audience and advertisers).”