For the third straight year, Delta’s DC-based government affairs team spearheaded Delta’s presence at two influential policy conferences in Washington, DC – the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Annual Legislative Conference and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Annual Leadership Conference – in partnership with leaders and teams across multiple divisions. Both events drew the participation of President Biden, Vice President Harris, Cabinet Secretaries and elected officials. The conferences provided an important platform for Delta people to interact with policymakers, influencers, customers and business leaders while demonstrating our ongoing efforts to foster a more diverse and equitable workplace and supply chain.
Elevating Diverse Suppliers at the CBCF Conference
Held from Sept. 11-15 the 53rd CBCF Annual Legislative Conference is the premier policy conference of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), bringing together over 10,000 participants, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. With the theme “From Vision to Victory: Amplifying Black Voices,” this year’s conference focused on elevating Black perspectives on critical issues affecting the global Black community. As a proud sponsor, Delta people and partners participated in various events throughout the week that aligned with our mission to better connect and reflect the world.
Delta’s signature events included a fireside chat titled “Taking Flight: The Power of Supplier Diversity and Partnerships,” a curated wine lesson and tasting, and a related activation in the conference exhibit hall. The fireside chat featured Chris Gaither, Master Sommelier for Brown Estate Napa Valley – the first and only black-owned estate winery in California’s Napa Valley and a valued Delta supplier since 2019 – and was moderated by Eboni Wimbush, President & CEO of the Airport Minority Advisory Council – a national nonprofit trade association dedicated to advancing the full participation of minorities and women in employment opportunities throughout aviation and aerospace industries.
A series of opening remarks included: Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Member and Atlanta-based Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), and Delta leaders Keyra Lynn Johnson and Cherie Wilson. Gaither, one of only four Black Master Sommeliers in the world, shared his inspiring journey from being a Morehouse graduate to breaking barriers in an industry often perceived as exclusive. Wimbush artfully moderated the discussion to provide contextual insights into the launch and impact of the Brown Estate partnership as an example of Delta’s commitment to building an inclusive supply chain.
Wimbush also emphasized that “Delta’s partnership with Brown Estate, began as an innovative idea from a member of the company’s Black Business Resource Group (BRG), BOLD, and BRG Program Manager.”
“At Delta, Supplier Diversity aims to ensure that our best-in-class supply chain is as diverse as our global passengers. At CBCF, the event provided a prime opportunity for Supplier Diversity and Supply Chain team members to connect and begin to build relationships with Black-Owned Businesses in attendance. Continuing to build relationships and utilize products and services from Black-Owned Businesses helps Delta maintain its momentum towards doubling Black-Owned spend by the end of 2025.
In 2023, nearly 3% of Delta’s US spend was allocated to over 1,300 diverse & small businesses; while Delta has made significant strides post-COVID, we recognize the need to be even more intentional as we look beyond increasing diverse spend to creating positive economic impact through the Supplier Diversity program.
During the three-day engagement, Delta attracted over three hundred CBCF attendees to its booth. Within the same month, over 50 Minority-Owned Businesses (MBEs) showed interest in partnering with Delta by completing their registration in the Supplier Registration Portal.
How Certified Small, Minority and/or Women-Owned Businesses Can Partner with Delta
Companies that are certified as small, minority and/or women-owned business enterprises have an opportunity to partner with us in delivering value through quality products and services to our company and our customers. IT staffing or solutions firms and non-IT staffing firmscan visit our partner Agile One to register their organization. Others can register via Delta’s Supplier Registration Portal.
Highlighting Latino Voices in Leadership at the CHCI Conference
As part of Delta’s systemwide celebration of Latin and Hispanic Heritage Month, Melissa Alvarado, Director of Government Affairs, delivered opening remarks at the CHCI Annual Leadership Conference on September 17, 2024. Alvarado set the stage for a timely panel discussion on Latino representation in corporate leadership, highlighting the challenges and progress within the corporate sector. The session, titled “Upholding DEI: Latino Voices in Corporate Leadership,” highlighted the stark underrepresentation of Latinos in executive roles, where only 4% of senior executives in large U.S. companies are of Latino descent.
In this session, Melissa reinforced Delta’s commitment to drive meaningful change, emphasizing the importance of diversity in leadership. The CHCI panel, hosted at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, included speakers such as Reps. Gabe Vasquez (D-NM); CBC Chairman, Steven Horsford (D-NV); George Walker, Chief Equity Officer at Planned Parenthood; Deanna Rodriguez, President and CEO of Entergy New Orleans LLC; and April Alvarez, Head of Engagement and Experience at Google.
As the discussion unfolded, panelists explored the challenges posed by the increasing backlash against DEI initiatives and reaffirmed the need and benefits of corporations to protect and expand upon their efforts to create a sense of belonging for its people and reflect the communities where they live, work and serve.
The theme of the conference, “Latino Excellence in Action: Innovation, Influence, and Representation,” resonated throughout the discussion, as panelists highlighted the importance of representation in leadership and the power of Latino voices in shaping corporate and community impact. Notably, CBC Chairman Horsford spoke to his Caucus’ recent release of its inaugural report, What Good Looks Like, showcasing best practices in corporate diversity, equity and inclusion and reinforcing the importance of corporations delivering on their related corporate commitments. Both Caucuses, as well as the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, have proactively engaged corporate leaders to foster increased accountability and dialogue.
Alvarado’s remarks during the panel emphasized Delta’s overarching commitment to fostering an equitable workplace where the best people want to be. “Delta honors our commitment to an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and empowered,” she stated, underlining Delta’s continued efforts to support Latinos in the industry and its leadership ranks.
Delta’s “Close the Gap” strategy aims to ensure the representation of women, Black talent and Latin and Hispanic talent in leadership roles accurately reflects the broader employee population. To ensure intent meets accountability and achieves measurable progress, the Close the Gap strategy tracks the gap between the diversity of hourly wage earners, or frontline talent, and leadership within the company, with the goal of increasing equitable access to career growth at every level of Delta’s workforce. Our talent programs work to remove unnecessary barriers, like four-year-degree requirements, to certain roles across the organization and to widen internal and external talent pipelines.
Moving the Needle on DEI
Delta’s participation in both the CBCF and CHCI conferences underscores Delta’s unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and social impact. By engaging in these pivotal conversations with policymakers and the wider business community, Delta continues to build a more equitable workplace and supply chain, ensuring that Black and Latino voices are amplified within the travel industry and the communities we serve.
For 20 years, the ADELANTE & BOLD Business Resource Groups have served as strategic resources at Delta in fostering a sense of belonging among Latin, Hispanic and Black employees; all while influencing Delta’s business strategy and empowering career growth opportunities for Delta people. Delta's 12 Business Resource Groups influence and drive business initiatives and help create solutions that significantly impact employees, customers, and communities.
As we look ahead, Delta remains focused on our DEI journey—one where every voice is heard, every employee feels they belong, and every individual has the opportunity to succeed.
