The CBC Mortgage Agency (CBCMA) has named Tai Christensen as its first-ever officer of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), according to an announcement on Tuesday. Christensen has been with CBCMA since 2018 and will continue her duties as the company’s director of government affairs.
Tai Christensen
“As our director of government affairs, Tai has been an outstanding advocate in supporting down payment assistance for a spectrum of borrowers, particularly minorities and those in underserved communities,” CBCMA President Miki Adams said in a press release.
“We have no doubt that she will excel at helping CBCMA elevate its vision of inclusive excellence,” Adams added.
As the director of diversity, equity and inclusion, Christensen will work with a 15-person committee to “create a culture of inclusivity” for all employees, regardless of their racial, ethnic or gender identity. The approach, CBCMA said, will be based on proven “best practices and resources” from the DEI space.
“I truly want to help our employees understand the value behind the diversity of our team,” Christensen said in the announcement. “By sharing our unique life journeys with each other, we’ll be able to create a more unified and harmonious work family.”
In an emailed statement to Inman, Adams said diversity and inclusion have been a part of CBCMA’s culture, but she and other company leaders felt it was time to solidify their efforts by naming a DEI director and forming a DEI committee.
Miki Adams
“CBCMA has always encouraged inclusivity and diversity within the organization, but we felt it was time to make diversity, equity and inclusion even more of a priority,” she explained. “It made sense to us to appoint a key member of our management team to formally lead this effort.”
“There could be no better individual than Tai who is at the forefront of our efforts externally,” she added. “The DEI Officer will be key to ensuring we remain on track with our program and that our message of inclusivity out to our teams is clear and unobstructed by personal bias.”
She concluded, “Our mission has always been so much more than just providing down payment assistance. What drives us is knowing the difference we are making in our borrower’s lives and in being apart of a more equitable America when it comes to homeownership.
In the same statement, Christensen said she hopes the company’s DEI efforts will result in richer engagement between employees, eliminate barriers to growth and help individual team members learn how to use their personal experiences and knowledge to better serve homebuyers.
“[Our] action steps for the year include conducting an organization-wide diversity and inclusion audit and survey to identify any existing barriers to diversity, equity and inclusion,” she explained. “In an effort to connect as a team and interface effectively with the diverse communities we serve, we’ve developed employee spotlight videos and articles and will utilize educational platforms to share the unique backgrounds and histories of our team members.”
“We are also looking into ways in which we can align with other businesses that also embrace inclusivity policies and practices,” she added.
