SSA Group, an award-winning provider of visitor amenities, has announced that it has hired LV Jones Consulting, and has also appointed Yontae Johnson to a new dedicated in-house position focused on DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusivity). This comes as the company focuses on building its focus on DEAI, in line with its thrive(3) strategic plan.
Yontae Johnson
Johnson, who takes on the role of SSA’s DEAI Manager, previously worked as the corporate social responsibility & DEI ambassador for Rural AmericaOversight. She has implemented and led a number of key D&I initiatives, including recognition of cultural holidays and the first civil rights giving program in the 100-year-old institution’s history.
Johnson has also served on the National PTA DEIJ Governance Committee advancing DEI in the education system and served as the Public Arts Commissioner in the City of Castle Rock, appointed by the City Council.
“We are thrilled for Yontae Johnson to join the SSA family! She is an amazing asset to advancing our DEAI commitments and we look forward to enhancing the overall DEAI experience across food, retail, admissions and catering,” says Shannon Fitzgerald, chief brand officer at SSA. Â
Tasha Jones and LV Jones Consulting
LV Jones Consulting is a diversity marketing consulting firm founded by experienced community expert Tasha L. Jones. For public/private partnerships and nonprofits looking to represent DEAI in their brands, the firm helps to build strategic insights to include stories, imagery, and experiences from the perspectives of diverse voices.
Speaking about the new partnership with SSA, Jones says:
“I look forward to exploring what SSA has been doing well and where there is room for improvement. SSA leaders have proven committed to the organization’s DEAI journey for the better part of a decade. Understandably, they’re ready to reassess their efforts and enhance their commitments.
“My vision is to start with an assessment of how SSA has delivered on their DEAI commitments and introduce opportunities to go deeper in the work of operating as a DEAI leader. What LV Jones Consulting will do is help SSA communicate their DEAI goals and initiatives with authenticity through language, imagery, and action.
“At LV Jones Consulting, we only work with clients who have already begun their own DEAI journey, as our vertical in this space focuses on diversity marketing and communications. Since DEAI is about workplace culture, our contributions are best suited for organizations that are committed to learning and operationalizing DEAI. That’s when we’re able to help an organization authentically communicate how they’re walking the walk.
“SSA is an inspiration in the genuine way they’ve been self-evaluating and recalibrating their internal efforts. It’s refreshing to partner with this family-oriented business as they embark on this next phase of their DEAI journey.”
Last month, SSA Group announced that it has helped Houston Zoo to eliminate single-use plastic packaging in all its gift shops, becoming the first zoo in the US to do so.
