Our Vision for Diversity and Inclusion
At Prairie State, our vision for diversity and inclusion is to foster an environment and culture where every employee can thrive and belong. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organization that is reflective of our region, providing equal access to information and development opportunities, and inspiring innovation. In order to reach our goals of becoming the best coal mine and power plant in the country, we need diversity. Diversity is about having an appreciation for differences in thought, capabilities, and background. We’re at our best when we’re working together.
Our aim is to not only inspire diversity through our hiring practices, but to also be inclusive of each and every team member we have. While we have taken steps in the right direction, we know there is much more work to do. We strive to continually build on our methods and, to that end, have introduced our new and improved Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Committee.
The Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Prairie State’s D&I Committee was formed in 2017, and works alongside our leadership team to annually review the metrics they have put into place, to ensure Prairie State is giving equal opportunity to those from all walks of life, and we are maintaining an inclusive work culture.
Prairie State’s D&I Committee is comprised of diverse employees from across the power plant, mine, and corporate office. Together the Committee is focused on identifying potential gaps, keeping a pulse on organizational efforts relative to diversity and inclusion, and developing solutions to improve programs and processes that best serve all Prairie State employees.
The Importance of Diversity and Inclusion
“Diversity is important to our workforce here at Prairie State because it helps us improve. Without people bringing their diverse ideas and experience, we wouldn’t be able to operate on the cutting edge of the energy industry. But we can’t stop at improving diversity, we have to take our efforts one step further towards being inclusive. Inclusion ensures that those diverse ideas are being heard and, if viable, put into practice. We appreciate each and every one of our employees for bringing their thoughts to the table.”
-Randy Short, President & CEO