Liza Smitherman strives to promote inclusion, diversity in community

For Liza Smitherman, it's all about equal opportunity.

An entrepreneur in first-generation, family-owned companies started with her husband, Albert, she's the chief people officer of Jostin Construction and president of Brewster Pumping.

As a Black woman in the male-dominated construction industry, she said she and her husband Albert put inclusion and diversity at the top of the list in their workplace. But she says it's not always easy for everyone to pin down exactly what a diverse, inclusive environment is.

"It’s not just about race. It’s about how you think about things – perspectives, it’s gender, ethnicity, beliefs," she said. "When you are able to present that in a space, that’s where it’s creating diversity of opportunities."

That's why she does what she does: Make work accessible to everyone. But she wants to take that out of the workplace and spread the word in the community, becoming involved and bringing those values to her committee and board roles in various charities and organizations.

Janice Urbanik said Smitherman walks the talk. She worked with Liza in a Construction Industry Partnership group that Urbanik convened as part of the work of Partners for a Competitive Workforce. The nonprofit in Cincinnati is focused on ensuring that employers have the talent they need to compete and that people have the skills they need to get good jobs to advance their careers.

At Jostin/Brewster, Urbanik said Liz Smitherman implemented highly effective initiatives such as financial counseling, career ladders, peer support and more that were atypical for small/mid-sized businesses.

"By role modeling that small businesses could implement those successful initiatives, it led to bigger businesses to consider why they resisted," Urbanik said. "She was an early adopter of improving the quality of jobs when that was considered a “non-starter” discussion with employers. She knew that employers had to do more to improve the working conditions and provide other worker supports if they wanted to attract and retain workers."

She says Liza was at the forefront of solving the issues that the country is dealing with now in the post-pandemic workforce crisis

Smitherman, who grew up in Columbus' urban core and now lives in East Walnut Hills, said she is a big advocate for public education. All of her children grew up in the city and attended Cincinnati Public Schools. She now gives back to the community that served her kids on the Advocates for Youth Education Cincinnati committee, a local organization that provides scholarships for Black students to go to college.

On the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center board member, she serves as chair of the nominating and governance committee. She has communicated to board members she wants to make diverse hires. Another opportunity to make an impact is on the City Gospel Mission board, where she encourages fellow board members to talk frankly about the city's current events and issues regarding diversity and inclusion, to better identify possible bias in a session called "Real Talk." It's a regular occurrence.

"There's been change in the community and the organizations have been put on notice," she said. "We're moving the needle, but we could do better."

She said her activism takes the form of promoting those inclusive principles. A few activities in some of the organizations actually called her to action.

A City Gospel Mission bike ride from Cincinnati to New York with teens from urban cores was a big accomplishment for the kids, she said, who faced a lot of challenges at home. Another function for Easterseals, a nonprofit devoted to supporting people with disabilities, demonstrated how people with developmental delays can achieve economic freedom through finding jobs to support their families.

For Smitherman, it's been worth it. "To be able to see the value in all people, no matter who you are, that's what we want," she said.

Liza Smitherman has had a hand in many charitable organizations, serving on the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (where she is a vice chair of the board), and the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. She has also served on the executive committee of REDI, the board of YWCA of Greater Cincinnati (where she was named a Career Woman of Achievement in 2015), the Easterseals Tristate board, the City Gospel Mission board, and Xavier University, her most recent board membership.

What inspires you to give back?

"Knowing that the playing field is not level and therefore, not everyone has the same opportunities and supports that other people have. Our “WHY” or purpose of our business is “to create and provide a diversity of opportunities for all.” I want to be a part of leveling the playing field by lifting people up so that they then can have opportunities to play on the field of access and stability and personal growth. There are so many wonderful organizations in our region that get it, that want to make systemic change in our community, and I want to be a part of that work."

What need in the community would you like to see addressed?

"Mental Health is truly a public health emergency. The demand for supports more than outnumbers the supply for supports that can be provided. This is not a problem that will ever go away, and I know that there are a multitude of factors that impact the mental health crisis that we are experiencing. As a community, we must acknowledge the reality of this crisis and be intentional about implementing sustainable solutions."

Who most influenced or inspired you to care about others?

"Growing up, my parents were two of the most giving and serving people I knew. They gave of their time, talents, and treasure in areas that they had passion for and believed in. They also wanted to be part of solutions and so rolled up their sleeves and actively supported work that had tangible outcomes."

About Liza Smitherman

• Place of birth: Columbus, Ohio.

• Current residence: East Walnut Hills.

• Family: Albert, husband; Joshua, Justin (Olivia), Jeremy and Jade, children; Justin II and Jett, grandsons.

• Education: Bachelor of Science in education from Bowling Green State University, Master of Education in counseling from Xavier University.

• Occupation: She is an entrepreneur in first-generation, family-owned companies with her husband, Albert. She is the chief people officer of Jostin Construction and president of Brewster Pumping.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Liza Smitherman strives to promote inclusion, diversity in Cincinnati