In 2009, The City of Virginia Beach established its own Inclusion and Diversity Council (IDC) which consisted of voluntary part-time and full-time employees, who were responsible for creating and overseeing initiatives, events and programs designed to integrate the principles of diversity and inclusion throughout the organization. One of the first initiatives of the IDC, with the support of Virginia Beach City Manager Jim Spore, included hosting quarterly Regional Roundtable meetings as a way to learn from other diversity practitioners.  The first roundtable was held in May 2011 and created an opportunity for public and private sector organizations to come together to discuss best practices in diversity and inclusion. 

 

Since its inception, participants of the Regional Roundtable met on a quarterly basis to discuss the challenges and issues that confront workplace diversity in Hampton Roads. Several companies have hosted the roundtable meetings and have presented overviews on how they have embraced diversity and are working to create more inclusive workplaces. 

 

In January 2013, the attendees of the Regional Roundtable meetings decided that the Roundtable should become a formal body and the Hampton Roads Diversity and Inclusion Consortium (known formerly as the Regional Roundtable) was created.

 

On Thursday, October 23, 2014 the Hampton Roads Diversity and Inclusion Consortium (HRDIC), hosted its First Eastern Virginia Regional Diversity & Inclusion Conference at the Chesapeake Marriott Conference Center.  The conference’s theme Diversity:  Leveraging Differences for Success attracted over 250 attendees from various employers throughout the state of Virginia.

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Since then, HRDIC has presented an annual conference or event to create networking opportunities, establish resources, and engage local organizations.  This provides a shared desire to strengthen and develop diversity and inclusion awareness  and encourages participants to promote leadership engagement.

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In 2019, HRDIC became a (501) (c) (3) non-profit organization, promoting ways to Think Outside Your Circle.