The Diversity Committee, chaired by Tony Alvarado at the State Bar of Texas, is working on two projects. The first is a baseline survey of the NABE membership on the demographics of bar association personnel. The second is a pilot project to develop a mentoring program that seeks to improve the diversity of the NABE membership.

The purpose of the survey is to gather any available data on NABE membership profiles to create a baseline evaluation for the mentorship pilot project. The survey was sent electronically to 201 executive directors of state and local bar associations. The questionnaire asks 13 questions to define the association's profile and then the composition of the management and support staff in bar associations.

So far, we have received 79 responses (a nearly 40% response rate). The Diversity Committee has not had the opportunity to analyze the responses, but several preliminary results are interesting. 44% of respondents report that they have between 1-5 minority managers and 49% of respondents report that they have 1-5 minority support staff. 42% of respondents report that the number of minority members of their staff have increased in the last five years, 42% say that the number has remained the same and 9% of respondents report a decrease in the number of minority staff in the last five years. In answer to the question of whether their association supports staff development for minority staff members, 73% said yes.

All chief staff executives who have not answered the survey may still do so. The survey is on-line at http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?9XQM7EEWEN1DW8D3B30E16XF. It's not too late to provide us with your information. Completing the questionnaire takes only minutes.

The purpose of the Mentoring Pilot Project is to appreciate, encourage and support current and future members of NABE who are racial or ethnic minorities. The goal is to enhance leadership opportunities for members of NABE, increase awareness and understanding of the benefits of diversity within NABE and its companion organizations, and to increase the number of minority members in NABE by providing a forum for the discussion of strategies to improve hiring, retention and promotion of minority staff members.

The pilot project will consider sponsoring networking events, listservs and/or orientation programs for minority members. Whatever types of activities are attempted, this is intended to be an enjoyable experience for all involved. The pilot should take 2-3 years, and be evaluated by the participants.