Diversity Meets Goldmark

Goldmark was founded in 1981 and has grown from two employees to over 600 employees managing more than 16,000 units. Over the years, diversity and inclusion have been a priority for Goldmark and a staple in their company culture. Goldmark's mission is to "Transform the lives of those we work with and those we serve." Goldmark President, Charley Poynter, pledges the following in the Goldmark Team Member Handbook: Goldmark will welcome and promote diversity at all levels of our organization, make inclusion part of its culture in creating a better living, be a safe place to have transparent conversations about diversity and inclusion, and to be a business where employees are safe to be their authentic selves. Diversity and inclusion are what Goldmark believes creates a great company, full of unique individuals that use their own strengths to better their work and the individuals around them.

Prioritizing diversity and inclusion has always been a focus for Goldmark, and can be seen in their training, policies, and partners. Annual training on topics of diversity, inclusion, and equity for all employees, as well as strict adherence to policies and training for Fair Housing Laws creates an inclusive environment for current and future employees and residents. Partnering with LanguageLink to create high-quality communication between residents and team members minimizes language roadblocks to better serve our residents. Additionally, partnering with community organizations such as the United Way, YWCA, Lutheran Social Services, and universities to actively recruit diverse individuals, including New Americans, Immigrants, and Refugees is an on-going focus.

Because of their commitment to recruiting diverse individuals, in July of 2019, Goldmark earned the “Inclusive Workforce Employer” (IWE) designation, which is a designation developed by the West Minnesota Community Workforce Inclusion Council and Department of Employment and Economic Development as a blueprint for internalizing the priorities and values of diversity and inclusion. The IWE requires the following:

Goldmark leadership’s consistent commitment to diversity and inclusion made them one of the first recipients of the IWE designation. The I-WE designation reflects the fact that everybody, regardless of who they are, how they define themselves, or to what population or demographic they belong, are welcome at Goldmark. Diversity is being asked to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance. Whether your dance is the Time Warp, the Macarena, or the Running Man, we are glad you came to our party. Now, can you teach us some of those sweet moves?