Diversity Equity & Inclusion

MPI Potomac is an inclusive community of meeting professionals who embrace learning, collaboration and your development.

As MPI's leading chapter in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) we do not take lightly the responsibility to our members, and ourselves, to continue to grow, learn, improve, advocate and act on what is best for our chapter, communities and industry. As part of that mission we will continue to update this page and we would encourage you to also review the resources available on MPI Global: It Starts with Us!

A Letter to Our Membership

Dear Friends,

I’m proud to share this page with you. As you can see on this page, there are loads of resources with meaningful content that you might find useful for your personal and professional life which will help all of us achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion in our culture.

In 2017, MPI Potomac was the first MPI chapter to elevate DEI from a concept to a task force to a director-level seat. The effect of that commitment is that we see all our decisions – education programs, social events, communications, board representation, industry advocacy, and more – through the lens of DEI.

There are many instances in our daily lives that continue to test our faith and intentions to create a world of fairness and respect.

As meeting professionals – organizers and designers of meetings large and small, anywhere in the world – we’ve embraced the reality that we have a voice, and we can make decisions that positively impact our participants. We can trust ourselves and our colleagues to find opportunities, whether they be sweeping or incremental, in order to make the meeting and event experience reflective of who we are as an inclusive community. Putting words into action is clearly one of the most rewarding feelings we can have.

In my remarks as the new chapter president during the Evening of the Stars in June 2022, I listed a series of qualities that I felt were important to be as chapter members. My favorite is mindfulness. To me, mindfulness is being aware of how we as individuals impact our world and our professional community. And being aware that everyone deserves to be seen and heard is a byproduct of what our nation stands for (or should stand for).

DEI, at its core, is a critical component of mindfulness because it translates to being respectful and to at least attempt to understand the world from someone else’s eyes. If we can do that, we’ll come a long way.

I encourage you to reach out to me when we’re doing things right and when we fall short, and what we can do to better uphold our desires and commitment to set a good example for our colleagues and fellow citizens.

Phil Rappoport
CEO, Virlybird
MPI Potomac President 2022-2023