Vi President and CEO Randy Richardson signs on to CEO Action For Diversity & Inclusion Commitment™

Chicago, January 21, 2021 – Vi, premier developer, owner and operator of 10 luxury senior living communities across the U.S., announced that Randy Richardson, Vi’s president and CEO, has signed on to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ commitment.

Recognizing that change starts at the executive level, Richardson joins over 1,600 CEOs of the world’s leading companies and business organizations in leveraging their individual and collective voices to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

“The CEO Action pledge is an important step towards upholding Vi’s relentless commitment to a culture that supports respect, diversity, equity, and inclusion. These actions help each of our team members achieve their full potential and furthers our mission of enhancing the lives of older adults,” said Richardson. “We are committed to ensuring that Vi is an inclusive, fair, and welcoming workplace for all.”

The CEO Action pledge outlines a specific set of actions signatory CEOs will take to cultivate a culture of respect, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Richardson believes that these four commitments are important and concrete steps towards Vi’s ongoing dedication to supporting a diverse, inclusive and trusting workplace for every employee. Through this pledge, Vi has committed to the following:   

1. Vi will continue to make its workplaces safe spaces to have complex, and sometimes difficult, conversations about diversity and inclusion: Vi will create and maintain environments, platforms, and forums where employees feel comfortable reaching out to their colleagues to gain greater awareness of each other's experiences and perspectives. By encouraging an ongoing dialogue and not tolerating any incongruence with these values of openness, Vi is building trust, encouraging compassion and open-mindedness, and reinforcing its commitment to a culture of inclusivity.
2. Vi will implement and expand unconscious bias education: Experts tell us that we all have unconscious biases — that is human nature. Unconscious bias education enables individuals to begin recognizing, acknowledging, and therefore minimizing any potential blind spots he or she might have, but wasn’t aware of previously. Vi will commit to rolling out and/or expanding unconscious bias education within the companies in the form that best fits Vi’s specific culture and business. By helping employees recognize and minimize their blind spots, Vi aims to facilitate more open and honest conversations. Additionally, Vi will make non-proprietary unconscious bias education modules available to others free of charge.
3. Vi will share best — and unsuccessful — practices: Each of Vi’s communities have established strategies and initiatives around diversity and inclusion. Yet, Vi understands that many companies are still developing their strategies. Vi will commit to helping other companies evolve and enhance their current diversity strategies and encourage them, in turn, to share their successes and challenges with others.
4. Vi will create and share strategic inclusion and diversity plans with its board of directors: Vi will work with its board of directors through the development and evaluation of concrete, strategic action plans to prioritize and drive accountability around diversity and inclusion. 

Vi continues to focus on programs and initiatives towards these commitments. As an example, Vi employees had the opportunity to vote for their top 501(c)(3) philanthropic organizations that champion diversity, equity and inclusion. Employees selected The Equal Justice Initiative, The Trevor Project and My Brother’s Keeper as the charities Vi would support in 2020. In addition, Vi continues to work with Risha Grant, an internationally renowned bias, diversity and inclusion expert on educational programs on the topics of diversity, inclusion, unconscious bias, equity, allyship, micro-aggressions and more. 

Vi is made up of dedicated and talented team members committed to improving the lives of older adults. Blending the best of a five-star resort lifestyle with senior living, Vi operates continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), which provide residents with independent living as well as a continuum of care on-site, including assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing should the need ever arise. 

To find out more about the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ initiative, visit www.ceoaction.com/faqs.

About Vi

Headquartered in Chicago, Vi operates 10 continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) across the United States. With more than 30 years of experience as the owner and operator of residential communities for older adults, Vi continues to work toward providing quality environments, services and programs to enrich the lives of those they serve. Vi is proud to be the recipient of a number of best workplace awards, including Glassdoor’s 2020 “Best Places to Work,” and Great Place to Work and Fortune’s “Best Workplaces for Aging Services.”

Media Contact:

Murphy O’Brien
310-586-7180
vi@murphyobrien.com