Barbara “BJ” Jones, Sunward's Chief Diversity and Impact Officer, has been named as a Diversity Champion in Albuquerque Business First’s 2023 Diverse Business Leader Awards.
“I’m thrilled by this recognition because it affirms Sunward’s path forward and shows that our investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is not only the right thing to do, but has a positive impact on our employees, members, and community. I look forward to making Sunward the best place to work in each of the communities we serve so that we can continue to drive the economic engine that benefits the people and places where we live and work,” Jones said.
Jones credits commitment from Sunward’s executive team as integral to her success. “Our leadership understands and supports diversity because they know it can help Sunward attract, grow, and retain diverse, talented employees, which in turn means we can better serve our members.”
"I extend my heartfelt congratulations to BJ for this well-deserved award,” said Alex de la Cruz, Sunward Executive Vice President. “She is instilling DEI values and collaboration at every level of our organization and fostering new community partnerships – all of which speaks to the culture we are building with our employees and our diverse, multicultural membership.” Jones was selected for the award for her leadership in promoting initiatives and resources to advance diversity in the workplace and for her community involvement, including:
- Initiating a Spanish-language pay differential for bilingual, member-facing employees
- Updating policies to ensure gender-neutral dress code provisions
- Launching employee-run affinity groups that focus on networking, as well as personal and professional development
- Enhancing Sunward’s Total Rewards benefits package to include 16 paid volunteer time-off hours annually
- Aiding the creation of a Lifestyle Spending Account funded by Sunward to support work/life balance and a holistic approach to wellness
- Championing new internal employee communications which are intentionally inclusive
- Sponsoring action planning around employee engagement to increase belonging at every level of the organization
After a successful 30-year career in human resources and diversity training with Sandia National Laboratories, and as president of her own consulting firm, Jones joined Sunward in 2014 as Vice President of Human Resources and Training. She was promoted to Senior Vice President of Organizational Effectiveness in 2018, and was named to the newly created position of Chief Diversity and Impact Officer in October 2022.
