Marie McCarthy, chief operations officer at L.L.Bean, used her learnings from a MaineCF program to help shape policies and continuing education for the company's leaders. Gregory Rec photo
Four years ago, the Maine Community Foundation launched a program for influential white leaders at a turning point for racial equity across the nation.
Marie McCarthy, chief operations officer at L.L.Bean, joined the community foundation's Leadership Learning Exchange for Equity (L2E2) to help increase her understanding as the iconic Maine retailer's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion evolved.
"The biggest 'ah-ha ' moment for me was the immersion in data that clearly shows systemic bias and its impact on people of color," said McCarthy. "There are influences at play that I did not have enough awareness around.
I learned how young bias sets in and the depth of systemic racism and inequity."
Since 2019, L2E2 has assembled 140 white leaders from across Maine to learn about and reflect on the roles of race and privilege in their work, personal lives, and communities. MaineCF launched L2E2 as part of its 2016 strategic initiative to advance racial equity.
The program was inspired by New Hampshire Listens, a community engagement initiative of the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.
Each L2E2 cohort includes 25 professionals from the for-profit, nonprofit, and government sectors who participate in 28 hours of workshops and discussions led by two facilitators. MaineCF transferred the L2E2 program to Thomas College in 2021.
Senior Program Officer Gloria Aponte C.
"It is so important for Maine's white leaders to acknowledge the systemic inequities people of color face," said Gloria Aponte C., MaineCF senior program officer. "They can influence their organizations and peers to change policies and practices."
L2E2 allows leaders to dive deep into their own biases, learn the history of systemic racism, and the roles privilege plays in our lives and workplaces.
McCarthy used L2E2 learnings to help shape L.L.Bean policies and continuing education opportunities for its leaders. Soon after she finished the program , McCarthy helped draft the company's strategic goal focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In 2020 McCarthy began raising questions about the representation of seasonal managers in the retailer's fulfillment center, staffed by a racially diverse population that includes many immigrants.
While L.L.Bean had employed immigrants for several years, the leadership team found they were not applying for seasonal management positions - despite their experience and qualifications. McCarthy's team learned through conversations with employees that they did not feel comfortable writing a traditional cover letter or were not culturally familiar with resumes.
"We realized things in our hiring process that were inadvertently, systemically, excluding our employees from advancing," said McCarthy.
The company omitted names from applications and did away with cover letter and resume requirements. Instead, applicants were asked to complete a simplified form that included why they were interested in a seasonal management position. That year, the applications and selection of leaders of color increased considerably.
LL.Bean's focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion is evident in other ways too: The company that inspires customers to spend time outdoors realized some employees who arrived from other countries weren't accustomed to camping, hiking, or kayaking.
L.L.Bean added guided outdoor experiences, so all employees have the same opportunities and skills to safely enjoy outdoor recreation.
McCarthy's commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion doesn't stop when she leaves L.L.Bean 's Freeport headquarters.
"I find this interwoven into my professional life and personal life," said McCarthy, who has open conversations with her teenage children about unconscious bias and racism.
"The work has informed the questions I ask when I am in my role on boards and scholarship committees." (McCarthy serves on the boards of MaineHealth, Camden National Bank, and the Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute.)
Despite her years-long commitment to educating herself on the roles race and privilege play in her personal and professional life, McCarthy says she is not finished learning.
"The thought I come back to repeatedly is that this work is humbling, and you have to have humility about it," she said. "The second you think you are aware, you're probably not. There's always more to learn. It's a constant journey and important to keep advancing."
