What diversity? Slim findings in this regional tally.

• Author: Coulter, Patricia
• Position: BOARD SURVEY

In 2010 the Urban League of Philadelphia surveyed the top 108 public companies in Philadelphia and the surrounding metropolitan region to determine the participation of African American executives on these corporate boards. The noteworthy findings:

* The 108 companies represented a universe of 888 board directors.

* 78 companies responded to the survey, representing 678 board directors.

* There was a total of 30 African American board directors, or 4%, among these responding companies.

* Among the responding companies, 26% reported having one African American director; less than 2% have more than one African American director.

* African Americans make up 44% of the population of the city of Philadelphia and 20% of the wider metropolitan region.

"The survey was created to bring thought leaders together for dialogue and to see what can be done to bring more opportunities for parity and power to African American professionals," says Patricia

1. Coulter, president and CEO of the Urban League of Philadelphia. The organization is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, community-based movement providing direct services, research, and policy advocacy for advancing economic self-reliance and parity. It is an affiliate of the National Urban League, the nation's oldest (established in 1910) and largest community-based movement to empower African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream.

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The survey, sponsored by KPMG LLP, resulted in a report, Opportunity at the Top: Leadership and Diversity of Corporate Boards. The report included a number of thought-leadership essays by top business figures in the region. One key contributor to the report was Isaiah Harris, chairman of the board of CIGNA Corp. The following is an excerpt of his essay on the CIGNA board's embrace of diversity.

Patricia Coulter, president and CEO of the Urban League of Philadelphia

A copy of the report is available on the Urban League of Philadelphia's website (www.urbanleaguephila.org).

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