FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Members of Fort Wayne City Council and Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana and more than 40 local community leaders, organizations, and businesses gathered Tuesday to sign a pledge to include “all walks of life and experiences” in Fort Wayne’s working environment.

In a presentation, the groups signed the Fort Wayne Commitment and Inclusivity Pledge. Councilman Dr. John Crawford, who signed the pledge on behalf of the residents of Fort Wayne, introduced a resolution at last week’s city council meeting in support of the inclusivity pledge.

“In order for Fort Wayne to continue the positive growth we’ve seen over the last decade, we must continue to embrace perspectives from all walks of life and experiences to be truly diverse and inclusive,” said Crawford. “With this in mind, I support YLNI and call on business leaders in the community to take the pledge and show that we are committed to creating an environment for all people to succeed.”

The pledge was created in the wake of the 4th annual My City Summit, which focused on supporting diversity and inclusion in the Fort Wayne community. Since the summit, YLNI members worked with the local business community to develop a more inclusive, skilled, and diverse workforce.

“YLNI’s mission is to attract, develop, and retain emerging leaders in Northeast Indiana, and we believe it is difficult to attract and retain talent if new residents don’t feel welcomed or included,” said Stephanie Veit. “We are asking the business community to support our pledge and help us attract the best talent to our region.”

Fort Wayne City Council joined more than 40 local community leaders, organizations, and businesses who have signed the pledge:

1st Source Bank, 3 Rivers FCU, Acuity Mergers + Acquisitions, AEP, Arts United, Baker Street, Barnes and Thornburg LLP, Boys and Girls Club of Fort Wayne, City of Fort Wayne, City of New Haven, Don Ayres Honda, Dupont Hospital, Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne Black Chamber of Commerce, Fort Wayne Trails, Fort Wayne Metals, Fort Wayne UNITED, Greater Fort Wayne Inc., Hoppy Gnome, JP Morgan Chase, Kelly Automotive, Lake City Bank, Lincoln Financial Group, Lutheran Hospital, Manchester University, NE Indiana Works, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, Ortho NE, Parkview Hospital, PHP, Questa Foundation, Radiation Oncology Association, Rea Magnet Wire, Ridge Napa, Stein Ad Promos, Star Bank, State Farm Insurance, Strahm, United Way, Voices of Unity, Weigand Construction, Wells Fargo Bank, Whittle Consulting, WPTA, Wunderkammer Company, Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana.