The Junior League of Austin welcomes all women who value our mission. We are committed to inclusive environments of individuals, organizations and communities.

The 2023-2024 JLA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee: 

Jennifer Clegg-Petz, Committee Chair

Anje Watkins, Committee Administrative Assistant

Jillian DeLaTorre Copeland, Committee Member

Merilise Doris, Committee Member

Rachel Martinez, Committee Member

Bria Moore,  Committee Member

Christina Shepherd, Committee Member

JLA DEI Committee Vision:

The Junior League of Austin’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee works to support, highlight and celebrate our diverse and unique membership, while also ensuring our League’s future efforts reflect our firm commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. We are guided by the League’s strategic plan and work towards the outcomes identified in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals.

JLA DEI Committee Make-Up:

Our committee is made up of dynamic women, both Active members and Sustaining Advisors, who each bring her own life experiences and points of view to the League. Our Active members carry diverse perspectives from a broad range of professional experiences and industries, ranging from marketing, to the legal and medical professions, to financial services, to senior levels of corporate management in Fortune 500 companies, and many more in between.

JLA DEI Committee Vision:

The JLA Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee has established the following strategic objectives to guide us as we work to ensure all women feel welcomed and valued in The Junior League of Austin:

• • Diversity – Cultivate the representation of racial, ethnic, religious, LGBTQIA+, and socioeconomic diversity
  • Inclusion – Create an engaging environment where all members are warmly welcomed and feel a sense of belonging
  • Education – Create training, processes, annual plans and programs to meet the diverse needs of JLA’s membership in partnership with other Committees
  • Communication – Ensure that Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, actions and results are transparent to membership and the Austin community
  • Accountability – Hold leadership accountable for achieving meaningful Diversity, Equity & Inclusion goals and objectives in addition to recognizing accomplishments. Partner with leadership to embed diversity, equity and inclusion throughout our League and be a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion outside of the League

Current Projects

• Development of a 5-year Strategic Plan
• Creation of a comprehensive training catalog to foster a culture that promotes a welcoming and inclusive environment for prospective and current members of JLA
• Improvements to recruitment outreach and expansion programs of underrepresented groups of women
• Creation of affinity groups
• Establishment of a DEI Book Club

Additional Content and Resources:

• The Association of Junior Leagues International Diversity and Inclusion Information
• The Junior League of Austin’s 2021–2022 Suggested Reading List:
  • Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do
  • White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
  • 20 Picture Books for 2020: Readings to Embrace Race, Provide Solace & Do Good
  • Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America (National Book Award Winner)
  • Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People
  • Poet Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen: An American Lyric”