She’s Got Next: Erica Edwards O’Neal

As Senior Vice President for Culture, Diversity, Equity, & Social Responsibility at the nonprofit New York Road Runners (NYRR), Erica Edwards O’Neal works to create an inclusive environment that benefits the entire organization – from employees to volunteers to the runners who lace up for its 60 adult and youth races, including the iconic TCS New York City Marathon.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Your role at NYRR focuses on important, and broad, issues of diversity, equity, and social responsibility. How do you approach tackling those issues for the organization?

I think no matter the design of your organization, whether it’s for profit or not-for-profit, being a good citizen is important. For us, those pillars for good citizenship are environmental sustainability, volunteerism, and equity. With diversity we’re talking about representation. Who’s at the table, who’s present? Inclusion is working to ensure that people feel like they belong and can thrive and not just survive. Equity is addressing historical or current systems, policies, and practices that were discriminatory to create a workplace built for more people. I’ll take this opportunity to say is that our approach is race plus ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, parents, and people with disabilities. It really is an inclusive and expansive view of diversity.

How challenging is it to balance different people’s needs and have people feel you are addressing their individual needs?

It’s not an easy job and there absolutely are challenges. One of the ways I’ve been fortunate is that New York Road Runners has been and continues to be deeply invested in this work. It is not seen as a silo but as a filter and a lens that is applied across all that we do to truly be thinking about diversity, equity and social responsibility as key ingredients in our work.

When we pause to ask the question, “Who might this affect?” we have to consider who is at the table in the ideation stage because we know that with more diverse teams, you get greater innovation and broader viewpoints. We’ve been able to build out a fantastic team along those lines. About two years ago, we were able to hire our first Director of Disability Inclusion and Accessibility, because part of the work is not assuming we have all the answers but in making space to hear from different groups. We’re also not making decisions for these groups without being in the community with them. It’s a lot about partnering and hearing and understanding and figuring out where you can implement changes along with not being afraid to start.

I think often organizations, rightfully so, are afraid of messing it up. They can become so fearful of a mistake and so never make any moves. But I think there’s great importance in the transparency to say we understand that there’s a need. We understand historical inequities. We understand that in many places, in many ways, the workplace wasn’t built with caregivers in mind and parents in mind and people with disabilities in mind. And we are actively working to be a part of a system that is rewiring and reworking the work and work environment for more people.

How do topics of diversity and equity show up in running events and in the running community?

I think it shows up in so many categories. Who has access to running gear, appropriate running shoes and clothing, who has representation? Do people feel like they’re welcome to show up in a space? When talking about representation, and how and what stories are told, what communities are represented? Do people see themselves in the imagery, from our social media to marketing campaigns. Do we see lots of different bodies? Do all those folks feel welcome? There are so many spaces that I think previously may not have been as inclusive as possible, but we’ve seen an extraordinary expansion in those spaces. New York Road Runners is helping with our youth and community programs, including our youth wheelchair program and our school shoe giveaways with New Balance. We have deep programs in communities alongside partner organizations to try to minimize some of these challenges and barriers.

You mentioned partnering with other organizations, how important is that as a way for athletic organizations to address diversity and equity?

It’s so important to start with establishing ongoing relationships with community members and stakeholders, whether that is run clubs or community centers. It allows you to really understand what the needs are in the community by hearing from them, creating official and organic partnerships and allowing them to share. Those folks will be the experts on their community, their needs, how to get the message out and how to partner. Targeted community involvement can increase awareness and understanding of the barriers to access.

Think through and pause for a moment to understand that there may be a lack of awareness, or a denial of difference, or even a lack of understanding of historical inequities that have led to some of these barriers. Make sure that you’re expansive with your thinking. Yes, be race explicit, but not race exclusive. Be sure you are talking to people with disabilities, you’re talking to parents, you’re talking to caregivers, you’re talking to members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allowing those folks to lead the conversation about how to best work in those communities.

In 2022, the TCS New York City Marathon was declared a “Safe Space” by the Stonewall Inn for its inclusivity efforts for the LBGTQ+ community. What are some of the things NYRR has done to foster a sense of a safe space for multiple communities? What lessons could other organizations learn from those efforts?

It’s starting from a bit of an inside-out approach and asking how do we support our staff and volunteers, so they understand our mission and vision and the importance of diversity, equity and social responsibility? That’s in our messaging and how we communicate to our teams, it’s in the year-round trainings we provide, and in our own policies and practices for staff and volunteers. It’s normalizing the language of equity.

We were so honored to be highlighted by Stonewall Inn and their Safe Space initiative. We’d spent a few years focusing on providing training and what it means to be an LGBTQIA+ ally. What it means to understand gendered language. We worked with extraordinary consultants, but also heard from the community about our plans and strategies. I think it’s making sure that the staff, team, and volunteers that are carrying out our efforts have an understanding.

And also, it’s understanding that we’re going to make mistakes. Let’s try to not make the same mistakes over and over. It does require some level of courage to step out and test the waters, but it can’t be a stagnant approach. We test, we pilot, we review, we pivot. And that’s really what’s required when we’re thinking about all of the communities and having a level of transparency and honesty.

For folks who are with a smaller organization or with less budget, there are so many free or low-cost resources out there. Work with local colleges and speakers. We work closely with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and provide accessibility training. There’s a lot of training and education to normalize the conversations.

Then it really is incumbent that we help folks who lead in their area understand their sphere of influence and how they can start to bake the concepts of equity and inclusion into their individual roles.

If I’m giving advice to people starting on this journey, it’s to understand that it is a journey. Before you move into action, pause to understand. Ask, “What’s in the cabinet? What do we already have? What have we already done? What are the efforts that have maybe started and failed?” Then think about who your early adapters are, who are going to be your advocates, and who are going to be the folks, internal and external stakeholders, that might be slow to adapt. It’s important to understand the lay of the land before you start an initiative. And start with knowing it will likely not be perfect, but it is necessary. I would say, even when we haven’t gotten it quite right, we’ve gotten a lot of appreciation and respect for attempting the effort, for attempting to lead in the space.

What’s your advice to women who want to work for a sports organization or sports adjacent or be involved in this space?

I love this question. I’d say, first, celebrate, follow and support other women in this space. Understand the industry and industry trends by subscribing to magazines and podcasts. Learn the culture of a specific area. Get relevant experience, whether that’s through volunteering or employment, and think about how that experience is transferable to other areas. And network! There are fantastic organizations, like WISE (Women in Sports and Events).

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