Tourism Diversity Matters has fired its executive director, Greg DeShields, amid sweeping allegations of discriminatory behavior toward young women of color. TDM was founded in 2021 with a mission to empower tourism organizations to achieve excellence in diversity, equity and inclusion.
While advocating for diversity externally, a growing number of sources revealed abhorrent internal practices, reported the Philadelphia Inquirer. The newspaper also shared a Google drive containing a trail of documents related to the allegations.
Discontent within the organization came to a head this month when an open letter addressing the hypocrisy of TDM was made public. Authored by six women, the letter alleges that both TDM, as well as DeShields' previous employer, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, have enabled workplace bullying by him toward young women for more than a decade.
Letter reveals a history of workplace bullying
Among the letter’s signatories was Dr. Brandi Baldwin, a diversity consultant and former board chair of TDM. Baldwin resigned from the board in January, noting in a letter that she could no longer remain in her position if DeShields was not held accountable for his discriminatory behavior. She had previously voiced her concerns to TDM’s founder and CEO Mike Gamble last summer, per e-mails also shared by the Inquirer, and no apparent action was taken.
The letter further charges: “Our industry's failure to uphold principles of diversity and inclusion has persisted for decades. This dissonance between professed values and actual practices not only undermines the credibility of the industry, but also casts doubt on the sincerity of leaders who purport to prioritize DEI as a valuable business strategy.”
TDM’s founder and CEO steps down
Gamble, who is also president and CEO of SearchWide Global, has elected to leave his position with TDM. An interim CEO will be selected to guide the organization through the transition.
DeShields, who has added an “Open to Work” banner on his LinkedIn profile, has long been identified as a diversity and inclusion expert. An openly gay Black man, he hosted the PHL Diversity podcast for the PHLCVB and serves on numerous boards for identity-oriented organizations such as the Independence Business Alliance, an LGBTQ chamber of commerce in Camden County, N.J.
