Inclusion & Belonging

CBL has always valued an inclusive and welcoming environment for our team members and the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment, and we value the diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences that we gain from our team, retailers, and customers.

In 2022, CBL's CEO, Stephen Lebovitz, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & InclusionTM pledge, joining thousands of other CEOs working to advance DEIB in the workplace. By signing on to this commitment, CBL is pledging, on behalf of its CEO and the company, to take action to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected.

Our efforts in this area are guided by our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Executive Steering Committee, which is chaired by our CEO. Through our consistent internal and external programming, we are building community for our team members, shoppers, and the communities we serve while remaining authentic and recognizing that we are still early in our journey.

Here are some of the ways we showed up in 2022 for our team and our communities:

  • Hosted our inaugural Black-Owned Business Expo at Hamilton Place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, resulting in more than 20 Black-owned businesses sharing their products and services with shoppers.
  • Hosted three Fireside Chats for CBL team members, covering topics ranging from generational diversity, racial bias, anxiety, grief, and LGBTQ+ issues.
  • We became the first mall developer to join Open To All, a national nonprofit that believes all shoppers should feel welcome.
  • 100% of our leadership team completed Inclusion In Action training.
  • We hosted six Santa for All experiences that allowed shoppers of different backgrounds to take photos with a Santa that better reflected their racial identity.

In November 2022, CBL achieved Great Place to Work Certificationtm. Belonging is highly correlated to engagement. CBL team members reflected a high degree of engagement and positive feedback on the overall employee experience as well as a 20-point increase in how CBL team members perceive the organization's commitment to advancing DEIB. An overwhelming 89% of the CBL team said CBL is a great place to work -- 32 points higher than the average U.S. company.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

The goal of CBL Community is to advance inclusion by:

  • Offering development opportunities for CBL employees to learn how to be consciously inclusive.
  • Identifying strategic partnerships that can help diversify the talent pipeline in commercial real estate.
  • Partnering with like-minded organizations seeking to make an impact through inclusion.
  • Enhancing representation of historically underrepresented groups on our marketing efforts and our supply chain.

2023 Goals

  • Strengthen CBL's inclusive workplace by developing new partnerships and pools of talent to improve diversity at all levels of the organization.
  • Host our first intern through Project Destined.
  • Partner with educational institutions and other outside entities to develop and deliver DEIB training for all CBL team members.
  • Restructure our CBL Cares program to support organizations in the community that are working to advance DEIB in their own organizations.