Eric Kentoff, senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary at Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT), sat down for a video interview at Nareit’s REITworks: 2024 Sustainability & Social Responsibility Conference, held in McLean, Virginia from Sept. 10-12. Chatham won Nareit’s 2024 Diversity Impact Small Cap award.
Kentoff shared insights into the company's strides in diversity, equity, and inclusion, which culminated in their recent Nareit award win. He highlighted the importance of board buy-in in driving these changes, emphasizing how their board's commitment to becoming more diverse in age, race, gender, and experience laid the foundation for broader company initiatives.
“Once you have that buy-in, then it’s a lot easier to get things done,” referring to the creation of a board-level ESG committee to oversee DEI and environmental, social, and governance matters.
Looking ahead, Kentoff expressed confidence that this award would inspire further progress, particularly in increasing female representation on the board, which is projected to reach 33% by next year.
He added that “an informed board is a smart board,” emphasizing the ongoing importance of continuous training for employees, executives, and board members. Kentoff reinforced the company's commitment to expanding diversity across all levels and driving impactful DEI initiatives.