Who we are: Melissa Dale

June 13, 2019

Melissa Dale, manager, Business Program Management, Deloitte Services LP, knew that she wanted to get involved in Deloitte's LGBTQ initiatives when she first started with Deloitte. "I had so many colleagues at my previous organization that were LGBTQ and felt like they had to 'cover'," she said. "I knew unmarried women that would wear fake wedding rings so their customers were more comfortable with them or men that felt that they had to 'turn down the gay.' I knew that I wanted to get involved and be an ally to the LGBTQ community here."

At first, she attended meetings and helped plan events, but tried to keep her head down. "Initially, I thought ‘what do I have to contribute to the conversation?' But, Deloitte afforded me a place to ask questions and learn about others' experiences. I felt like I was able to grow from ally to a true advocate."

As the Houston office prepared to launch an Inclusion Council, Melissa once again raised her hand to get involved. "We are all more similar than we are different. I really appreciate how our Inclusion Council embraces how each one of us are multidimensional. I'm a Hispanic woman, a parent, and an LGBTQ advocate. I have multiple identities that intersect with our inclusive culture in different ways."

Being a parent has also given Melissa greater appreciation for inclusion at Deloitte. "I was pregnant when I came to Deloitte, but immediately received support from my team. The message was 'we value your health and we value your family.’ It's also so meaningful to me, as an ally, that our policies are gender neutral so families can care for their needs however they see best." Melissa has also had the opportunity to bring her passion for LGBTQ support to her role. “Deloitte has been leading from the front in practices that include and support transgender professionals. I had the opportunity to work with the team who established our first gender neutral bathroom in the New York City office. It was so powerful and really reinforced what our inclusive culture is all about: you matter here.”

Learn more about inclusion at Deloitte.