DIVERSITY AND THE MISSION: Why diversity is important in 
the workplace and how it supports the mission of Texas 
Parks and Wildlife.

This is Passport to Texas

For David Buggs, Director of Diversity at Texas Parks and 
Wildlife, diversity and inclusion aren’t just nice ideas. As 
in nature, it’s crucial to the agency’s mission… and the 
survival of the organization.

16—Any good bio-scientist will tell you, if you don’t have that diversity 
in the eco-system, it’s not very strong. It’s going to eventually falter, 
and then invasive species or other things take over and it creates an 
imbalance in the habitat.

So, what does diversity inclusion look like at Texas Parks 
and Wildlife?

36—Diversity inclusion means everybody gets an opportunity to 
participate and to be fully engaged and to add value. And it makes for 
a better, stronger organization.  …we’ve got to start having some of 
those conversations about how diversity adds value. It’s an 
uncomfortable conversation for some folks to have because when 
you’ve been in an environment where the only folks you see look just 
like you, you get real comfortable there.  But you’ve got to start off 
being comfortable being uncomfortable. And once you’ve become 
comfortable being uncomfortable, it’s a lot easier to reach some of 
your goals and make your organization sustainable.

Find information about Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 
diversity and inclusion initiatives on the TPW website. 

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti. 

https://tpwd.texas.gov/about/diversity-inclusion










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