Last week, Atlanta’s leading business influencers joined Delta CEO Ed Bastian, OneTen CEO Maurice Jones, incoming OneTen CEO Debbie Dyson, and Mayor Andre Dickens at the Delta Flight Museum for a reception and panel discussion – introducing Delta Air Lines’ formal commitment to OneTen as the Atlanta City Lead.  

As OneTen City Lead, Delta aims to mobilize the Georgia business community to join OneTen in its mission to recruit, hire, train and advance 1 million Black Americans over the next 10 years into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement. OneTen also empowers its corporate partners to reimagine hiring practices through a skills-based approach to hiring and promotions – prioritizing a focus on measurable skills and competencies.  

“As the City of Atlanta’s economy continues to grow and attract new industries, the need for skilled workers will continue to rise and it is fitting to have Atlanta’s Hometown Airline serve as the city lead for the OneTen Coalition,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “With OneTen officially launched in our city, we can influence the rest of the nation to commit to closing equity gaps within the workplace and remove workforce barriers. Delta Air Lines’ commitment to closing the opportunity gap for Black talent is commendable and a pivotal step forward for the City of Atlanta.” 

During the panel discussion, incoming OneTen CEO Debbie Dyson voiced the importance of promoting equity through skills-based hiring.   

“This is about removing barriers where people did not see talent right in front of them,” incoming OneTen CEO Debbie Dyson said.  

In continuation, Ed discussed corporate leaders’ responsibility to dismantle systemic inequities in order to reimagine our communities, and the economic and global competitiveness of our businesses and nation.  

“Removing systemic barriers and creating an equitable workplace is not only a responsibility of leaders in corporate America, it’s an obligation,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “We were honored to have business, government and community leaders join us at Delta this week to mark the official launch of OneTen in Atlanta. Together, we will cultivate meaningful change as we work across industries to end America’s perpetual cycle of economic disparity.”  

About Delta’s commitment to OneTen  

Born out of Delta’s commitment to address racial and systemic inequities, Delta Air Lines became a founding member of OneTen in 2020 as the market lead for Atlanta employers. Delta Air Lines joined nearly 40 other corporations committed to making measurable and meaningful progress toward racial equity and cultivating equitable economic opportunities for Black talent in America.  

Ed Bastian addressed Atlanta business leaders in a 2022 Atlanta Journal-Constitution open letter – challenging leaders to join OneTen coalition in its mission to close opportunity gaps for Black talent through a skills-first hiring approach.  

While the coalition's efforts are focused on Black talent, Delta sees the skills-first talent strategy benefiting all its employees – a key driver in fostering equitable outcomes through Delta’s Skills-First Apprenticeship, Delta Analytics Academy and IT Next Gen career development programs.