CalPERS board selects Shannon Kelly Ray Consulting to lead DEI review after finalist interviews

The California Public Employees Retirement System board voted unanimously to award a contract to Shannon Kelly Ray Consulting LLC to provide diversity, equity and inclusion consulting services after interviewing six finalists and combining preliminary and interview scores.

Justin Heeb, CalPERS contracts staff, told the board the recruitment started with RFP 20249420 (released 05/16/2025), which drew 36 proposals; 26 met minimum qualifications and six finalists advanced to oral interviews. “On 05/16/2025, CalPERS released the RFP 20249420 to seek vendor participation to provide DE and I consulting services to the board,” Heeb said during the overview.

Board members spent the afternoon hearing five-minute presentations and 35-minute Q&A sessions from BCT Partners; Channing Kelly Ray Consulting LLC; Ferdinand Consulting; Carrie Mitchell Brown LLC; Sage 71 LLC; and The Nova Collective. Firms described mixed-methods assessments, benchmarking against the Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Benchmarks, and measurable implementation plans that use goals, strategies and metrics. “We are data first and outcome focused,” Chana Kelly Ray said during her presentation.

Several firms emphasized legal and procedural safeguards in light of California law. In response to questions about compliance with Proposition 209 and other legal constraints, multiple finalists said they work with employment-law counsel and design recommendations to be defensible in the current legal environment.

BCT Partners highlighted a “DEI plus health equity” approach and said it maintains legal counsel and federal-contractor compliance experience to help public-sector clients navigate legal risk. “What differentiates us... we combine both the DEI practice and a health equity practice,” Randall Pinkett said.

After discussion of preliminary fee-based rankings, interview scores and small-business preference points, staff announced final combined totals and the board voted on a motion to award the contract to Shannon Kelly Ray Consulting LLC, subject to successful negotiations. President Theresa Taylor read the motion naming the top-ranked firm and directing staff to negotiate. “I move that the board awards the contract to Shannon Kelly Ray Consulting LLC as the highest-ranking finalist subject to final negotiations and satisfaction of all requirements,” Taylor said. The motion carried unanimously.

Under the board’s motion, staff will begin contract negotiations with Shannon Kelly Ray Consulting LLC; if negotiations are unsuccessful, the board directed staff to negotiate with the next-highest scoring firm, BCT Partners. The board also recorded the interview scores and related small-business preference adjustments that produced the final rank order.

CalPERS staff have not yet released a final signed contract or a start date for the engagement. The board indicated it will return to public sessions for any follow-up or contract ratification as required by procurement policy and will post additional procurement materials when the negotiation completes.