THE DIVERSITY BOOTH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director of Media and Technology Innovation
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Founder
Donald Wood - Chief Strategy Officer
Dr. Candice Dowd Barnes is a prominent speaker and accomplished author of multiple publications. She is the co-author of Civility, Compassion and Courage in Schools Today: Strategies for Implementing in K-12 Classrooms and co-author of Success Favors Well-prepared Adults: Developing Routines and Relationships to Improve School Culture.
Her work is a unique blend of evidence-based practices, research, and solution-focused approaches for schools and businesses. Her work on civility led to the development of the Cultural Civility training program, also known as the 3C's.
The program combines courage, compassion, and civility with cultural humility to guide one's actions and behaviors toward the greater good. Dr. Barnes is an executive coach and chief operations officer for Parker Education & Development, LLC.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Health Equity Initiatives
As Owner and Relational Strategist for jusTalk Consulting, denise has dedicated this season of her life to living, loving and connecting truth.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Alchemist Agency
- Vice President of International Relations
Dr. Joynicole Martinez is an award-winning international speaker and corporate trainer with more than 20 years of experience providing capacity-building services, including fund development, leadership and board training, strategic planning, and performance management and optimization.
Dr. Martinez earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the College of Charleston, an MBA from the University of Phoenix, a Doctor of Science in clinical counseling and a health science doctorate with a concentration in leadership and organizational behavior from A.T. Still University.
As a community advancement and public health expert, Joynicole has developed initiatives that reach across disciplines to strengthen health and wellness for all. One of her notable contributions is the development of mixed-income, mixed-finance housing communities that address the social determinants of health, equity, and human rights.
Additionally, she was awarded the African Community Service Award for her work and contribution to the African diaspora abroad and in the United States.
Joynicole is the founder and chief executive officer of the Alchemist Agency, a management and leadership development consulting firm focused on building the capacity of purpose-driven organizations, corporations, and executives.
Dr. Sara Tariq is a philanthropic activist with advanced expertise in education and the medical field. Her priority interests include improving the learning environment for students, teaching advanced communication skills for healthcare providers, and supporting the care of underserved communities. She has presented nationally on issues surrounding bias and racism in healthcare.
Dr. Tariq is nationally recognized as an advocate for patients and serves on the National Collaborative for Education, which aims to expand education and understanding of the social determinants of health. She is co-founder and board member of the Madina Institute, one of the few openly inclusive mosques in the nation.
Additionally, she served as president of the board of directors for Harmony Health Clinic, helping to raise over seven hundred thousand dollars for the clinic.
Under Sara's leadership, she expanded access to care for her patients by helping to start a diabetes clinic that focuses on treating uninsured patients by private specialty physicians in the city.
In her social justice work, Sara is an advocate for the LGBTQ community and immigrant community. This year, she served as chair of the Inclusion Subcommittee, an organization designed by the mayor of Little Rock and his team to promote inclusive culture in the city.
Sara is a professor of internal medicine and associate dean for student affairs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She earned her medical degree from Brown University and served as chief resident for one year before moving back to Arkansas.
Her numerous awards include: the Herbert S. Waxman Award for Outstanding Medical Student Educator from the American College of Physicians, the Robert Shields Abernathy ACP Laureate Award for Excellence in internal medicine from the American College of Physicians, the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award from the College of Medicine at UAMS, the Outstanding Woman Faculty Award from the UAMS Women's Faculty Development Caucus, and many other awards from her students at UAMS, including Golden Apple, Gold Sash and Red Sash awards.
Hilary Trudell is a facilitator, producer, and educator with over 15 years of experience in the field of public service, communication, and the arts. She specializes in community engagement, creating spaces for effective collaboration, and providing a platform for storytelling and advocacy.
As the Director of Local Programming and Regional Outreach at the Clinton School of Public Service, Hilary leads students through their first fieldwork experience, pairing student teams with community organizations who work together to complete a year-long project together. She is also the primary instructor for an advocacy course through the Clinton School Online program. Both courses emphasize the need to listen to communities in which you are intending to serve.
Hilary is a trained, licensed, and experienced facilitator, with over 12 years of experience convening groups, leading meetings, and creating space for all voices to be heard.
She is a trainer for the group facilitation course offered through Arkansas Public Administration Consortium (APAC), a certified DiSC facilitator and expert in team-building techniques.
In 2017, Hilary founded a storytelling initiative called The Yarn, whose mission is to amplify voices, build understanding and create a space for human connection. Currently entering the Yarn's fourth season, Hilary and her team have produced over 15 shows to date. Since moving back to Arkansas in 2015, Hilary has personally coached over 200 people in an effort to help them share their stories succinctly, effectively, and with impact. Hilary is a strong believer in leveraging stories as catalysts for community building, education, and social change.
Job Titles:
- Program Administrator for the Diversity
Jennifer Gan-Kemp is the is the program administrator for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Core in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She is a research instructor in the UAMS Department of Medical Humanities and Bioethics and affiliate faculty in the UAMS Center for Health Literacy. Jen is a facilitator for the UAMS Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) program and the Office of Intercultural Education in the UAMS Division for DEI, as well as the UAMS Office of Interprofessional Education.
She is originally from California and has lived in rural southwest Arkansas. She has more than 20 years of clinical, educational program, and clinical research administration experience in academic medical centers.
Before working at UAMS, she served as the deputy director of clinical research at a neuropsychiatric clinic that specialized in serving the Spanish speaking population of southern California. She also worked at the University of California Irvine's (UCI) Center for Educational Partnerships, where she managed an $8 million National Science Foundation grant, the statewide California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP), across 8 UC campuses.
Jionni Olamidè, formerly Rev. Carissa M. Rodgers, is known for being Your Spiritual Plug. She is a spiritual and cultural healer, artist and organizer. She has always had a deep desire for authentic living balanced with truth and justice, transformative learning and creative solutions for creating the life we desire.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Community Engagement and Ed. Programming
Steve Foster grew up in Pascagoula, Mississippi. His nonlinear path led him to work in the U.S. Maritime industry, international business, and a plethora of other career moves. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas - Little Rock.
He received his first master's degree from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and is currently pursuing a second master's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Communication. He has had extensive experience in the nonprofit field since 2005. Steve's passion for social justice, equity, and being an ally can be found in his civic engagement. He now lives in Little Rock.
Job Titles:
- CEO and Executive Coach of Parker Education & Development
Todd Scott Parker is a dynamic keynote speaker and poet. He distinguishes himself through his ability to deliver coaching and training in a dynamic way to various educational and business audiences.
His work is both unique and creative. He blends evidenced-based strategies, techniques, and methods from education and business to help schools, small businesses, and other organizations create sustainable models of success.
He is the co-author of, Success Favors Well-Prepared Teachers: Developing Relationships and Routines to Improve School Culture. He created Kuu-Bro, an initiative for young men and boys to find their natural leadership abilities. He also developed a peer-to-peer mentoring program - A Better Citizen (ABC) which has received local and national attention.
Todd is the CEO and executive coach of Parker Education & Development, LLC. His Personality Package™- a strength- based assessment process has been used by countless professionals to source the behaviors that will enhance interactions and engagement with others