ALIGNMENT STRATEGIES - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• SVP, Operations and Client Engagement

Austin Heller is a Senior Political Science Student at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. He was a former candidate for the Cobb County Board of Education and serves as Team Lead for KSU's Civic Engagement Team. Austin managed Nick Miller's campaign in Georgia and was the social media manager for Georgia State Representative Park Canon. Austin centers his work on equitable and empowering practices. In this abbreviated conversation with Dr. Weaver, he shares his opinions on white centering and its impact on retaining or attracting Gen Zers.

Job Titles:

• Chief Operating Officer

Caryliss R. Weaver is Chief Operating Officer of Alignment Strategies, LLC. For 27 years, Caryliss' primary responsibilities have included overseeing and directing the company's finances, human resources, product development, marketing and branding strategy, contracting, information systems and technology, and client management.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant

David DeSanti is a Senior Consultant at Alignment Strategies. He is presently working with an integrated electric utility in the Pacific Northwest synthesizing a custom diversity, engagement and inclusion initiative focused on workforce development and business results.

Job Titles:

• Chief Content Officer

J. Bruce Stewart is Chief Content Officer at Alignment Strategies. [Add sentence about specific role and responsibilities here.] Bruce leverages his Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement experience to help executives identify the leadership implications for Inclusion and Engagement and the opportunities to enhance innovation and ingenuity to drive extraordinary results in safety, operational excellence and customer experience. As the former Deputy Director for Training, Compliance and Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Bruce was responsible for the coordinated implementation of the President's Executive Order on Diversity and Inclusion. He developed the New Inclusion Quotient, which increases inclusion through five inclusive habits and was integrated in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Bruce also developed the Game Changers course through which he trained the D&I personnel in each federal agency on the New Inclusion Quotient. Bruce retired as a Lt. Colonel in the United States Air Force in 2007, after 23 years of service. During his time with the Air Force, he was attached to the Special Operations, served as a Management Engineer, and was a Computer and Communications Commander. His last assignment was as the Air National Guard's Director of Cultural Diversity Transformation. Bruce earned a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University and Master of Science in Computer Science from Friends University and has completed courses toward a Doctorate in Organizational Development.

Job Titles:

• Senior Manager, Learning Development and Facilitation

As a curriculum developer and facilitator in anti-racist, diversity and equity work, Dr. Melanie Dillett-Dukes leads seminars, coaches, develops content and fosters relationships to help people actualize their professional potential. In her current role as Senior Manager, Learning Development and Facilitation with Alignment Strategies, she supports initiatives designed to increase clients' knowledge of diversity, equity & inclusion (DE&I) practices. Melanie has more than 20 years of experience in the educational arena. She has taught children in preschool to high school, founded a nonprofit creative community to ignite student voices, coached teachers on culturally relevant pedagogy, designed curriculum and facilitated DE&I workshops for professionals. To deepen her contemplative practices, she completed intense training on Cognitive-Based Compassion Training (CBCT) through Emory University. Her experience as an Equity Facilitator Fellow through Georgia State University's CREATE Teacher Residency enhanced her ability to facilitate conversations and create actionable items around identity, systemic oppression and anti-racist work. Melanie's ability to listen for understanding, empathize and connect with others translates easily into organic and holistic coaching strategies that foster growth mindsets and stimulate environments for people to thrive. Melanie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Spelman College, and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction and an Education Doctorate in International and Transcultural Studies, with a specialization in family and community as educator, from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Job Titles:

• Chief Executive Officer
• Founder
• Author

I was born into a family of African-American entrepreneurs. My father's family launched the first Black cab company in St. Louis, because Blacks could not ride yellow cabs. My mother's family started a grocery store in Humboldt, Tenn., to provide groceries and products in a respectful manner to local Black farmers and city dwellers. It was expected that I would be successful and act in service to others. Being surrounded by a community of accomplished Black business leaders and learning the importance of African-American history and the struggle for Civil Rights inspired me to make a commitment to support diversity, equity and inclusion. Both Alignment Strategies and Diversity & Inclusion Television provide opportunities for me to act out my passion by helping companies create and maintain diverse and inclusive work environments that allow professionals to soar and their companies to benefit." Dr. Vanessa J. Weaver is founder and CEO of Alignment Strategies. Established in 1991, Alignment Strategies is one of the country's first independent organizations to focus on diversity as a business enabler. Dr. Weaver combines decades of Clinical Psychology expertise and corporate business acumen to translate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) strategies and interventions into game-changing business results. She and her senior consulting team strategize and implement large-scale interventions to support clients in their commitment to create more diverse, inclusive environments. Dr. Weaver's expertise lies in leveraging DE&I as a transformational change strategy and as a driver for innovation, team effectiveness, and productivity. She is also skilled at increasing employee engagement, reducing attrition of Multicultural, multi-generational, and female cohorts, and enabling executive DE&I leadership through shifts in mindset and leader behaviors. Dr. Weaver embraces media as a way to advance DE&I conversations. In October 2017, she launched Diversity & Inclusion Television (DITV), a company that incorporates DE&I into the creation of original shows and podcasts, entertainment events, webcasts, and training series. DITV's products are designed to stimulate meaningful conversations, enhance employee skills, create sustainable culture change, and impact the bottom line. Dr. Weaver hosts the "Workin' It Out Podcast," which can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other audio streaming services. She also hosts and executive produces the "Workin' It Out Podcast" as a cable TV show to be distributed by the District of Columbia's Office of Cable Television, Film, Media, and Entertainment in Fall 2021. Dr. Weaver is also a regular columnist for Diversity Best Practices' online newsletter and the co-author of Smart Women, Smart Moves, a guide to help women create and maintain effective work relationships. Prior to Alignment Strategies, Dr. Weaver spent 14 years at Procter & Gamble (P&G). There she made great strides in the areas of organizational development, human resources, sales, research and development, and information technology. She directed a number of successful leadership, culture-change and diversity initiatives. P&G's metrics-focused culture helped her develop and articulate diversity's all-important value proposition for business. Inspired by the impact of her work and its power to help the company, teams and individuals be more successful, she decided to launch Alignment Strategies to reach a larger, global audience. Dr. Weaver holds master's and doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Cincinnati. She also earned an undergraduate degree with honors in Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. Dr. Vanessa Weaver is CEO of Alignment Strategies, LLC, a 28+ year management consulting firm, and a DBP Solutions™ partner with a focus on all facets of diversity management.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant

My focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is rooted in a vision of workplaces where people thrive, develop their potential, create meaningful careers and make a difference at work. In today's fast-changing business environment, DE&I is essential to effective leadership and team development. It provides an opportunity for learning and growth that engages everyone in addressing the inevitable obstacles to performance and innovation. It is an exploration of assumptions about ourselves, others and the world. It takes us below the surface to see what has been invisible to us, yet powerful. The result is more possibility and new ways of approaching challenges and opportunities." As a Senior Consultant at Alignment Strategies, Gretchen L. Neve enhances inclusive leadership and team effectiveness by blending business experience with practical thinking and best practices. Whether in the capacity of a facilitator, a consultant or a coach, she helps clients accomplish their goals through authentic inquiry and dialogue, genuine support, and cultivation of a learning mindset. As a result, individuals and teams move toward change and innovation through strengthened relationships, real communication and action that is aligned with their intent, values and goals. After beginning her career in adult education and curriculum development, Gretchen transitioned into consulting with organizations such as Baxter Healthcare Corporation, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Nationwide Insurance, Outward Bound and the University of Chicago Medical Center. She offers a breadth of expertise in a variety of industries, including construction, financial services, healthcare, information technology, government and education. Gretchen has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Michigan and a certificate in Evidence-Based Coaching from Fielding Graduate University. She earned a Professional Certified Coach credential from the International Coaching Federation.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant
• Senior Consultant With

I have devoted my life to diversity, equity, inclusion and access. I am a retired Navy Commander from a military family and I have sworn an oath to protect equality and fairness for all. Blending my military engineering acumen with diversity and inclusion principles, I was able to create an IDEA Enterprise Social Network application that uses those principles to measure, monitor and maximize employee Engagement and team performance. In these chaotic times, facilitating, training and leading efforts to infuse Inclusion and Diversity for measured mission impact gives me hope for a brighter, better tomorrow." Jim P. Pfautz is a Senior Consultant with Alignment Strategies. In his work, he applies his diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) skills to help leaders understand workforce attributes like engagement, communication, trust and culture, which are commonly viewed as soft and difficult to define. Jim has leveraged this expertise to help major utility companies identify how these aspects can drive safety, operational excellence and customer satisfaction. Jim has trained diversity and inclusion personnel at the U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy on the New Inclusion Quotient, which helps agencies increase inclusion across the workforce. He has also led multiple initiatives across Services, Environmental Operations and Scheduling functions for major utility companies that have resulted in increased engagement throughout all groups. Among his major career accomplishments, Jim created software to reduce enterprise-wide risk by providing visibility into corporate cultures. His original product delivered culture-changing results for a top secret nuclear submarine production line and a billion-dollar automobile plant. In addition, over a four-year period, Jim transformed a multimillion-dollar systems analysis and process-improvement effort at the U.S. Navy that was used by the Secretary of Defense to reduce an estimated $3 billion annual loss due to human-generated risk. Jim has received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the United States Naval Academy, Joint Professional Military Education from the Naval War College and a Master of Business Administration, specialty in Organizational Leadership and Analytics, from the University of Phoenix. Additionally, he is professionally certified in Advanced Project Management and is a Certified Quality Manager and Leadership Facilitator.

Job Titles:

• Project Analyst

Growing up, I was surrounded by ethnicities different from my own. During my first year of high school, I remember being told that I was one of the "good ones" because of the way I talked, my leisure activity of choice and my music preferences. I learned to deal with my Racial Imposter Syndrome by replacing the pressure from society to develop my perceived racial identity with the confidence to embrace what feels natural to me. Diversity extends far beyond visible differences. To me, it represents a sense of belonging to a community. I am proud to be a part of an organization that promotes an inclusive work environment by removing bias against underrepresented groups." Janessa Sorrells is a project analyst skilled in analyzing multiple datasets to identify insights and recommendations concerning diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition, she utilizes Qualtrics software to coordinate analytic data requests and aid with survey design. Before joining Alignment Strategies, Janessa was a human resources professional recognized for her planning and operational improvements. She is well versed in team management, strategy development, recruiting and pipeline maintenance. Janessa earned a bachelor's degree from Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Business from the University of North Alabama.

Job Titles:

• Project Analyst

Job Titles:

• Vice President, Media & Virtual Events

I grew up in a small, White Midwestern town where difference was defined by religion. As a child, I witnessed the televised beating of Black Americans seeking rights I thought the end of slavery had provided. Years later, when I assumed that all was mended by the Voting Rights Act, I learned of the discrimination still faced by people of color. At the same time, I was coming out as a lesbian, and realized I had a keen interest in social justice. I was pleasantly surprised, years after that, to learn the Corporate America was addressing these issues to recruit, retain and promote diverse people. I have been privileged to support the work that needs to be done to further these endeavors by applying my skills as an educator, manager and media producer." Janet Wigfield is a media production professional with more than 25 years of experience producing live and virtual events. At Alignment Strategies and its partner company, Diversity & Inclusion Television, she is responsible for the production of videos, podcasts and virtual events related to diversity and inclusion (D&I) training projects. This includes the "Workin' It Out" audio and video podcasts, a monthly webcast for Edison Electric Institute called "Energizing DEI" and virtual events for clients such as INROADS and SHARE Cancer Support. For more than 20 years, Janet developed D&I conference content for women, Multicultural women, working women and others as the VP, Executive Director of Working Mother Media's Conferences+Events division. In 2020, she pivoted all of the company's live in-person events to virtual engagements, making it possible for the company to maintain its event schedule despite the Covid-19 pandemic. She has also worked as a high school English Teacher, a program manager and video producer. Early in her career, she managed the City of Saint Paul's Channel 18, creating programs for all of the city's departments, the mayor's office and City Council. Janet earned a Bachelor of Science in Speech, Communications and English from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Science in Public Administration from NYU Wagoner Graduate School of Public Service.

Job Titles:

• Project Analyst

I was born and raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, a small town known for its breathtaking mountain views and being home to the prestigious University of Virginia. In 2017, it was thrown into the national spotlight. As news broke of white supremacists marching on Charlottesville, I saw images of the town that I loved being desecrated by hate and violence. Four years later, I am grateful for the opportunity to impact others' perspectives on race, equity, diversity and inclusion. I am proud to work for a company that is dedicated to promoting the importance of these issues." As a Project Analyst at Alignment Strategies, Jordan Brown provides companies with the tools to increase the productivity and profitability of their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. In this position, she incorporates the experience she has gained working in finance, marketing and business consulting. Before joining Alignment Strategies, Jordan served as a Business Development Manager at Taylor Capital Consultants, where she executed branding and marketing for an assortment of start-up companies. Additionally, she worked as an intern for finance advising firm Darasami Group. Jordan earned a bachelor's degree in Biology from Oakwood University and is pursuing master's degrees in Business Administration and Environmental Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Job Titles:

• Consultant
• Project Manager
• Senior Consultant

Learning is a fundamental right that I have valued my entire life. My career has been dedicated to providing others with opportunities to learn and grow and influence operational and behavioral changes. I realized early on that an inclusive environment is critical for any change to occur, and often it is missing. As I continue on my own learning journey, I help organizations and individuals on theirs, with the goal of becoming more aware of how to be more inclusive in all interactions to influence change, and to provide all individuals with equitable opportunities." Lisa Matway is an experienced consultant and project manager with expertise in navigating complex global organizations. She specializes in developing and executing plans to drive change, build capability and enhance effectiveness within organizations. As a Senior Consultant at Alignment Strategies, Lisa applies her advisory-services knowledge to help clients incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) across their organizations. From strategy through execution, Lisa specializes in services that enable teams to work better together. Lisa has more than 20 years of experience with large-scale, global cultural-change and talent-development initiatives. Throughout her career, she has skillfully aligned stakeholders and delivered results for organizations in diverse industries, including energy, transportation, hospitality and technology. She is known for her creative and energetic leadership in strategic redirection, organizational and workforce development, and DE&I initiatives. Lisa has a bachelor's degree in English, French and Education from Washington and Jefferson College. She also holds the following certificates: Chief Learning Officer Accelerator, Positive Power and Influence Program Trainer, Influential Leader, Capital Stewardship Organizational Capability, Human Capital Strategist and Strategic Workforce Planning.

Job Titles:

• Certified Public Accountant
• Senior Consultant

My why centers around the discovery of my lack of awareness across a broad spectrum as I engaged in diversity work. It started with people analytics and the lack of visibility into the data. It extended to historical events and was influenced by unconscious biases. By learning how to engage in constructive meaningful conversations about sensitive topics, I became aware of how much I did not know about my co-workers' backgrounds and lived experiences. Together, these experiences made a difference. The knowledge gained improved trust, deepened team relationships and enhanced productivity with co-workers." Michele Lopiccolo is a Senior Consultant for Alignment Strategies. She brings expertise from her career in the accounting, finance and human resources fields to her client engagements. Prior to joining Alignment Strategies, Michele served as a Vice President of Human Resources, where her initial focus was on people analytics. Her role expanded to include project management on a range of initiatives, including organizational health in human resources and the company's Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging program. During her nearly 40-year career, Michele held a variety of accounting and finance roles, ultimately becoming a member of the finance and human resources lead teams of a Fortune 500 company. In these roles, she led teams of up to 140 employees, effectively partnered with company leaders and supported the senior management team and board of directors. Michele, a certified public accountant, earned a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Louisiana State University and a Master of Business Administration from Tulane University

Job Titles:

• Project Assistant
• Project and Production Assistant

Olivia Weaver-Thomas is a project and production assistant with a background in graphic design and visual and strategic communications. Her current role as a Project Assistant at Alignment Strategies includes developing infographic designs and assisting in the creation and editing of presentations. She also is responsible for creating designs for Alignment Strategies' trainings, workshops, conferences and publications; conducting research on diversity, equity and inclusion topics; and providing voiceovers for company training modules. Prior to working for Alignment Strategies, Olivia interned in the U.S. Department of Defense. During her time there, she was responsible for supporting the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness by providing administrative help, including organizing and maintaining automated filing systems, performing front-office receptionist duties, scheduling meetings, among other duties. She also assisted in the creation of infographic designs for the Department of Defense's anti-binge-drinking campaign, which was created to help combat alcohol dependency in the military. Olivia earned an Associate of Fine Arts from Montgomery College. She is currently working on her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Communications at the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant

Job Titles:

• Strategic Project Manager

Shertease Wheeler is a strategic project manager with a background in research analytics, communications and content development for diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) programs. In her current role as Director of Corporate DEI Projects & Research, she utilizes her organizational, research and strategy-building skills to provide project leadership to the Take on Race initiative. Additionally, Shertease engages in concept development, design and production management for special projects for Alignment Strategies and its partner company, Diversity & Inclusion Television.

Job Titles:

• Senior Consultant

Inclusion is my passion. When individuals feel included, they thrive personally and professionally. They are engaged and contribute at higher levels. Growing up as an introverted, extremely shy, Multicultural girl, I had a hard time feeling included, figuring out how to be part of a group, and finding and using my voice. I know firsthand the toll that feeling excluded can take on someone. It took me many years to figure this out for myself, which is why I'm committed to coaching organizations and leaders to understand the value of Inclusion while empowering others to find and use their voice." Stephanie Roemer is a Senior Consultant at Alignment Strategies. In this role, she leads discovery with organizations, benchmarking and the assessment of policies, procedures and processes. She also executes organization-wide initiatives, conducts executive interviews and facilitates focus group sessions that enables a deep understanding of an organization's culture and dynamics. Stephanie is the primary contact for leadership programs targeting women and multicultural leaders. She excels in driving workforce diversity and inclusion advancements through innovative recruitment strategies, employee engagement initiatives, leadership development and organizational behavior.  Before Alignment Strategies, Stephanie spent 18 years at Freddie Mac, with a significant amount of time spent in Diversity and Inclusion and Talent Management roles. She had accountability for all workforce diversity functions, focused on attracting and developing diverse talent and created an inclusive culture through engagement. Priority efforts and key initiatives included oversight of Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Councils, the introduction of a sponsorship program, the creation and redesign of a new employee orientation and the transformation of employee onboarding. Her years in Talent Management focused on building out a centralized college and intern recruiting and onboarding program, managing full lifecycle recruiting and establishing and introducing a sourcing team. Stephanie has a master's degree in Leadership and Organizational Development from The University of Texas at Dallas and a bachelor's degree in Modern Languages, Secondary Education, and Spanish from Longwood University. She is an International Coaching Federation certified executive coach and certified trainer and coach in the four stages of psychological safety.