NATIONAL DIVERSITY COUNCIL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Owner
- President
- President & Owner / Inspirus Consulting Inc.
- President and Owner of Inspirus Consulting Inc.
Al Sullivan is the president and owner of Inspirus Consulting Inc. A firm specializing in system wide Organization Development, Diversity, and Sustainable Change. His approach integrates both theory and practical tools from the Applied Behavioral Sciences. His primary goal is to help client systems engage everyone to do their best work.
His firm worked with a 3000-employee city municipality to redesign legacy Diversity, Inclusion, & Culture training. The Action Research method was used to collect / analyze relevant data, design a sustainable solution, and train internal trainers to continue proliferating the initiative. The work was also integrated into long term strategic objectives.
Al is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources. He is also trained in a number of Organization Development tools and approaches such as Use of Self, Organization Analysis / Design, Action Research, Group Facilitation, Multicultural Organization Development, and Change Management, & Process Consulting.
Al Sullivan is the president and owner of Inspirus Consulting Inc. A firm specializing in system wide Organization Development, Diversity, and Sustainable Change. His approach integrates both theory and practical tools from the Applied Behavioral Sciences. His primary goal is to help client systems engage everyone to do their best work. His firm worked with a 4000-employee hospital to assess, design, and implement updated and strategic Diversity, Inclusion, and Culture training. He used the "Train the Trainer" model to provide the hospital with the capacity to train, update, and evaluate the program with sustained impact over time. Al helped the Information Technology division at global pharmaceutical organization win the "Attraction, Development, & Retention" Diversity award by designing and implementing initiatives which significantly increased senior female and minority leaders. Al has experience designing, delivering, and evaluating training intended to improve awareness and collaboration in multicultural organizations. He attends to the various levels of system when training and consulting (e.g. individual, team, organization, and community). His continuous improvement focus helps to connect training design to strategic organization objectives. Additional areas of expertise include applying strategies in areas such as Talent Management, Employee Engagement, Executive Coaching, Strategic Human Resources Management and Organization Development. Al is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources Al is also trained in a number of Organization Development tools and approaches such as Use of Self, Organization Analysis / Design, Action Research, Group Facilitation, Multicultural Organization Development, and Change Management, & Process Consulting.
Job Titles:
- Chief Diversity Officer / Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Chief Diversity Officer for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
- Member of the Blue Cross
Alison Banks-Moore is the Chief Diversity Officer for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. With over thirty years of experience as a Human Resources professional, Alison has held various positions at major corporations to include: AT&T, KPMG, Cablevision, & 32 BJ Benefit Funds.
As Chief Diversity Officer at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Alison has harnessed the energy of a dynamic organization to strengthen the personal and professional relationships that supports an inclusive, thriving, and diverse workplace. She has demonstrated a strong commitment to leveraging the unique skills and abilities of all employees which has resulted in the company receiving numerous awards from national publications to include DiversityMBA Magazine, DiversityInc., INROADS, AARP, Latina Style, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), GI Jobs, Working Mother Magazine as well as the Tri-State Diversity Council.
Alison is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Diversity Alliance, the Northeast Regional Corporate Industry Liaison Group, the Society for Human Resource Management, former member of NJ LEEP's (The New Jersey Law and Education Empowerment Project) Advisory Board, New Jersey Network to Network Women's Consortium, Christ the King School Middle States Accreditation Planning Board, the Ramapo College of New Jersey's Board of Governors, the Tri-State Diversity Council's Board of Directors, as well as the Christ the King School Board of Trustees.
Anika knows that individuals and organizations inspire movements that benefit us by advancing human rights for all and promoting a just society. These ideals are crucial to addressing the challenges of marginalized communities and women, particularly as they relate to an intersectional approach to gender and racial justice. She has dedicated her life to championing gender justice, reproductive rights, and sustainable global development, and to fighting racism in all its forms.
Throughout her career, with leadership positions at the Center for Reproductive Rights, USA for UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Rainforest Alliance, and NRDC, Anika has been a voice-and a catalyst-for change. Her commitment to advancing equality is also reflected in the boards on which she serves, including the Bangladesh International Tutorial (BIT) School and MADRE, as well as her role as management consultant to progressive nonprofits.
Anika has spoken and published on topics of leadership, public service, nonprofit management, gender justice, reproductive rights, DEIB, and sustainable development at venues ranging from the United Nations to universities and international conferences. In addition, her writings have been published by the New York Times, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Crain's New York Business, Philanthropy News Digest, Rewire, and CNN.com. A lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Anika has received the Women's eNews "21 Leaders for the 21st Century" award and Columbia Law School's Lawrence A. Wien Prize for Social Responsibility. She was also recognized as "21 Desi Women Who Are Game Changers." Anika practiced law at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton.
Anika earned her Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs and her Juris Doctorate from Columbia Law School. She lives in New York City and enjoys spending time with her daughter and cat, traveling, the visual arts, cooking and reading. Additional information on Anika can be found at http://www.anikarahman.org.
Armida Mendez Russell has earned an international reputation for her work in the field of Organization Development and Diversity Management. She is co-author of The Diversity Directive, Why Some Initiatives Fail and What to Do About It, and author of several organizational climate assessment tools. Armida is the originator of the Head (Knowledge), Heart (Understanding) Hand (Skills/Application) model, which is the basis for her work.
Ms. Mendez Russell spearheaded and co-authored the Discovering Diversity Profile® and co-authored the Global Diversity Survey® among others. Armida is the Co-Founder and president of DiversityFIRST Consulting. Prior to holding that position, she was the Head of Global Diversity at BMC Software and Founder/CEO of Mendez Russell Training & Development, Inc.
Ms. Mendez Russell has been recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal as a diversity pioneer and for her work in the field which is used by numerous global organizations as the foundation for a wide range of diversity and change management initiatives.
Armida has worked in partnership with several major organizations to assess their strategies, structures and processes to improve organizational effectiveness and performance.
Armida has developed numerous initiatives designed to manage change in a complex business environment. Clients include Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, 3M, Bayer, American Express, International Paper, Caesar's Entertainment (Harrah's), Medtronic, General Motors, General Mills, Dell Computers and Google. Educational institutions include Baylor University, University of Minnesota, and University of Wisconsin among others in business, government and not-for-profit organizations.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Equity & Inclusion at the University of Cincinnati
Bleuzette Marshall is the Vice President for Equity & Inclusion at the University of Cincinnati. In this role, she manages the offices of Equal Opportunity & Access, Title IX and Diversity & Inclusion; implements the University's Diversity Plan; co-chairs the President's Diversity Council; provides strategic leadership for the recruitment, retention, and advancement of diverse talent (students, faculty, and staff); assists with supplier diversity efforts; serves as a resource to benchmark trends and promote best practices; and builds partnerships in the broader community.
Bleuzette is an alumna of the University of Cincinnati and its prestigious Darwin T. Turner Scholars Program. She earned a B.A. in Psychology, a M.Ed. in Educational Foundations, and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies. She is also the founding president of the UC African American Alumni Affiliate (4A). During her tenure, an All-Class Reunion was implemented in conjunction with Homecoming that reconnected eight decades of graduates.
Job Titles:
- Chief People Officer / the Krystal Company
Job Titles:
- Chief of Learning and Consulting
- Senior Vice President of Strategy and Research
- VP - Strategy and Research
Cecilia Orellana-Rojas serves as senior vice president of strategy and research for the National Diversity Council. In this role, she oversees the execution of the organization's strategic goals to generate new revenue streams. She leads the consulting function as well as innovative, high-quality educational and research initiatives in diversity and inclusion. She is the creator of the NDC Certification Program curriculum, which prepares professionals for successful careers in the DEI space, and the NDC Index, a tool that measures organizational commitment to diversity and inclusion among companies in the United States. She is also the developer of the NDC Toolkit, a unique diversity reference portal and research consolidator.
Cecilia brings 15 years of experience at AT&T, where she started as a manager in diversity marketing. She spent most of her career at the telecommunications giant as associate director and lead consultant of corporate diversity. In this role, she offered support in the formulation, implementation and direction of AT&T's diversity and inclusion strategy including metrics, communications, and training. She also provided consulting in all aspects of workforce diversity. Prior to her corporate role, she worked as a journalist and later taught in academia for more than 10 years in the area of sociology, with emphasis on U.S. race relations, gender, Latin America, and research methods.
Cecilia is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. She was instrumental in the launch of the Texas Diversity Council and served as the first president of the San Antonio Advisory Board. As a founding member of the Texas Hispanic/Latino Summit, she played a leadership role in establishing the mission of the summit as a venue for Latino/a voices within the Texas Leadership and Diversity Conference. She has been recognized numerous times with the Diversity Champion Award and Diversity Leadership Award for her commitment and dedication to diversity business practices.
Cecilia has served on the Emeritus Board of Directors for the Masters Leadership Program of Greater San Antonio and as an external member of the Workforce and Diversity Committee for the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). In addition, she has served on the Immigration and Refugees Action Team for the City of San Antonio's Faith-Based Initiative.
A native of Chile, Cecilia earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's degree in Latin American studies from the University of New Mexico. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of North Dakota. She resides in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, Henry, and their son, Rodrigo.
Darlene King began her career with the Michigan Diversity Council-MIDC (a division of the National Diversity Council) in 2015. As the Executive Director, her charge is working with corporations and organizations in developing Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, programs, processes and procedures. Growing the organization in the area of business development as well as growing the organization throughout the entire state of Michigan.
Prior to her tenure with the MIDC, she held the role as Director of Event/Consultant Services/Training and Development for all 34 school districts under the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency for over 10 years. Her territory covered implementation and execution of all workshops and conference as well as maintaining CEU's for teachers and administrators within Wayne County MI. Although she managed more than 60+ consultants, county wide events such as the Teacher Job Fair, County K-12 Art Fair and the Cultural Collaborative for Learning were signature events managed by her department as well. Darlene was also an inaugural member of the Diversity Strategic Planning committee which rolled out a county wide Diversity plan for all districts. Darlene's background is widespread. She spent 6 years as a national concert promoter, traveling around the world with some of today's most popular artist in the industry. She has produced and promoted shows at every concert venue in Detroit and beyond.
In 2008 she launched her consulting company, Life's Journey Training and Consulting. They are competing in today's competitive global market - in industries ranging from education, automotive, medical, non-profits and manufacturing. Their area of expertise consist of diversity and inclusion, leadership development, marketing and public relations.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director, Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Initiatives
Dhenebb is currently a graphic designer for the strategy and research team. She oversees NDC Services branding and marketing. She joined the NDC in 2021 as a graphic design intern for the NDC Emerging Leaders Program where she worked on the I am an emerging leader social media campaign, as well as other branding projects for the launch of the program. She then transitioned to intern for the strategy and research team where she began to update some of the branding assets for their NDC Services. She has since continued to expand on its branding assets.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President of Campus Life / Emory University
Job Titles:
- DEI Sr. Consultant & Co - Founder / Willing Observers LLC
Dr. Lucy C. Arciniega has over ten years of experience in the diversity, equity, and inclusion industry. She formerly served as Director of DEI at Salk Institute for Biological Studies where she headed the DEI team. She was responsible for developing and implementing sustainable strategies to further diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Dr. Arciniega functioned as the subject matter expert on DEI and as a strategic partner across the multiple groups and functions that do DEI work at Salk, helped to initiate and measure the success of DEI efforts. She also secured and managed partnerships between Salk and external community members to further the diversification of Salk and the STEM workforce. Dr. Arciniega co-founded Willing Observers with Dr. Melissa Maceyko to provide DEI strategies and services from an organizational culture perspective. Her company uses insights about company beliefs, values, norms, and practices to drive the creation of DEI plans, metrics, training and programming to meet the specific needs and expectations of a company's stakeholders. As a scholar-practitioner on diversity and inclusion, Dr. Arciniega has published academic articles in several peer-reviewed journals, as well as opinion editorials through her column, "Diversity in the Workplace," which was hosted from 2017 to 2019 by the American Anthropology Association, a professional membership organization with over 10,000 members. Dr. Arciniega has worked with the National Diversity Council since 2015, being in the inaugural cohort of the NDC Certification Program. Later, as Managing Director at the National Diversity Council, a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization, she oversaw the NDC Index, an annual survey which measures organizational commitment to diversity and inclusion. In this role, Dr. Arciniega designed the methodology for assessing the results of a 200+ question survey according to global diversity and inclusion best practices. She also designed the NDC Index Report to help companies use their survey results to create an efficient DEI organizational strategy that maximizes their investment in organizational change. Dr. Arciniega has held positions in academia, including as a Visiting Assistant Professor in Business and Organizational Anthropology at Wayne State University. As a trained anthropologist, she has also used her cross-cultural perspective to bring key insights into customer service experience, management leadership strategies, and employee and team engagement dynamics through change management consulting. Lucy C. Arciniega received her Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in Anthropology from the University of California, Irvine. Her doctoral research on the diversity and inclusion industry received numerous awards, including the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Grant. She lives in and works out of San Diego, California.
Job Titles:
- Consultant, Coach, Professor and Trainer
Dr. Maryse Nazon is a psychotherapist, consultant, coach, professor and trainer. She holds a Master of Divinity and a Doctoral degree in Psychology and is a certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CADC) and Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorder Professional (CODP I). She is currently a senior faculty at the University of Phoenix in Chicago and the Alcohol and Other Drug of Abuse (AODA) Certification Program Coordinator at Chicago State University. She has over 35 years of experience in the mental health field and has worked in corrections, child welfare, and mental health. And she has concurrent experiences in management positions of non-for-profit organizations as well as consultation and training.
Dr. Nazon conducts seminars and workshops on a variety of psychologically, spiritually and organizational related topics. Dr. Nazon has a special interest in the area of diversity and inclusion. She has taught and trained individuals on issues of cultural diversity, cross-cultural communication and interaction in those are areas as they affect differences of values, perception and behavior.
Eboni is currently the Graphic Design Team Lead for the National Diversity Council (NDC) graphics department. She oversees national team projects, generates graphics for marketing campaigns, provides leadership, motivation, and mentoring to the Graphic Design Team, and supports departmental goals and performance management. Eboni began working with NDC in 2018, shortly after moving to Houston, TX, with her family. What initially brought Eboni to NDC was the opportunity to work as a contract graphic designer however, what has largely contributed to her commitment to the council years later is the aligning mission to be both a resource and an advocate in her community.
Before NDC, Eboni worked as the Lead Prepress Technician and Graphic Designer at ViaTech Publishing in Atlanta, Ga. As a Prepress Tech, Eboni onboarded new clients, managed digital assets, created templates, and prepared designs for brands such as Delta Air Lines, IBM, Doosan, YUM!, & SavaSeniorCare.
Eboni received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2013 from the Art Institute of Atlanta (AIA), majoring in Media Arts and Animation. When she is not designing, singing, or dancing, Eboni cooks and spends time with her husband, Martinez Arnold, and daughter, Amara Arnold. Eboni takes pride in being heavily involved in her daughters' education and teaches her the importance of being smart, loving god, and being kind by leading by example.
Emily (she/her) currently serves as the Event Programmer for the Tri State Diversity Council, a chapter of the National Diversity Council, serving New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. Emily works to plan and oversee Tri State Area events, in addition to managing the chapter's three Advisory Boards and Board of Directors. She has a background in education and comes to the NDC after teaching special education in the state of New Jersey for six years. Emily graduated from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, with her bachelor's degree in Arts and Sciences in 2015, and master's degree in Elementary and Special Education in 2017. Emily resides in Northern, NJ, and is passionate about the field of DE&I. Emily, a woman of color, with the unique perspective of being adopted from China as an infant, is inspired by the vision of the NDC to '[transform] our work places and communities into inclusive environments where individuals are valued for their talents and empowered to reach their fullest potential.'
Job Titles:
- Chief Diversity Officer and Professor of Curriculum Studies / Kennesaw State University
- Chief Diversity Officer and Professor of Curriculum Studies at Kennesaw State University
Erik L. Malewski is Chief Diversity Officer and Professor of Curriculum Studies at Kennesaw State University. Prior to his appointment, Malewski was Associate Professor of Curriculum Studies at Purdue University where he conducted research and taught courses focused on diversity, multiculturalism, equity, and global issues in education. Malewski has held leadership roles in national and international research organizations and is well published in prominent journals and texts. He has worked in educational equity, private industry, social service, and diversity consulting prior to his role at Kennesaw State University.
As faculty, Malewski studied the effects of international cross-cultural experiences on undergraduate students' cultural perceptions. He also engaged in synoptic study of the direction of the curriculum field and examined the implications of conceptions of ignorance for teaching and learning. Along with a colleague, Malewski developed a study abroad program in Honduras for teacher education students and a hybrid place- based and virtual field experience program. Under his mentorship, Malewski's graduate students received national recognition for their research, including the prestigious American Educational Research Association's Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award. Malewski has published numerous books, articles, and chapters focused on domestic and international diversity issues.
Prior to his faculty appointment, Malewski served as the Senior Diversity Advocate within the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity at Pennsylvania State University where he also taught courses in African and African American Studies and Health and Human Development. Prior to that he worked for Illinois Institute of Technology and Paul Robeson High School through a partnership grant focused on teaching graphic design to high school students. He also worked in private industry for AT&T as an organizational manager. Malewski arrived at Kennesaw State University in 2012 after a national search for a new head of diversity.
Originally from metropolitan Detroit, Malewski holds a doctorate in curriculum from Pennsylvania State University, where he also earned a Master's in Higher Education Administration. His Bachelor's in Interpersonal, Intercultural, and Organizational Communication is from Loyola University Chicago.
As an experienced learning and development leader, Erin possesses a deep understanding of organizational development, leadership development, coaching, and talent development. Her expertise has allowed her to create innovative and engaging learning experiences for employees at all levels. She believes in aligning learning initiatives with organizational goals to drive meaningful outcomes, utilizing their background in program management, budgeting, and strategic planning for successful implementation. As a results-driven leader, Erin is dedicated to fostering continuous growth and development in individuals and teams. She firmly believes in everyone's potential for growth and development, and she is passionate about helping others realize their full capabilities. Through coaching and mentoring, she strives to create an environment that nurtures individuals, allowing them to thrive and achieve their goals.
Fargol has a B.A. and an M.S. in electronic engineering, and a Ph.D.. in Electronics, which she received from the University of Wollongong in Australia. She was also a research fellow there before moving to US. She has been teaching several engineering and programming courses at University of Wollongong since she started doing her Ph.D. there.
Since arriving in the U.S in 2015, she started applying her programming skills to user interface design and web development. She has extensive knowledge of HTML, CSS, bootstrap, JavaScript, WordPress, PHP, Python, ReactJS, and AngularJS. As a Web Developer, she has designed, coded, implemented, and managed websites for a variety of clients.
She has always been passionate about web development, and she is constantly seeking out new technologies and staying up to date on trends in the industry.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President - Student Affairs - Chief Diversity Officer / Oakland University
The career of Glenn McIntosh is filled with pioneering experiences. He currently holds the dual role of senior vice president for student affairs and chief diversity officer at Oakland University (Rochester, Michigan). This position appointment made him the first person at a major university to hold such a unique role. He provides visionary strategic leadership for one of the largest divisions on campus with more 24 departments. He also serves as the co-chair of the Oakland University and City of Pontiac Partnership Initiative. He has successfully led many campus capital projects including the construction of two residence halls, an outdoor recreation and athletic facility, and a major renovation and expansion of the student union. Additionally, he led the establishment of the Gender and Sexuality Center and the Veterans Support Services Office. Previously, McIntosh worked as the assistant vice president and dean of student life. He was the founding director of the Academic Advising Resource Center. He also served as the founding director of the Center for Multicultural Initiatives (formerly the Office of Equity) and established the national award-winning Trustee Academic Success Scholarship program. The program consistently yields one of the highest underrepresented minority student retention and graduation rates in the country. Before joining Oakland, McIntosh held a number of administrative positions at Wayne State University, Eastern Michigan University, and Bowling Green State University. McIntosh shares his time and leadership skills as an active member of many professional and community-based organizations including the Metro Detroit Youth Clubs Board of Trustees, Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) Board of Directors, Renaissance Unity Spiritual Center Ministerial Team, Southeast Michigan Omega Foundation Incorporated Board of Directors, and Sacred Heart of Michigan Board Member. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Michigan Chronicle's Man of Excellence Award; the Novell-Levitz Student Retention Excellence Award; the OU Administrative Professional of the Year Award; the Diversity Excellence Award; the Outstanding Professionals of America Award; the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Man of the Year Award; and the NAACP Community Leadership Award. An avid bodybuilder, he has won multiple bodybuilding contests among them Mr. Michigan and Mr. Ironman. A native Detroiter, McIntosh earned his master's degree in Community and Agency Counseling from Wayne State University and bachelor's degrees in Sociology and Business Administration from Central Michigan University. He recently completed the prestigious American Association of State Colleges and Universities' Millennium Leadership Institute training program for senior level higher education administrators. He is a licensed professional mental health counselor, minister, and certified strength and conditioning trainer. He lives locally with his wife, Lia.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Learning & Consulting
Job Titles:
- Partnership Development and Engagement Coordinator
Jacinda Sterlin serves the Florida Diversity Council as the Partnership Development and Engagement Coordinator. Jacinda graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration, and a double minor in Nonprofit Management and Legal Studies. She was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts with her parents and two older sisters. Jacinda has experience working on philanthropy projects, development efforts, and HR items through her prior internships at UNICEF USA, the Risk Management Association, and Accion Opportunity Fund. She is passionate about amplifying marginalized communities, especially women of color, as well as supporting youth.
Jackie is a native of the Texas Gulf Coast region and currently lives in Houston, Texas. She has been working for the National Diversity Council since 2012. She also works as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. Her design style is focused on illustration as a graphic design medium and its ability to create narrative driven projects.
Jackie graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in Art and a minor in Art History. Her personal interests include illustration, writing poems and short stories, genealogy, Southern Black folk culture, ghost stories, hiking, yoga, and most recently, a podcast called Juncture discussing films and dream interpretation.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion
- Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at Rutgers University New Brunswick
Jorge Reina Schement serves as Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at Rutgers University New Brunswick, as well as for Rutgers Biological and Health Sciences. He is Distinguished Professor of Communication Policy, and Latino Studies. He previously served as Dean of the School of Communication and Information.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Human Resources for the University of Phoenix
- VP - Human Resources / University of Phoenix
Julie Fink is a Vice President of Human Resources for the University of Phoenix and chairman of the University's Diversity and Inclusion Council. In her current role, Julie and her team are responsible for HR support to the Chief Operating Officer at the University and over 3,800 employees. Prior to that, Julie was the Sr. Director of Compensation at Apollo Education Group, the parent company of UOP. Julie has over twenty years of HR experience in various industries including public utility, healthcare, distribution, transportation, energy and hi-tech.
Job Titles:
- Senior Communications Specialist
Kamaria Monmouth, MBA, PMP, CDP is the Sr. Communications Specialist for the National Diversity Council (NDC). She utilizes a project management based approach to creating effective systems and processes for internal and external relations for the council and its partners. Under her leadership, she managed a partnership with Forbes EQ Brand Voice, secured a DEI digital multimedia partnership with various stakeholders, led a cross-functional team in various iterations of website development projects and secured features in various publications for the NDC leadership team including USA Today and Forbes/Fortune.
During her career, she has focused on combining her background in communications and marketing with implementation and delivery of agile methodology for the b2b space, along with coaching scrum teams to ensure projects are delivered within budget and time constraints in accordance with both organizational and external stakeholder requirements. Through her combined experience, she has ensured successful delivery of projects with Google Business Group and a range of enterprises across sectors. Kamaria believes that diverse teams create innovation, increased project efficiency and delivery and in turn, successful projects. Kamaria is passionate about creating an environment where diverse ideas are valued and everyone is given a platform.
Kamaria graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication: Public Relations and a minor in marketing. She also holds a Master of Business Administration in project management and process improvement from the University of Houston System and is a DiversityFIRST ™ Certified Diversity Professional (CDP).
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Marketing / City National Bank
Karen A. Clark, the first Multicultural Strategy Manager at City National Bank, creates and executes marketing strategies to attract diverse clients; and oversees diversity & inclusion strategies internally.
Prior to, she was the first multicultural marketing manager for U.S. Bank; before that, the first development director for non-profit Operation HOPE.
Karen began her career in Wells Fargo's construction lending group; then Bank of America as a commercial real estate manager of a $7 billion portfolio; and later served as a corporate diversity specialist for BofA, trained and certified by J. Howard and Associates.
In that role, she traveled BofA's footprint internationally, teaching managers how to attain greater bottom line productivity utilizing effective inclusionary practices; self-examination; and, behavioral change.
Karen serves the following boards: Educating Young Minds (president); L.A. Women's Theatre Festival (secretary); PCR small business development Center (treasurer); Streetlights (PA training program) and, financial education director for the Duke Media Foundation.
She holds a BA in economics (CSU Sacramento); was named one of the "Top 20 Black Female Power Players in L.A. Business" Focus Magazine 2012; and received a Diversity Leadership award from the CA & Nat'l Diversity Councils, 2015. She is a frequent speaker on D&I topics including - Inclusive Leadership; Race & Privilege; and Personal Branding.
She is an actor, singer, songwriter, & producer. Her sophomore album, the Karen A. Clark Project, is available on iTunes, & CD Baby. She has been featured locally on the main stage of the Long Beach Jazz Fest; Pip's; and the Central Ave Jazz Fest to name a few. The 3 rd album, "Defying Expectations" is due out early 2018.
Karen's one woman theatrical show "The Women", has been featured numerous times (2013 - present) at the Ivy Substation (home of The Actor's Gang); The Electric Lodge; The Fremont Centre Theatre.
Job Titles:
- Communications Manager
- Interim Director of Communications
Katrina Glenn is the Communications Manager for the National Diversity Council (NDC). She oversees our communications department, social media marketing, public relations, and internal/external communications efforts. Under her oversight, the NDC was published as a brand contributor for Forbes and featured on Grammarly.com for their nonprofit communications program.
During her professional communications career she has worked in community engagement with the CW network in Houston, NBA All-Star Game production, and communications team for the Diversity & Leadership Conference with President Barack Obama. Katrina's passion for diversity, equity and inclusion, stems from her belief that representation is important for the advancement of all. As she continues in her role, she works towards bridging the gap between representation, media content and providing DEI resources on a larger scale.
Katrina is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a B.A in Communications with an emphasis in media. She is also a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated. When she is not keeping busy with NDC you can find her being an all-star cheerleading coach, content creator and a mom to her daughter Makenna.
Job Titles:
- AVP Partnerships & Interim Head of Advancement
Job Titles:
- Assistant Vice President and Corporate Diversity Officer for the Auto Club Group
- Assistant Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer / Auto Club Group
Ken Mathies serves as Assistant Vice President and Corporate Diversity Officer for The Auto Club Group - Automobile Association of America (AAA). Ken is a certified diversity professional (CDP) and has over 25 years of leadership experience with information technology organizations, business, marketing and legal operations.
Job Titles:
- Partnership Development & Event Programmer
- Programmer for the Georgia Diversity Council
Kunal Kaushal (he/him/his) currently serves as the Business Development and Event Programmer for the Georgia Diversity Council and the Jacksonville Diversity Council. Kunal oversees and spearheads the development and events for both councils, supporting additional projects as needed. Kunal graduated from the University of Florida with a Masters of Science in Management and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia and has a background working in employee engagement, talent development, and various other HR initiatives through his prior experience at Salesloft and Southeastern Grocers. He is passionate about fostering an inclusive work environment where all individuals can truly feel included and valued. In his free time, Kunal loves to play sports, work on his personal fashion brand Let The World Know, and spend time with his close friends and family.
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President, HR Talent and Diversity Organizations / University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Laura Grajczyk joined the Ohio Diversity Council in July 2019 as the Event Programmer - where she plans all logistics and execution for all Ohio Diversity Council events. Laura has over ten years of event planning, coordinating, and programming experience. Previously she was the Event Coordinator for the Glass City Center, formerly known as the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio.
Before that, Laura Grajczyk worked in collegiate athletics at various universities as one of their Athletic Event Managers, including the University of Oklahoma and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
To further her experience after graduating from Bowling Green State University (2012) with a Sport Management degree - she interned at the Athletic Departments of the University of Tennessee, the University of Detroit Mercy, and the University of Georgia.
Laura is from Ypsilanti, Michigan, and now resides in Maumee, Ohio. Laura is a proud alum of Omega Phi Alpha National Service Sorority and is currently a Junior League of Toledo member.
Job Titles:
- Principal / AchieveAbility LLC
Leon Fraser brings his versatile experience in the corporate, academic, and certification arenas to help organizations diagnose and resolve persistent team performance and interpersonal challenges. He was formerly Director of Corporate Strategy at Verizon and has taught Corporate Strategy at Rutgers University. He earned the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification and thereby understands the importance of having a company's HR and diversity initiatives to be fully in concert with a company's overall strategy. He has taught Managing Workforce Diversity at Rutgers University where he also received the Faculty Leader in Diversity Award. He is a Certified Diversity Professional by the National Diversity Council and teaches in the DiversityFIRST training program. He received the Most Engaged Leader Award from the Tri-State Diversity Council for delivery of diversity programs. He received the Mentor of the Year Award from National Black MBA Association New Jersey Chapter. He has extensive consulting experience through a boutique firm which specializes in helping clients to address management and strategy issues. Not only does he have solid practical experience in consulting, he is the originator of the Management Consulting course at Rutgers, with proven techniques and sage case studies. On an individual basis, he is an Associate Certified Executive Coach per the International Coach Federation and has taught Executive Leadership at the graduate level. In addition to Verizon, Leon has corporate experience in marketing and market research at Newsday and Aetna. He was also vice president of an international start-up and a legislative aide to two Congressional committees in Washington, DC. He earned a BA cum laude from Harvard University and MBA degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- EVP - Administration & Diversity
- Executive Vice President of Administration and Diversity at DFW International Airport
Linda Valdez Thompson is the Executive Vice President of Administration and Diversity at DFW International Airport. Linda is one of the highest-ranking Latinas in the aviation industry. In her role, she is responsible for Business Diversity and Development, Corporate Communications, Human Resources, Procurement and Materials Management, and Risk Management.
Linda is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is committed to attracting an retaining a diverse workforce by implementing strategies that promote engagement and develop a culture of inclusion. She has established a leadership council, various employee resource groups, and networks. Linda established a mentoring program for women which has resulted in over 100 women participating. She also mentors through organizations such as Menttium, SMU COX Corporate Executive Development, and the Allies in Service, Warrior Mentorship (veterans) program.
Linda oversees the Airport's award-winning business diversity program which continues to create significant economic opportunity for North Texas' small, minority and woman-owned businesses. These programs promote opportunities for diverse suppliers to participate in the Airport's contracting and procurement processes.
Linda has received several distinctions including being named Woman of the Year by Hispanic Business Magazine, and Ultimate Latina by the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She's been the recipient of the Dallas Business Journal Minority Business Award and most recently, was listed as a Top Latino Leader in Texas by the National Diversity Council. She is also an alumni of the prestigious National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), and is a certified Diversity Professional/Advanced Practitioner from Cornell University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer, Florida / Caribbean Region
- Key Member of the Senior Executive
As a key member of the senior executive team, Lisa develops financial strategy to achieve the company's vision, capital requirements and profitability goals. She also ensures seamless interaction within our global network. She provides effective analysis and forecasting in her advisory capacity to the CEO and President. Prior to this role, Lisa had served as senior vice president and as controller of Right Management's Florida/Caribbean Region. With over 18 years of experience in finance, operations and customer service, she is responsible for ensuring financial strength and operating efficiency while managing all aspects of the accounting operations and team. Lisa has been a significant partner in creating behaviors that increase profitability and productivity concurrently with producing and analyzing financial results with respect to sales, cost, profit, trends and budgets. Lisa's experience has been influential in managing business finances in correlation with the company strategies.
Prior to joining Right Management, Lisa worked with Precision Response Corporation, a Business Services provider delivering Customer Management and Sales & Marketing solutions for leading brands. She was instrumental in forecasting, creating and analyzing billings for the corporation. Lisa also held supervisory and lead positions with Starcrest Products, a California mail order catalog company. While in those roles, Lisa successfully set group and department goals aligned with company objectives. Having lived in Belarus for more than two years, Lisa understands the complexity of the global business world.
Lisa received her Master's Degree from Florida Atlantic University and her Bachelor's Degree in Business Economics from the University of California. In addition to her educational coursework, Lisa has also served as president of FAU's Florida Atlantic Planning Society (FAPS), where she spearheaded local waterway cleanups. Currently, Lisa serves on the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida Board of Directors and the Florida Diversity Council board.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Senior Diversity & Inclusion Consultant / Comerica Bank
- Vice President, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Consultant at Comerica Bank
Lori Walker is the Vice President, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Consultant at Comerica Bank. She has been with Comerica Bank since 2009. In her current role, she has primary responsibility for Diversity and Inclusion education and Corporate Governance for the company. This includes managing the required and elective D&I education for senior leadership, managers and employees. The Corporate Governance role includes management of the bank's EEO and Affirmative Action program. Prior to joining Comerica in 2009, Lori worked as a Director of Diversity, Manager of Affirmative Action and other Employee Relations management roles over the previous 15 years. She received her Masters' Degree in Industrial Relations from Wayne State University and her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan Flint. Lori is a Certified Diversity Professional through the National Diversity Council. Lori is on the Board of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion and the Michigan Diversity Council. Personally, Lori enjoys spending time with her husband and twin 11-year old girls. She is very involved in her daughters' school and coaches cheerleading. She enjoys traveling, running and gardening.
Job Titles:
- NDC Index Lead Strategist and Executive Director of Diversity Research Institute
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer / Wayne State University
Marquita Chamblee is the Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. In this role she is responsible for leading efforts that advance diversity and inclusion across campus and into the broader community. This involves collaborating with Wayne State students, staff, faculty, administration, and alumni as well as community partners across the Detroit metro area to enhance all aspects of diversity and inclusion, which includes: supporting student success, promoting intercultural skill development, enhancing faculty and staff diversity, and strengthening leadership accountability for diversity and institutional equity.
Dr. Chamblee has spent most of her career focused on creating safe, welcoming, supportive spaces for as many different people in as many different settings as possible. This is reflected in 30-plus year career in higher education, during which she has engaged with and served a broad constituency of students - from high school students all the way through Ph.D. candidates - as well as collaborating with and supporting staff, faculty, administrators, and trustees at a variety of institutions. Her primary work has focused on what is now broadly known as diversity and inclusion, though the field has evolved and expanded dramatically since she began her career at Penn State University in the early 1980s.
The work of diversity, inclusion, multicultural education, and community engagement blends relatively seamlessly with her life work and purpose, and she came into it in part as the result of having grown up in a large family with civic-minded, civil rights activist, humanitarian parents. In addition to designing, implementing, and evaluating a number of initiatives, programs, and strategies to enhance diversity and inclusion, she has also developed and taught courses, co-designed educational workshops on issues of diversity and multicultural awareness, and engaged in a wide variety of academic and administrative pursuits.
Prior to joining Wayne State, she served as the Director of the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Multicultural Education (ODIME) at George Mason University. She has also worked as a consultant in the San Francisco Bay area, and on the staff at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California. She has held administrative and faculty roles at Michigan State University and Penn State University. Dr. Chamblee received her Ph.D. and Master of Science from Penn State University, and her Bachelor of Science from Purdue University.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator
- Coordinator for People and Culture
Matthew Rivera is the Coordinator for People and Culture for the National Diversity Council (NDC). He is responsible for the overall administration, coordination, and evaluation of the human resource function for the NDC. .
Matthew is a first-generation graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a B.S. in Psychology. He also graduated with honors from Austin Peay State University with a Master's degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. When he is not keeping busy with the NDC, you can find him attending concerts, music festivals, or sporting events.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Management and Global Business / Rutgers University
Job Titles:
- Regional Diversity Officer for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management 's Great Lakes Region
Perika Sampson is the Regional Diversity Officer for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's Great Lakes Region. Her responsibilities include driving diversity and inclusion strategies across 10 states engaging 125 managers and impacting approximately 6500 employees. In addition, she develops talent acquisition strategies, facilitates community engagement, supports business development initiatives and manages national partnerships. Her territory includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Western Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Perika is an alumna of the University of California Los Angeles. She has written and published numerous articles on corporate diversity and inclusion. In addition, she has served on the boards of several arts and social service organizations in Chicago, IL, Oakland, CA and San Francisco, CA.
Job Titles:
- Head of Internal Audit, North America
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President
- Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition / SunTrust
Russell Jolivet is the Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition focused on their enterprise technology & wholesale banking recruiting initiatives for SunTrust, Inc., based in Atlanta, GA. SunTrust Banks is an Atlanta based fortune 500 financial institution with over $208 billion in assets as of June 30, 2018. The company provides deposit, credit, trust, investment, mortgage, asset management, securities, brokerage and capital market services.
Russell's career has been split between business and human capital. Earlier in his career, Russell focused on marketing, corporate finance / strategic planning and management consulting. The past 20 years have been spent in Human Resources/Talent Acquisition, Executive Search, Diversity Recruiting, Veterans Recruiting and College / MBA Recruiting. Just prior to SunTrust, Russell led Talent Acquisition for a $5 billion private equity portfolio company, Asurion, in the technology, telecom, and services sectors.
His career experience spans across five industries. In addition Russell has worked and lived in 12 cities including three continents (Middle East/North Africa, North and South America). He has held leadership roles at Conoco Inc., Booz Allen & Hamilton Management Consulting firm, Korn Ferry International Executive Search Firm, Warner Bros., Harrah's Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment) and Asurion. In addition, Russell started and ran his own mortgage and real estate firm.
Job Titles:
- Founder and President / Exodus Consulting Group
- Founder and President of Exodus Consulting Group
- Founder, President / Exodus Consulting Group
Sandy Harvey is the founder and President of Exodus Consulting Group, LLC, which specializes in providing strategic organizational, operational, and human resources consulting services. She has provided strategic development, coaching, diversity, and leadership training for Fortune 500 organizations throughout the US and Canada. Her reach extends across many industries in for-profit and non-profits organization of all sizes, including financial services, nonprofits, higher education, marketing, automotive dealership, to name a few. As a sought-out speaker, executive/leadership coach and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion strategist, who is passionate about bringing innovation and sustainable solutions to individuals and organizations, Sandy has over 25 years of organizational development experience specializing in designing and delivering leadership, diversity, and other strategic training, implementing people enhancement and performance management, and defining strategic human resources and operational initiatives. She has expertly delivered diversity and leadership training and provided strategic plans for employers, of all sizes, across the country, including a week-long leadership academy for a multinational client. With experience in human resources, human behavior, and operations, she has created and redesigned human resources and training departments and is skilled in assessing, acquiring, and implementing HRIS and Learning Management Systems to support organizations. With over 20 years of financial services experience, within both banks and credit unions of all sizes, her expert knowledge of helping teams navigate through mergers & acquisitions has proven to be invaluable in defining and implementing strategic processes. This knowledge extends beyond working with employees and includes her work with board development. She takes goals and initiatives and make them realities by analyzing systems, people, and processes to provide efficient and sustainable solutions. As Sandy has navigated her career, she has served in senior leadership and executive roles in various industries. In the early 2000s, Sandy was a diversity training consultant for Coca-Cola and provided training for employees in Michigan and northern Ohio. In addition, as a Master Facilitator, she provided leadership training for Raytheon Professional Services and provided additional services for Raytheon's clients. She is certified by Myers &Briggs, American Management Association (AMA) in Situational Leadership, AchieveGlobal, Franklin Covey, Development Dimensions, Intl, and J. Howard & Associates. A native Texan, Sandy has a BA in Business and MBA in Organizational Management from Texas Wesleyan University, and a MA in Evangelism & Church Planting from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Sandy began serving as a board member for the Michigan Diversity Council in 2011 and chaired the council's annual Women in Leadership Symposium. Since leaving the Board in 2018, she currently serves as a Consultant and Faculty Member for the National Diversity Council (NDC) and completed a week-long training in June 2019 to become a NDC Certified Diversity Professional. In May 2016, Sandy was recognized by Corp! Magazine as a Most Valuable Professional, as a Most Valuable Entrepreneur in 2018, and a Diversity Business Leader in 2019. IN 2020, she was an HR Inspire Award recipient from HU Unite! Sandy is an ordained minister and a pastor at Serenity Christian Church in Hazel Park, where she provides leadership development training, and Marketing & Media expertise. She is President of Serenity Community Outreach and is a New/Transformational Coach for new Pastors throughout the country. She serves as a Board Member for Leadership Oakland and is an Advisor for OurOffice, Inc. Sandy resides in a Detroit suburb with her husband, John Harvey, senior pastor, and founder of Serenity Christian Church.
Job Titles:
- Project Lead for Advancement and Learning / Communications
Job Titles:
- Chief of Strategic Partnerships
As the Chief of Strategic Partnerships for the National Diversity Council (NDC), Sofia Anthony works to ensure that the NDC caters to partners' needs and remains at the forefront of the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) arena. Ever since joining the NDC in 2011, Sofia has successfully raised over $1.1 million individually in new fundraising revenue, more than $600,000 of which continues to come into the organization as current revenue. In her current position, Sofia leads the national Partnerships & Events team, which comprises all team members who spearhead market expansion, business development, and event revenue generation efforts organization wide. She builds strategic partnerships with organizations across industries and sectors to help sustain the NDC via revenue generation, community engagement, and in-kind support. In collaboration with the CEO, Sofia also serves as a primary point of contact for the NDC's Board of Directors and spearheads data collection and analysis to provide quarterly reports to the Board on organizational goals.
Prior to becoming the Chief of Strategic Partnerships, Sofia was selected by the NDC's Board of Directors to serve as the Interim CEO and lead the organization through transition for the first half of 2023. She successfully navigated the NDC through crisis management and change, demonstrating leadership, strategic thinking, operational oversight, and resilience. During the latter part of 2023, Sofia onboarded the NDC's new CEO and CFO, working closely with them to develop and execute leadership transition plans for a smooth handover of responsibilities.
Sofia graduated magna cum laude from Brown University with a B.A. in Anthropology and Ethnic Studies and obtained an M.S. in Human Resource Management from Nova Southeastern University. She has been recognized as a Top 100 Under 50 Emerging Leader in DEI by DiversityMBA a Top 20 Latino Leader by the Council for Latino Workplace Equity a Nonprofit Leadership Center Fellow for the Advancing Racial Equity on Nonprofit Boards Fellowship a Hispanics in Philanthropy Fellow for the Next Generation Latino Philanthropy Leadership Fellowship and HR Tampa's Young Professional of the Year. Sofia is a DEIB leader with NDC Certified Diversity Professional and Executive Diversity Professional credentials. She is also an HR leader certified as a PHR and SHRM-CP.
Sofia was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, yet spent the majority of her life in Tampa, Florida. She currently lives in the Tampa Bay area, happily married to her soul mate and loves spending time with their sheltie, Bodhi.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Owner
- President
- Founder and President of Total Engagement Consulting
Stan C. Kimer, founder and president of Total Engagement Consulting, is recognized as an internal/external consultant with unique skills in employee development/career mapping, workplace diversity (specialization in GLBT - Gay, Lesbian Bisexual, Transgender), and organization effectiveness/leadership development. Stan formed his own consultancy around these areas in 2010 following a 31-year successful diverse, multi-functional career at IBM.
While at IBM as Director of Global Sales Operations for IBM's consulting practice, Stan served as the executive sponsor overseeing career development for IBM's 3,000 Sales Operations employees. He has now executed his unique innovative career mapping approach which he launched at IBM, with clients ranging from major corporations to church denominations to professional organizations. During his four years on IBM's global corporate diversity staff, Stan led IBM into industry leadership in LGBT diversity and established IBM's procedures for supporting transgender employees and assisting with case management of employees undergoing gender transition while in the workplace.
Since forming his own consulting practice, Stan has trained or spoken in over 50 venues reaching over 3,000 professionals. He is a certified Out and Equal Workplace Advocates Building Bridges Trainer and a certified Training Management Corp / Berlitz Cultural Competency Trainer / Practitioner. Within the transgender arena, Stan has provided training to client employee and HR teams and has assisted with case management of gender transitions in the workplace.
He is active in leadership roles in dozens of community and civic organizations including as a volunteer instructor on his church denomination's leadership development faculty. In 2013, the Triangle Business Journal recognized Stan with one of their Leaders in Diversity - Role Model awards. Stan received his MBA from the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and BS in management science from Georgia Tech.
In his spare time, Stan is training to be a competitive adult figure skater.
A desire to help others is a common theme in Tamu Kenyatta (T.K.) Floyd's life, and this desire has motivated many of her personal, educational, and professional pursuits. She tries to live her life in harmony with the well-known phrase "to whom much is given, much is required."
T.K. is a consultant, speaker, writer, and editor who is a champion for diversity and inclusion. She serves as a Director for the National Diversity Council. She is also an attorney, trained mediator, and counselor who has been active in the San Antonio community, where she has put into practice her belief in giving back to others through mentoring, pro bono legal services, writing projects, and speaking engagements.
T.K. graduated from Purdue University with an undergraduate degree (engineering management) in 1994 and graduate degree (higher education administration) in 1996. She earned her law degree cum laude from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2002. She also received a graduate degree in counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2013.
T.K. has had a variety of professional experiences, including currently serving on the faculty of St. Mary's University School of Law as a Law Success Instructor. She previously worked as a commercial litigator for three law firms in San Antonio, Texas and Washington, DC and as a solo family law practitioner in the Law Office of T.K. Floyd, PLLC. She has also served as a law clerk to two federal judges.
Outside of her professional activities, T.K. enjoys spending quality time with her son, Benjamin, as well as writing and speaking. Her article "Manage Time as a Parent" was published in the April 2014 issue of Helotes Life magazine. Additionally, she has spoken to a number of groups in the San Antonio community on a variety of topics, including estate planning, critical thinking, stress management, and relaxation techniques.
TyKiah Wright - Wilson is a Columbus, Ohio native and respected leader with 18+ years experience in nonprofit executive leadership, workforce development and relationship management. Known for her smile, TyKiah is passionate about connecting with people.. Adept with business operations, partnership development, stakeholder engagement and DEI. She is committed to helping organizations understand that differences drive innovation and is intentional about creating environments where people feel empowered to be their authentic selves. TyKiah is a champion for disability-inclusive diversity and strives to normalize the conversation. In 2016, Wright was recognized as a YWCA of Central Ohio "Woman of Achievement". She also was appointed and served as a Commissioner for President Obama's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans and is a past member of the Alumni Board of Directors for Wright State University. TyKiah is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Center for Critical Race Studies / University of Houston - Downtown
Job Titles:
- Director of Membership and Business Development / the Executive Club of Chicago
- Director of Membership and Business Development for the Executives Club of Chicago
Vince Williams is the Director of Membership and Business Development for The Executives Club of Chicago. A 107 year old organization that is one of the country's premier executive leadership development and networking organizations. He was recently named to Diversity MBA magazine's 2018 Elite List of Top 100 Emerging and Executive Leaders under the age of 50. A Chicago native, Vince is also an entrepreneur and serves on several boards around the City. He has participated with the Illinois Diversity Council for the past three years and serves as co-chair on their membership committee and advisory council. He is currently the Co-Chair for The Leadership Council with Year Up Chicago - a program that addresses the opportunity divide in Chicago and speaks regularly with organizations around Chicago in addition to facilitating strategic connections.
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives
Yalitza Carrillo serves as supervisor of strategic initiatives at the National Diversity Council. She works closely with the Senior Vice President of Strategy to support the implementation of high-impact initiatives including the oversight of the NCD Certification Program, which prepares professionals for successful careers in the DEI space. Prior to this role, she managed the NDC Virtual Suite, which features learning solutions on a range of DEI topics, and the NDC Toolkit, a diversity reference portal.