What steps do you think can and should be taken in the workplace to make professional opportunities more equitable regardless of race, gender, age, ability, and sexual orientation?
This ½ day summit will help discuss how to build a strategic approach to building a diverse and equitable workplace, how to foster an inclusive environment for our employees, and steps one should take in building a business community free of racism and discrimination.
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Presenters & Topics:
The Power of Inclusive Benefits
Gary Abernathy, CDP/MBA, Vice President, DE&I Practice Leader, Marsh McLennan Agency
Gary has over twenty years in the employee development and training industry. Gary has a proven track record of partnering with employers and human resources professionals, looking to understand their business and human capital goals in order to develop prescriptive solutions. Since joining Marsh McLennan Agency, Gary has leveraged his understanding of the challenges facing business leaders today.
Gary leads the Michigan Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Practice providing guidance for organizations along their DE&I Journey. As the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Practice lead, Gary strategically collaborates with clients in order to help them establish and implement DE&I into the fabric of their organizations. Additionally, as a founding member and co-Chair of the MMA Enterprise Council, Gary helps to provide thought leadership to assist MMA’s 9,100 Colleagues along their own journey.
The Power of Inclusive Leadership
Dr. Anita Hicks, Ed.D., NDCCDP, Oakland Center Associate Director, Oakland University
Dr. Anita Hicks, EdD has worked in higher education for over fifteen years in various leadership positions. She serves as an integral member of the work-driven university DEI council where she is a diversity advocate and chairs a committee on employee pathways with a focus on advancing URMS, LGBTQ+, disability, and veteran’s support with inclusivity for all in the workplace. She also chairs a DEI council committee that focuses on advancing women in the work place and has extensive experience working and serving as an executive member with ERG’s on campus to advance initiatives while supporting the 4th pillar Diversity of the university goals. The DEI council is innovative and highly sought after from the campus community with members of the president’s cabinet, deans, vice president’s and representatives from areas on campus that form the 35-person committee. The committee is intentional with utilizing and highlighting the strengths of each member to strategize and accomplish diversity initiatives.
Advocating for DEI with your Employees & External Communities
Trevor Thomas, Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Consumers Energy
From 2007 to 2011, Trevor Thomas directed national communications for the Human Rights Campaign and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which legally represented 14,000 active-duty military discharged under “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”. Thomas led communications and advocacy strategy for repeal of the law, along with the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and re-authorization of the Ryan White CARE Act - the largest federally funded program in the United States for people living with HIV/AIDS.
Thomas served both Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and later U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. He is a graduate of Grand Valley State University and holds a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He was named a national Champion of Pride for his work in equal rights by The Advocate magazine in 2020 and was recently recognized by Crain’s Detroit as one of the state’s top LGBTQ business executives.
Presenting Sponsor
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