NDC Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors is made up of the best and brightest leaders across the nation. These individuals hail from a broad array of industries, from academia to law, food service to retail. This core team governs the Diversity Council and sets the strategy for key initiatives and goals for the Council. Each member of the Diversity Council’s Board of Directors shares a common desire to expand the reach of the Council and help drive its mission and vision of diversity and inclusion in businesses, communities, and schools.
If your organization is interested in having a representative on our board of directors we’d like to hear from you! Contact us today.
Nate Bennett III is responsible for leading the company’s Diversity & Inclusion office. This office has been established to drive key diversity initiatives throughout the bank. Additionally, Mr. Bennett’s other responsibilities include leading all talent acquisition activities for Comerica Bank.
Mr. Bennett joined Comerica in 2009 as the Vice President, Texas Market Staffing Manager. He was named Senior Vice President, Talent Acquisition in 2010. In mid-2016, he was named the Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President, Head of Talent Acquisition.
Before joining Comerica, he worked for several Fortune 500 companies in various roles in Talent Acquisition all in two major industries Consumer Retail and Financial Services. Prior to joining Comerica Bank, he led Talent Acquisition Services for a 17,000-employee division at Bank of America. His 20+ years of experience in Human Resources Talent Acquisition covers the areas from executive recruitment through global recruitment where he spent time in Seoul, Korea leading various recruitment efforts for Walmart Stores.
Mr. Bennett holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Rice University.
Among his professional and community affiliations, he serves as a member of the National Diversity Council Board of Directors, board member of Mi Escuelita Pre-Schools, an advisory board member for Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) an advisory board member of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For.
At Rice University, Mr. Bennett was a four-year varsity letterman in football where he went on to earn All Southwest Conference 1st Team Honors. Additionally, he also serves as the founder and President of the Junior Broncos Organization which is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to young student athletes.
Ms. Campbell is an attorney and diversity/employment law executive with a successful record of working as a business partner with other corporate executives and teams to accomplish organizational goals. She is a frequent speaker and author on the topic of diversity and inclusion strategy. As Chief Diversity Officer, Ms. Campbell devotes her efforts full time to overseeing the development and implementation of the firm’s diversity and inclusion strategy.
Ms. Campbell has more than 25 years of experience in administrative and employment litigation both in law firm and in-house counsel settings and has led human resources, employment relations and diversity strategies at large corporations. Before joining Andrews Kurth in February 2007, Ms. Campbell served as Vice President of Employment Relations and Corporate Diversity Officer for the ARAMARK Corporation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She received her J.D. in 1978 from The University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and her B.A. in 1975 from The American University in Washington, DC.
Donnell started his career with Aerotek in 2002 in Detroit, MI. as an On-Premise Manager where he managed a very diverse workforce as large as 1100 contract employees. His expertise in this capacity was recognized and he joined the implementation team in May 2004 as an Implementation Specialist. In 2008 Donnell was promoted to National Implementation Project Manager and his responsibilities include launching on-premise office operations, initial contractor employee fulfillment, designing and installation of time and attendance systems, development of customized recruiting and retention strategies, facilitation of contractor employee transition programs and establishment of best practices. He has launched over 45 large national accounts in Aerotek’s portfolio in U.S. and Canada. In 2013 Donnell was promoted to Vendor On-Premise Operations Manager for the Midwest and Canada regions. In 2019 Donnell became the Vendor On-Premise Business Development Manager for the Central region.
He was promoted to Head of DE& I for Aston Carter in November 2020. He is responsible for ensuring their DE&I strategy is executed and most importantly, impactful. To do this, he partners closely with executive leadership, HR and employee experience, DE&I council, and Leadership & Legacy Summit attendees, as well as various other groups and individuals in and outside the company. Donnell’s experience, knowledge, relationships and passion are valuable as he works to help build a special company where EVERYONE is accepted, valued, equal and therefore inspired and empowered to be a positive change agent throughout our communities.
Laurie Chamberlin is the Head of LHH Recruitment Solutions, North America at the Adecco Group, the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company. In recent years, Laurie has worked to strategically reposition and expand the offerings of the Adecco Group’s U.S. professional recruitment and solutions brands, leading to transformational mergers, integrations, and strategic partnerships with leading organizations serving the legal, HR, and staffing industries. Currently, Laurie is playing an integral role in strengthening and accelerating LHH’s position as the Adecco Group’s end-to-end HR solutions provider, where she is overseeing the migration of the Group’s U.S. professional recruitment brands to a new division known as LHH Recruitment Solutions.
As a leader, Laurie takes a proactive stance on workplace wellness, adopting a policy of workplace flexibility, which has proven essential in today’s climate. Laurie is on the board of the Adecco Group U.S. Foundation, is a member of the American Staffing Association, and a supporter of women’s empowerment through her involvement with Dress For Success and Paradigm for Parity.
She received a B.A. in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs with a minor in French from Miami University. In her spare time, she loves running, yoga, going to the beach, and spending time with her two children in her hometown, Washington, D.C.
Carlos Cubia is Senior Vice President and Global Chief Diversity Officer for WBA. Since joining the company in 2017, Cubia has been instrumental in advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at the center of all that we do. Among his achievements are launching the first global WBA Diversity & Inclusion Report the formation of our Global Inclusion Council the addition of our new corporate value of inclusion and the linking of a portion of incentive pay to performance on our DEI goals. He has partnered closely with the divisions and functions of WBA as a champion for the racial equity movement and for affordable, accessible health care for all, regardless of post or zip code.
Prior to joining WBA, Cubia served as Vice President, Sales and Account Management at Aetna, Vice President and Global Chief Diversity Officer at Covidien, a medical devices company, and also held VP level positions for Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Safeco Insurance where among other things he was responsible for driving the diversity agenda.
Black Enterprise recognized Cubia as a “Top Corporate Diversity Executive” in 2018, and Career Mastered magazine honored him with a “Men as Allies Diversity in Leadership” award.
Patrick Decker-Tonnesen (he/him) is an Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Advisor at Mayo Clinic. Patrick is also a doctoral candidate of Social Work at Loyola University Chicago, and his dissertation focuses on the experiences of individuals who have historically marginalized identities and serve on nonprofit governance systems. Additionally, Patrick has published several peer reviewed journal articles that focus on populations connected to nonprofits. Prior to becoming a researcher, Patrick lived in Punta Gorda, Belize, for several years working with local indigenous Mayan populations. Patrick’s skills include DEI mixed-method assessments and DEI strategic planning and implementation. Patrick holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Mount St. Mary’s University, and a Master of Social Work, as well as certificates in Nonprofit Management & Philanthropy and Measurement & Quantitative Methods, from Loyola University Chicago. Patrick also holds a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certificate from the University of South Florida.
Michelle Eisner is a public company CHRO and board director who helps highly regulated, complex organizations build competitive advantage by scaling rapidly, attracting and retaining key talent, and developing DEI and ESG initiatives. She repeatedly develops high-performing cultures and human capital strategies in many ownership structures – including public, PE-backed, family owned and private – and with complex labor relationships or regulatory requirements. Michelle can serve on compensation, culture nominating/governance, DEI or ESG committees and is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP).
As CHRO of SBA Communications (NASDAQ: SBAC), Michelle led the company’s global response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as its safe return to the office. She strategized and rolled out a talent roadmap that prioritized human capital, earned recognition as Comparably’s 7th Best Company for Engagement and raised Glassdoor ratings, including Glassdoor’s inclusion on its Top 20 CEO list. Michelle previously served on Hollander Sleep Product’s Board of Directors and was hand-selected as a member of Tyson Foods’ (NYSE: TSN) Corporate Executive Board, advising CEO John Tyson.
Bryan Gingrich serves as the VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and oversees a team of DE&I advisor client managers and the DE&I program, and provides leadership direction and functional expertise on complex, enterprise-wide diversity and inclusion strategy, projects, programs and initiatives. This includes DE&I consultation, DE&I Councils and Actions Teams, Diversity Business Groups and programs, DE&I communications, learning, and business client management.
Prior to joining USAA, Bryan served as the SVP, Diversity & Inclusion Leader at Wells Fargo, responsible for developing and implementing the DE&I strategy, oversight of the DE&I ecosystem (e.g., Councils, Business Resource Groups), inclusion and belonging programming, and providing DE&I consultation across functional business groups on enterprise solutions. He has worked in the area of diversity and inclusion for over 20 years, and has led the national diversity efforts at A.G. Edwards, Sodexo, and Nextel Communications, and served as a DE&I consultant. Under his leadership, organizations have received more than 100 DE&I Awards including ranking #9 on DiversityInc’s Top 50.
Bryan holds a doctorate degree in social cognitive psychology with a specialty in stereotyping, prejudice, and bias. His research has focused on how stereotypes and prejudices effect one’s judgments, memory, behavior, and explanation’s for other’s behavior. Bryan is an author of articles published in the following research journals: the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and has published diversity management articles in Diversity Factor, Northern Ohio Live, Grace Magazine, and the Annual of Organizational Behavior.
Bryan served on the executive committee of The Conference Board’s Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council, Cultural Leadership, and the St. Louis Community College. He resides in Town & Country, Missouri with his wife, Trish, two kids, Ben (15) and Lily (12), and French Bulldog, Rocky.
Sheilina Henry has served as Group Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion for Bloomin’ Brands since July 2020. She is responsible for leading the Bloomin’ Brands company journey toward furthering equality and inclusion, especially in the areas of leadership, talent, training, and education.
Sheilina has over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. She joined Bloomin’ Brands in 2012 as an Outback Steakhouse Joint Venture Partner in the Chicago and Wisconsin markets, relocating to the Restaurant Support Center in Tampa in 2014 to lead several large-scale projects across multiple concepts. In 2016, she returned to the Outback Steakhouse team as Vice President, Training & Development, leading a team focused on providing each restaurant the tools and resources necessary to deliver memorable dining experiences. She was promoted to Regional Vice President for Outback Steakhouse in 2019. Prior to Bloomin’ Brands, Sheilina was at Yum! Brands for 12 years and held various positions within the regional operations and training areas.
Sheilina holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Ohio State University and an MBA from DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business, concentrating on International Business and Marketing Strategy and Planning. She serves on the Board of Directors for Ladies of Virtue, a transformative mentoring and leadership experience for girls, ages 9 to 18, living in underserved communities in her hometown of Chicago, IL, and is a member of the Women’s Foodservice Forum. Sheilina and her husband, Cordell are parents to four daughters, Sloane (2 months), Scarlet (2 years), Sana’a (16 years), Deja (18 years).
Kristen Holt is leading GreenPath Financial Wellness toward a bold vision: remixing the American dream so that it works for everyone. She believes that financial wellness is a cornerstone of people’s ability to achieve their full potential, and that improved access to better financial tools and services will improve the lives of all Americans and can be achieved through collaboration, networked communities and human-centered design.
Kristen brings a lifetime of experience and insight to this work. Her career — leading global corporate enterprises, managing mergers & acquisitions, and helping to transform complex, traditional nonprofits into innovative organizations, prepared her for the financial wellness work of GreenPath. She is experienced in business, management, partnerships, human-centered design processes and collaborative methodologies. She is passionate and driven to empower all people to take control of their finances, so that they can pursue their dreams. Her leadership sets a tone of integrity, compassion and a deep commitment to positive change in the world.
Kristen is a CPA and earned her MBA from the University of Michigan. Kristen credits her parents and her “financial upbringing” — which emphasized savings and living debt-free — for setting her on a path to support people in building their own financial well-being.
Dennis Kennedy has an unwavering passion for people and works to ensure that all individuals receive equal opportunities in the workplace regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, physical or mental handicap, physique, gender identity or sexual orientation. In 2004, Mr. Kennedy walked away from his job to start the Texas Diversity Council, www.texasdiversitycouncil.org.
He saw a very strong need to create an organization that would champion Diversity & Inclusion across the state. Four years later, Mr. Kennedy found himself launching the National Diversity Council (NDC) for the exact same reasons he started the state council. Currently, the NDC is made up of 11 state and regional Councils: California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Tri-State (NY, NJ & CT). His vision is to have state and regional diversity councils in all 50 states.
Along with the state councils, Mr. Kennedy has launched several state wide conferences focused on diversity, leadership and women. Currently there are conferences taking place in the following states: California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Virginia and Washington. The link to the diversity/leadership conferences is www.nationaldiversityconference.com.
Moreover, Mr. Kennedy has launched two additional national organizations in 2011 including National Women’s Council, (www.nationalwomenscouncil.org) which focuses on advocacy for women and the Council for Corporate Responsibility, (www.uscorporateresponsibility.org) which seeks to educate organizations on best practices in social responsibility. In addition, Mr. Kennedy is the Founder & Publisher of DiversityFIRST™ Publishing which is currently made up of two state magazines: California (www.californiadiversitymagazine.org) and Texas (www.texasdiversitymagazine.org). Also under the auspices of DiversityFIRST Publishing is the DiversityFIRST Newsletter which is published in 11 states including: California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Tri-State (NY, NJ & CT).
Furthermore, Mr. Kennedy spent several years as a college professor in the business schools at the following universities: University of Houston Downtown, Texas Southern University and University of Texas at San Antonio. Some of the courses he taught included: Business Statistics, Economics, HR Management, Compensation Management and Diversity Management. He also spent 5 years working in a corporate environment in the field of Human Resources.
Mr. Kennedy is currently working on his book titled, CreatingYourSignificanceâ„¢, which is a unique self-marketing strategy that will allow you to create a successful personal brand. The book is slated for publishing on January 2nd, 2013.
Mr. Kennedy graduated from the University of Houston Main Campus (UofH) with undergraduate degrees in economics, business management, political science and physical education he also earned a MBA from University of Houston Main Campus as well. In addition, he was a scholarship athlete for football.
Dave Kipe is an accomplished senior executive level operations, supply chain and technology leader with twenty five plus years of experience leading global supply chain, distribution, customer experience, technology, B2B sales and e-commerce operations across various industries, platforms and sizes.
A transformative leader, Dave employs a hands-on approach towards building a culture of associate engagement while delivering exceptional bottom line results. From private equity backed start-ups to Fortune 500 organizations, Dave has built and led teams to unprecedented and sustained success in operations, technology and financial execution.
Dave Kipe is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Majestic Steel USA. Dave has been in this role since joining Majestic in July 2019. In this role, Dave oversees all core business functions (Sales, Supply Chain and Operations) as well as People Strategy and Technology functions.
From 2017 to 2019, Dave served as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with Systemax Inc., where he led a complete supply chain transformation across the North American network for this provider of industrial and MRO products.
Prior to this role, from 2013 to 2017, Dave was Senior Vice President, Global Operations with Scholastic Inc. Working for the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology and children's media, Dave was responsible for the entire domestic and global supply and customer service operations.
Previous to this, from 2008-2013, Dave held the position of Vice President, Supply Chain with MSC Industrial Supply Inc., where he led all supply chain functions for this global industrial supplies distributor.
Dave has also held supply chain and operations leadership roles with IKON Office Solutions, The Gap, Inc. and Wal-Mart.
Dave holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Clarion University. He also holds an Authentic Leadership Development Certificate from Harvard Business School and a Global Supply Chain Management Certificate from the Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business.
Aryeh Lehrer currently serves as Vice President of Talent Management & Acquisition, DEI&B at Comcast. In this he leads teams responsible for development and execution of external recruitment strategy and operations, internal talent management, DEI&B, and University Relations. Aryeh joined Comcast in 2014 and has held numerous leadership roles of advancing scope during his tenure. Prior to this, he served in HR leadership roles with various organizations. An alumnus of Florida Atlantic University, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Business Communications, Aryeh is currently completing his MBA with a concentration in Organizational Leadership at Barry University in Miami Shores, FL. He is a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt and, in addition to his role with the NDC, serves on the Alumni Board of Directors for Florida Atlantic University and the Board of Directors for the Emma Bowen Foundation. He currently resides in Boca Raton, FL with his wife, Jessica, and two children, Brenner (7) and Bronx (2).
DeAndre A. Lipscomb is Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Homepoint Financial, a leading mortgage and financial services company. He guides the development and implementation of strategic, programmatic and operational initiatives that promote a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Under his leadership, the company engages, develops, retains and attracts a diverse workforce to align with its mission and values. In addition, DeAndre serves as the President of the Homepoint Foundation, charged with creating a more inclusive mortgage industry through education, community engagement and diversity. Prior to joining Homepoint, he worked for 21 years in the health insurance industry serving in executive roles overseeing employee engagement, marketing, communications and community outreach before leading philanthropy and community development in the financial services space.
DeAndre earned a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University’s honors journalism program and a master’s degree in administration from Central Michigan University. He is an advocate for lifelong learning and professional development. He holds certifications in Diversity Practice from the National Diversity Council, Reputation Management from the Public Relations Society of America and Corporate Citizenship Management from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.
Driven by his passion for children’s issues and education, DeAndre has received mentoring awards from the Detroit Metro Youth YMCA and RESULTS Mentoring. He has served as an advisory board member for the YMCA and is a past member of the Council for Michigan Foundations’ Corporate Contributions Committee and Mentoring Program. DeAndre has also mentored young men through the Winning Futures nonprofit organization. He is a board member and past board president for Spaulding for Children, which connects children with foster care and adoptive family services. He also serves as a board member for the National and Michigan Diversity Councils, and board of trustee for the Michigan School of Psychology.
Diane McDaniel joined Community Health Network in 2020 as the inaugural vice president, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. McDaniel currently serves as chairperson for the network’s Racial and Social Equity Steering Committee (RASE).
Prior to moving into the healthcare sector, Diane served as the inaugural vice president for diversity and inclusion, chief diversity officer at Indiana Wesleyan University. She was responsible for developing the university’s diversity strategic plan framework and for identifying institutional priorities, programs, and initiatives advancing inclusive excellence learning for faculty, staff, and student groups. During her 12-year tenure at Indiana Wesleyan University, Diane held the positions of associate vice president of human resources, director of faculty recruitment and adjunct faculty for DeVoe School of Business.
Diane is an accomplished HR leader with extensive experience in organizational and change management. Prior to joining Indiana Wesleyan University, Diane celebrated a diverse career in telecommunications with AT&T. She dedicated more than 20 years in private industry to leading large service and support teams in marketing, call center operations and network services.
Diane earned a bachelor of science in criminal justice from Indiana University and a master of science in human resources development from Indiana State University. She is currently a PhD candidate in interdisciplinary studies at Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2021, Diane was named one of the Top 100 Diversity OfficersTM in the US by the National Diversity Council for her leadership and counsel to advance diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace.
Rodney Morris is a visionary executive leader with extensive expertise in all facets of human resources from emerging-growth concepts to high-growth corporations and from quick service restaurants to casual dining. With over 30 years of experience recruiting, motivating, and leading highly-effective teams in the hospitality industry, Morris joined Sustainable Restaurant Group in January 2018 as Senior Vice President, Operations & Strategic Development. In his role, Morris leads the operaions and home office teams as the company grows its two brands.
Prior to this time, Morris was Senior Vice President with The Elliot Group, a boutique executive consulting and recruiting firm, providing counsel in all facets of operations and human resources across the private, private equity, and public company domains. Prior to Elliot, Morris was the Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Ignite Restaurant Group and Chief People Officer for Romano’s Macaroni Grill, which was purchased by the Ignite Restaurant Group in April 2013. In these roles, Morris managed the operations services, human resources, recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, and development teams. He also worked closely with the respective Board Compensation Committees.
Prior to joining Macaroni Grill, Morris was the Chief People Officer for Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers and served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Fired Up, Inc., operating as Carino’s Italian restaurants. During his tenure at Fired Up, the company was recognized by Nation’s Restaurant News and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation as the 2008 SPIRIT Award winner in the category of Full Service, honoring organizations with exemplary recruiting, training, and retention programs.
Prior to joining Fired Up, Inc., Morris served as Vice President of Human Resources – Emerging Concepts at Brinker International, Inc. His extensive career has also included senior human resources and operations positions at Pasta Pomodoro, Inc., World Wrapps, Inc., Einstein/Noah Bagel Corp. and Wyatt’s https://tdn2k.com/snapshot/2018-02/ Cafeterias, Inc. During his tenure at Pasta Pomodoro, Inc. the Company was recognized by The People Report™ as a Catalyst Award recipient based on the success of its people initiatives.
Morris is a founding and current member of the Board of Directors for the National Diversity Council, former Board member for TDn2K (formerly The People Report), past President of CHART (the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers), and past Chairperson of the Certification Governing Board for the Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association, responsible for the oversight of all certifications programs offered by the NRA.
A frequent speaker, Morris has presented at several CHART conferences, the Multi-Cultural Foodservice Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) conference, the California, Ohio, and Texas State Diversity conferences, the National Restaurant Show, and The People Report’s™ Best Practices and Summer Brand Camp conferences.
In both 2008 and 2014, Morris was recognized by the Texas Diversity Council with a DiversityFIRST™ Award for his support of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Rodney is also a recipient of the 2003 Elliot “Motivator of the Year” Award, CHART’s Year 2000 “Commitment to CHART” award, and was a 1999 recipient of an “Honorary Doctorate of Foodservice” Award by the North America Foodservice Equipment Manufacturer’s Association.
Morris is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration, where he was selected as the University’s Outstanding Male Graduate his Senior year.
Kathleen Navarro is Head of Talent Management & Chief Diversity Officer at New York Life, leading the company’s integrated talent management and diversity and inclusion strategies. Ms. Navarro heads up the company’s Executive Talent & Diversity Council and works closely with New York Life’s business areas to align talent and diversity initiatives with business goals.
Ms. Navarro joined New York Life in 1994 and has held a variety of finance, strategy, and operations roles spanning Insurance and Agency, Investments, and Corporate Departments. Prior to becoming Chief Diversity Officer, Ms. Navarro co-led New York Life’s employee resource group for women.
Ms. Navarro holds an MBA in Accountancy from Baruch College Zicklin School of Business, a B.S. in Statistics and Management from New York University Stern School of Business, and a certification in Building & Leading Diverse Organizations from the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, Financial Women’s Association, 30% Club Steering Committee, and Gartner Talent and D&I Councils. She has been recognized as a Top 10 Champion of Global Diversity by DiversityGlobal, a Top Executive in Corporate Diversity by Black Enterprise, a Top 50 Chief Diversity Officer by the National Diversity Council, and included on the Most Powerful & Influential Women list by the National Diversity Council.
Erin Mitchell Richeson is an award-winning global diversity and inclusion strategist, corporate social responsibility leader and influencer whose work focuses on designing and implementing solutions that drive business results, improve the employee experience and strengthen corporate-community partnerships.
Richeson currently serves as the vice president of inclusion and diversity (I&D) for Cox Enterprises. In this role, Richeson leads the implementation of the company’s inclusion, diversity and equity (ID&E) strategy. She consults on and supports Cox’s efforts around diversity recruitment, employee engagement, diversity learning, talent development and supplier diversity across our divisions.
Prior to joining Cox, Richeson was vice president of global inclusion & diversity at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation. There she led the inclusion and diversity organization and supported every business unit, as well as all corporate functions and 40,000+ employees. She designed and managed the execution of sustainable I&D workforce plans globally and in key markets. Her work in this area helped improve business results through inclusion-based strategies that increased workforce diversity. Richeson partnered with the company's consumer brands to institute brand responsibility principles, I&D marketing and design thinking workshops, and brand activations to further the company's commitment to combating social injustice. She also partnered with the Board of Directors and Global Executive Leadership team to ensure all I&D initiatives aligned with business growth strategies.
Richeson has also served as the director of organizational equity and inclusion for the Emory University School of Medicine. There she led ID&E strategies for the School of Medicine and physician workforce within the Emory Healthcare system. Erin has also spearheaded D&I strategic development and programs at the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Erin began her career as an attorney in Washington, D.C. at a boutique law firm where she specialized in civil litigation. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Spelman College and earned a J.D. from University of Georgia, during which time she studied at Oxford University and Georgetown Law.
Erin has twice been awarded the Business Champion of Diversity Excellence by the Technology Association of Georgia and in 2016 was recognized as a Making a Difference Honoree by H.O.P.E., Inc., a local nonprofit. She currently serves as a strategic advisor for CS Georgia and is a LEAD Atlanta alum. Erin lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two sons.
Paul Sexton has expertise leading the global HR function in high-growth, mature, public and private companies. A versatile HR executive with 20 years’ experience living and working in several countries, he has helped organizations unlock the potential of their Talent, assembled high-performing teams, and curated workplaces where employees thrived in a culture of belonging and connection.
As CHRO of Imperva, Sexton creates and drives the strategy for talent management, benefits, learning and development, and HR compliance strategies that support the growth of the business. His team leads efforts to cultivate an equitable and inclusive experience across the employee lifecycle, champions new ways to advance the People experience, rethinks classic approaches to HR, and innovates at every turn. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, he partners closely with the CEO and senior leaders to drive rapid, sustained growth across multiple geographies, and designs HR programs that meet the organization at every stage of its maturity and growth. In 2020, he led the creation of the company’s DE&I Council.
Prior, he served as CHRO for EFI, a leader in global digital printing technology. When the company transitioned from a public to a private company, Sexton and his global HR team worked closely with the new CEO and Executive team to execute change management programs needed to support the new direction and strategy.
Between 2013 and 2018, Paul worked at NXP Semiconductors during which time they grew from $4.82B in annual revenue to $9.26B in 2017. During this time, Paul led HR initiatives to acquire and integrate Freescale and divest two divisions that are now stand-alone companies. Prior to leaving, Paul served as Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Global Sales & Marketing and Regional HR Executive for Asia Pacific.
From 2007 to 2013, Paul led HR teams across the Asia Pacific region during a time of significant growth for EMC. With annual revenue of $13.23B in 2007, the company grow rapidly through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions, delivering annual revenue of $23.2B in 2013.
Before joining EMC, Paul worked at VERITAS software in EMEA, Australia and Singapore and was a key member of the integration team after Symantec acquired them.
Paul holds a Bachelor of Business degree, majoring in Human Resource Management from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia.
Juan Suarez is Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Southwest Airlines Co. In its 50th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by nearly 56,000 Employees to a Customer base that topped 130 million Passengers in 2019. In his current position, Juan serves as the Company’s executive-level champion for organizational goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally and externally. Juan is responsible for creating and driving the development of diversity initiatives that align with Southwest’s business objectives and advises on policies and practices involving diversity, equity, and inclusion. Juan partners closely with peers throughout the organization on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as it applies to, among other things, supplier diversity, diversity hiring, and recruiting, and training. He serves as the executive sponsor for the Diversity Council and is an active member of Southwest’s Social Topics Committee. Juan has established himself as a trusted advisor with a keen insight for Corporate response on important issues that arise, and ensuring Southwest is strategically thoughtful, prepared, intentional, timely, and consistent with engagement on these topics.
Since joining Southwest in 2000, Juan has served in various roles. Prior to being named Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Juan served as Managing Director, Deputy General Counsel. Juan received his Juris Doctorate in 1993 from Cornell University Law School with a concentration in Trial Advocacy and his Bachelors of Arts in Public Administration in 1990 from the University of Oklahoma.
Juan began his career as a Dallas County Assistant District Attorney in Dallas, Texas in 1993. He then joined the government relations team of Trinity Industries, Inc., a Dallas-based heavy steel manufacturing company, where he focused on employment-related legislative initiatives. Prior to working for Southwest Airlines, Juan was in private practice with a national law firm representing employers in employment litigation and other employment-related matters.
In addition to his dedication to Southwest Airlines, Juan currently serves as Chair of the Board for Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, is a member of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce serving on its Diversity in Leadership Sub-Council, and is on the Board of the Dallas Hispanic Law Foundation. Juan previously served as an Education Advocate for Dallas County Foster Youth, as a Trustee for The Hockaday School, the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of Tejas Council for North Texas, and the Clayton Dabney Foundation for Kids with Cancer. Juan is a graduate of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Dallas Class of 2014.
James E. Taylor is both chief diversity and inclusion officer and chief talent management officer at UPMC, one of the nation’s largest and most successful integrated health care delivery and finance systems. In his capacity as chief diversity and inclusion officer, Dr. Taylor is responsible for the development and implementation of leading-edge diversity initiatives that differentiate UPMC. To this end, he executes next-generation inclusion strategies that advance the diversity management capability of UPMC, and its national presence as a health care provider and insurer. As chief talent management officer, Dr. Taylor provides oversight to the design and execution of an integrated roadmap that provides UPMC with highly effective and technologically advanced employee learning and innovation, organizational development, succession planning, and consultative services aligned to the institution’s long-term priorities.
Prior to joining UPMC, Dr. Taylor served as chief learning and diversity officer at Carolinas HealthCare System. In this role, he was charged with driving the transformational culture of the organization through the development of products and services that improved its competitive position in the marketplace. Dr. Taylor has also served as executive director, diversity strategy execution and workplace inclusion at Kaiser Permanente, one of the nation's largest not-for-profit health plans.
Dr. Taylor earned both a doctorate and master’s degree in organizational psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, and completed his undergraduate studies at Ithaca College in New York, where he now serves on the board of trustees. He received an executive leadership certificate from the Harvard Business School. Dr. Taylor has been awarded for his work both within and outside the health care industry, as he is actively engaged in many philanthropic and community-based endeavors, holding multiple board appointments and supporting numerous charitable activities.
Michelle Thompson‐Dolberry is an Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer at MFS Investment Management® (MFS®). She is responsible for building out and enhancing the firm’s enterprise‐wide DEI strategy. She is member of the MFS Management Committee.
Michelle joined MFS in 2022 from American Express, where she was Head of Strategic Inclusion and Diversity Partnerships, Culture Initiatives and Diversity Recruiting. She was previously the head of J.P. Morgan Chase & Company’s campus recruiting and pipeline development and the JPMC
Advancing Black Scholars program for three years. She also spent nearly 10 years working in brand and multicultural marketing supporting small and medium‐sized businesses at American Express. Before that, she spent time at Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse in DEI‐ and human resources‐related roles. She began her career in financial services in 1996 with Société Générale.
Michelle earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in French from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA in Business Administration and Management from Pennsylvania State University. She is currently enrolled in Wharton’s CHRO Executive Education Program and is a DiversityFIRST™ certified professional.
Shibu Varghese
Senior Vice President, People, Culture and Infrastructure
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Mr. Hugh C. Welsh is the President & General Counsel of DSM North America a global leader in Life Sciences & Material Sciences. Traded on the Amsterdam stock exchange with 21,000 employees world wide and $12 billion in annual sales, DSM develops, manufactures and sells nutritional and food ingredients, biomedical materials, specialty plastics and resins, fibers and renewable energy. Mr. Welsh currently serves on several DSM global and regional management teams and has direct responsibilities in DSM’s nutrition and food specialties operations as well as responsibility for legal, government affairs, corporate communications, other shared services, corporate partnerships and DSM’s sustainability, inclusion and diversity initiatives in the region North America. Hugh currently serves on the Board of Directors of, Partners in Food Solutions, Chairman of the Board of the US Chamber of Commerce Citizens Center, Chairman of the Board of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, Tri-State Diversity Council, Board of Governors of Union County College, and BIO. He previously served on the board of Patheon and the American Chemistry Council. Prior to joining DSM Hugh served as Assistant General Counsel at American Standard Companies.
Donnell White
Senior Vice President | Regional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director
Huntington National Bank
Donnell R. White joined TCF National Bank in June of 2018 as Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Strategic Partnerships. In his position, Mr. White is responsible for establishing and leading strategies to attract, engage and develop diverse talent across the organization, as well as focusing on developing relationships with community groups, and business organizations in the city of Detroit.
Prior to joining TCF National Bank, Mr. White served as executive director of the Detroit Branch National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he helped lead the organization’s largest local Branch – Also one of its oldest and most storied Branches. While there, he was responsible for the strategic, financial and operational oversight of the organization and also served as the spokesperson and community liaison for the organization.
Mr. White is a founding member of New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice Law Enforcement Signatory Group, Co-Chair of ClearCorps Detroit, Member of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation, Federal Bureau of Investigations Multicultural Advisory Committee, Wayne State University President’s Community Advisory Group, Crime Stoppers of Michigan Board member and Trustee of Michigan Children’s Foundation.
