Diversity Speakers
About Agenda Program Speakers Sponsors Register Hotel
2022 Speakers
KEYNOTE
- Dr. Tammy Lewis Wilborn - Owner and Chief Clinical Officer of Wilborn Clinical Services, LLC, President and CEO of Dr. Tammy Lewis Wilborn, LLC
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
- Michelle Craig - Managing Partner at Transcendent Legal, LLC
- Dima Ghawi - Leadership Consultant & Executive Coach
- Victoria Person - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Consultant for OutSolve
- Kelly Lockwood Primus - Chief Executive Officer at Leading NOW
PANELIST
- Nia K. Davis - Chief Executive Officer at Purposeful Solutions
- Dr. Timothy Fair - Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans
- Melissa M. Love, M.A., PHR - Vice President, Professional Staff Services and the Office of Professional Well-Being at Ochsner Health
PANEL MODERATOR
- Carla Major - Chief Human Resources Officer at Delgado Community College
MASTER of CEREMONIES
- Kyndra Joi - Radio Personality and Program Director of Power 504 Radio/PowerVision TV Online, Executive Director at I am My Sister
Thursday Night Immersive Networking Program
KEYNOTE
Dr. Tammy Lewis Wilborn - Owner and Chief Clinical Officer of Wilborn Clinical Services, LLC, President and CEO of Dr. Tammy Lewis Wilborn, LLC
Session: Keynote Address - Centering Wellness In The Margins: Challenges and Opportunities
Through her transformative messages, mental health and wellness expert, author, keynote speaker and New Orleans native, Dr. Tammy Lewis Wilborn teaches, inspires, and ignites audiences to live, love, and lead.
Dr. Wilborn is a board-certified licensed professional counselor-supervisor with 20+ years of clinical experience. She is the Owner and Chief Clinical Officer of Wilborn Clinical Services, LLC, President and CEO of Dr. Tammy Lewis Wilborn, LLC and founder of the annual Black Women’s Wellness Conference of New Orleans. She is also the author of the upcoming book Playing a New Game: A Black Women's Guide to Being Well and Thriving In the Workplace (GCP Balance| Hachette Book Group) due out October 2022.
As an in-demand speaker and wellness expert, Dr. Wilborn has shared the stage with mental health advocate and actress Taraji P. Henson and inspired thousands at events for the American Business Women’s Association, ESSENCE Festival, HuffPost, LinkedIn, Loyola University of New Orleans, New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, Tulane University, the University of New Orleans, the United States Minority Business Development Agency, the Women’s Leadership Summit and many others.
Dr. Wilborn is a past president of the Louisiana Association for Counselor Education and Supervision and currently serves as a board member for Fidelity Bank P.O.W.E.R. and the New Orleans chapter of the National Speaker’s Association. She holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a M.S. in Counseling and a B.A. in Psychology from Loyola University of New Orleans and is a 2021 graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans’ Women’s Leadership Academy. She lives in New Orleans with her husband and two sons.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Michelle Craig - Managing Partner at Transcendent Legal, LLC
Session: Mental Health in the Workplace: When Toxic Behavior Causes Mental and Legal Problems
Michelle D. Craig is Managing Partner of Transcendent Law Group. With over 19 years of legal experience, she worked with two of the largest law firms in the region and became the first African-American female Partner in the New Orleans Office of one of those Am200 law firms before starting her own firm. She holds dual degrees, including a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) and a Bachelor of the Civil Law (B.C.L.), from the Louisiana State University (LSU) Law Center. She also studied International and Comparative Law at the Université d'Aix Marseille III in Aix en Provence, France.
In her practice she facilitates effective negotiations, mediations, and resolutions of legal matters for small to large companies in the areas of litigation, labor and employment and economic development. She also regularly provides legal counsel to existing and newly formed charter schools. In her work as Outside General Counsel, she provides labor and employment advice, proactive management, human resources guidance, day-to-day counseling, strategic business advice and guidance related to human capital and culture. She also defends them when litigation arises. To assist small and medium-sized firms in their process improvement, she created QuantumCase, a legal project management software. In her work with charter schools, she assists them with their employment and legal needs from inception through operation, including drafting employment documents, vendor agreements, student handbooks, parent teacher handbooks and authorization documents.
She is very active in the community and very passionate about the economic sustainability and development of the New Orleans area. She formerly served as both the Chairperson of the Orleans Parish Civil Service Commission and the Chairperson of the New Orleans Downtown Development District. As a business owner and community leader, she continues to work for the improvement of the New Orleans Community.
Form more information about Michelle or Transcendent Law Group visit www.tlg.law.
Dima Ghawi - Leadership Consultant & Executive Coach
Session: How to Overcome Resistance to DEI
Dima is Middle-Eastern in her genes, American in her heart, and a global citizen in her spirit. She ignites the untapped potential in individuals across the globe, empowering them to shatter limitations and become courageous, purpose driven leaders. Her own journey is one of escaping confinement, crossing continents, and transforming her life’s purpose. Harnessing the power of her story, Dima is committed to inspiring individuals to attain personal and professional growth.
Through keynote speeches, workshops, and executive coaching, Dima shares her unique leadership transformation journey with one goal in mind: motivate and activate those around her to reimagine their potential and grow into leaders.
Dima draws from two decades of corporate experience leading global teams and developing future leaders worldwide. She has worked across the United States, Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa for several Fortune 100 companies including IBM, Merrill Lynch, and Intuit. She has honed a keen expertise in developing leaders to meet the demands of the global workforce.
Dima’s memoir Breaking Vases received many awards including Writer’s Digest 2018 Grand Prize Award, Best Indie Book Award, Readers’ Favorite Award, National Indie Excellence Award, and Nautilus Book Award.
She has been recognized for her services with the 2014 President of the United States Bronze Volunteer Service Award, the 2019 Baton Rouge Business Report “Influential Women in Business,” 2014 Baton Rouge Business Report’s “Forty Under 40” Award, and the 2016 Louisiana State University “Esprit de Femme Award.” She has been featured in numerous publications for her professional and philanthropic work. For more information, visit DimaGhawi.com and BreakingVases.com.
Victoria Person - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Consultant for OutSolve
Session: Psychological Safety: The Holy Grail of DEI, Teamwork, and Success
Victoria Person is OutSolve's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Consultant. She has worked in DEI for more than ten years – first with the Sempra Energy family of companies in Southern California and now serving clients nationwide. Victoria has obtained D&I certification from the Cornell University Industrial Labor Relations School in New York and training certification from the Association for Talent Development. Victoria's passion for creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces is evident to all who work with her.
Kelly Lockwood Primus - Chief Executive Officer at Leading NOW
Session: Cultural Dynamics in the Workplace™: 5 Key Factors for DEI Success
Kelly Lockwood Primus, was appointed Chief Executive Officer in December of 2020 after successfully transitioning the merger of Leading Women into Leading NOW’s stable of brands. Prior to this appointment, Kelly was CEO & President for Leading Women and was with the organization since 2013.
Prior to joining Leading Women, Kelly was a member of the executive team for WFF, a national non-profit women’s leadership organization. As Vice President for Marketing & Communications, Kelly was instrumental in returning the organization to prominence in the foodservice industry as the authority for women’s leadership development, and drove participation in the organization’s live and virtual events to “sell-out” status. Before her time working within women’s leadership development organizations, Kelly was a member of the executive team at Primo Water, a publicly held CPG company, in the role of Vice President, Marketing & Communications. Recruited pre-IPO, Kelly was challenged with articulating the brand promise, creating the brand communication strategy and instituting integrated marketing campaigns to drive retailer and consumer brand preference. Within less than a year, the organization went public, had acquired multiple new retail partners including Walmart, and the company’s products were featured in leading trade publications as a product category to watch.
While a resident in North Carolina, Kelly was a mentor to students at the Wake Forest University Graduate Women in Business Program, a panelist at their Women in Leadership Conference and a judge at the Wake Forest University Schools of Business Annual Marketing Summit MBA Case Competition. Before joining Primo, Kelly was charged with developing The Goodwin Group’s global business and marketing strategy to expand the integrated marketing agency’s revenue opportunities within the pharmaceutical and medical association industries when she took on the role of Vice President, Strategy and Business Development. Utilizing research to identify a unique market opportunity, Kelly reconstructed the organization’s service offerings resulting in new customer acquisitions and a revenue increase of 100%. From 2000 to 2006 Kelly held marketing & communication roles of increasing responsibility at the $700M privately-held consumer products company, The Holmes Group, Inc. (acquired by Jarden Corporation) culminating in the role of Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Lighting Division Business Unit.
A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Kelly also participated in Executive Leadership Programs at Boston College and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kellylockwood
PANELIST
Nia K. Davis - Chief Executive Officer at Purposeful Solutions
Session: All-Star Panel Discussion: Perspectives on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Business
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Nia received her Bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University and Master's degree in education from the University of New Orleans. Nia has contributed to adult education, non-profit leadership, and entrepreneurship as both a researcher, instructor, and administrator. She has served nine colleges and universities in various leadership, teaching, and research capacities. In addition to her work in academia, Nia serves as an organizational development and growth strategy consultant and leadership coach. As a third-generation social change agent, Nia brings her equity and justice persona to her professional and service activities. She is an unapologetic advocate for closing the racial equity gap for BIPOC communities. Currently, she is completing a Ph.D. in Executive Leadership at the University of Holy Cross.
Dr. Timothy Fair - Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans
Session: All-Star Panel Discussion: Perspectives on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Business
Dr. Timothy Fair serves as the inaugural vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans. In this role, he is responsible for defining and strategically aligning institutional diversity efforts and developing cultural competence skills in students, faculty and staff.
He is a scholar with a broad understanding of the challenges that currently face higher education institutions, with particular expertise in the area of academic success and persistence strategies for students of color. In his former role as chief of staff and special assistant to the vice president and chief diversity officer at Auburn University., he worked in tandem with the vice president and associate provost to provide a high touch experience around matters of inclusive excellence for faculty, staff and students. Prior to his arrival at Auburn, he served as an assistant dean of students at Cornell University. While in this role, he was responsible for leading the work of the Multicultural Greek community and contributing to strategy that helped to advance the institution’s equity, inclusion and diversity goals.
While employed at Mississippi State University, Dr. Fair served as a residence hall director and
the assistant director of diversity within the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center. In this role, he
provided strategic thought leadership to institutional efforts related to multicultural learning,
understanding, communication and the continued improvement of a welcoming institutional
climate.
With a deep commitment to education, Dr. Fair remains active in the classroom and continues
to teach courses focused on civil discourse and diversity. Additionally, he serves as a DEI facilitator and curriculum designer for eCornell, Cornell University’s online certificate granting program.
A native of Wisconsin, he holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of
Wisconsin - Stevens Point and a master’s and Ph.D. from Mississippi State University, both in
public policy & administration.
Melissa M. Love, M.A., PHR - Vice President, Professional Staff Services and the Office of Professional Well-Being at Ochsner Health
Session: All-Star Panel Discussion: Perspectives on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Business
Melissa currently serves as the Vice President for Professional Staff Services and the Office of Professional Well-Being at Ochsner Health. Melissa leads a team focused on Physician and Advanced Practice Provider recruitment, on-boarding and well-being across the organization. Her role partners with physician and division leaders to develop and implement strategies that positively impact business goals, drives performance outcomes and ensures effective initiatives focused on recognition, training, benefits and compensation that drive engagement and retention of our employed physicians and providers. In addition, Melissa partners with Ochsner’s Chief Wellness Officer to oversee the Office of Professional Well-being.
Melissa has 20 years of Human Resources experience, her HR Business partner experience includes Employee Relations, Leader Coaching, Policy and Compliance, Strategic Planning, Succession Planning, Talent Acquisition and Compliance. Prior to that she was the Manager of Talent Acquisition for Ochsner Health System where key accomplishments included centralizing Nurse Recruitment and HR acquisition work involving several healthcare facilities across the system.
Melissa holds a Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fitness and Wellness Management from Louisiana Tech University.
PANEL MODERATOR
Carla Major - Chief Human Resources Officer at Delgado Community College
Session: All-Star Panel Discussion: Perspectives on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Business
Carla Major is a presently the Chief Human Resources Officer for Delgado Community College. She has worked in Human Resources for 25+ years in various industries from casinos to nonprofits, from education to health care and from New Orleans to Chicago. She has been responsible for as few as twenty (20) employees to as many as twenty-four hundred (2400). Carla has also worked as an expert witness in cases regarding HR matters. Carla’s HR career has encompassed the entire scope of HR; she has been responsible for talent acquisitions, training, career development, employee relations, benefits, retirement, employee engagement, DEI and strategic planning.
Carla has a passion for bringing the realistic world of the workplace into the classroom when serving as an adjunct faculty member for Tulane University. She has presented at national conferences on a number of different Human Resource topics. As a Professional PHR in Human Resources, she served as the faculty advisor for the student chapter of SHRM. She has taught numerous seminars and workshops for a varied audience of students as well as executives.
Carla is a native New Orleanian proven by her passion for the Saints, Mardi Gras and always cooking a New Orleans favorite for her family and friends. She is married and has a daughter and son and two Grandkids, Kyle and Chloe (that rule the world). Carla enjoys volunteering and always making a difference in our community.
Master of Ceremonies
Kyndra Joi - Radio Personality and Program Director of Power 504 Radio/PowerVision TV Online, Executive Director at I am My Sister
Kendra “Kyndra Joi” Parson has become one of the most sought after Emcee’s that have hit the scene. Charleston Raised and New Orleans grown, Kyndra is a radio personality and Program Director of Power 504 Radio/PowerVision TV Online, serves the executive director of the non-profit, I Am My Sister, Creative and Director of Gracefully Mindful Wellness Institute, LLC; is a Licensed Master Social Worker, Certified Meditation and Mindfulness Teacher, Certified Herbalist, Recording Artist, Emcee and newly Published Children’s Author. Kyndra has earned a Master of Social Work degree from Illinois State University and has over 17 years of experience in the community servicing children and families as well as entertaining the masses.
Born and Raised in Charleston, SC, Kyndra is affectionately known as “Gullah Girl” in the community and actively educates and creates awareness of the Gullah culture through her new Gullah children book series and interactive workshops of language, dance and song.
Kyndra now blends culture, mindfulness/meditation and the creative process to assist individuals, families and groups to have a fuller experience in living!
Click here to learn more about Kyndra.
Thursday Night Immersive Networking Program
