BEYOND THE RHETORIC Conference
Background & Participants
From The Branch, November, 2008
AAUW hosted a conference, “Beyond the Rhetoric,” on October 3, 2008 which drew an overflow crowd of over 220 participants. Geeta Desai, conference chair, provided the guidance and many, many hours of calls, writing, and solicitation of funds that made this conference possible. The amazing roundtables were developed by Geeta, Wendy Maragh Taylor, Sherre Wesley and Gwen Higgins. Sherre was also responsible for the evaluation and follow-up. Lea Bishop and Geeta gave us all the publicity that you saw in the Poughkeepsie Journal and others sources. Margaret Nijhuis and Cathy Kinn took care of invitations and registration. Mary Coiteux designed our great logo. The website was done by Geeta, Margaret and Mary King. Each of these people had a committee of AAUW members who assisted in so many ways. The chairs above would like to thank the well over 40 AAUW members that were responsible for the success of the conference. We are also indebted to the Dyson Foundation, through Geeta’s efforts, and AAUW, through the Equity for Life Committee’s efforts, for necessary funds.
The conference was based on the premise that the presence of ethnic and racial diversity enhances all communities. Multiculturalism challenges people to create new, culturally versatile attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors. And in doing so, supports the development of a more vibrant, productive, successful and sustainable community.
Our goals were:
•
Understand how ethnic and racial diversity is shaping the future of
• Examine five key topics, Education, Healthcare, Business, Media and Cultural Competency through the prism of multiculturalism
• Consider the changes that individuals, businesses, government and other organizations will have to make in order to succeed in a multicultural community
• Become inspired to change their perspectives to create a vibrant and productive multicultural community
The keynote speakers was David Tulin, a Principal of Global Lead Management, an international consulting firm that, since 1982, has provided full service diversity and inclusion training, executive consulting and leadership development products throughout the U.S. and the rest of the globe. Our luncheon speaker was Galen Kirkland, an attorney with extensive experience in state government and civil rights issues, who has served in a variety of legal and policy positions. Mr. Kirkland is the Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights, the State Agency responsible for enforcing the State’s anti-discrimination law.
We had five roundtables, each with goals to accomplish and outstanding facilitators and panelist. The facilitators and panelists were all volunteers so please express your appreciation to those you know.
Business Development:
Facilitators:
Joanne Gavin, Chairwoman, Department of Business
Management,
Della Sue, Assistant Professor of Economics,
Panelists:
Sarah Angel, Program Director of IBM Systems Global Products Introduction, IBM
Anne Conroy, President and CEO,
Enrique Robert Lunski, President, Gateway to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows, Inc.
Allison Micheals,
Human Resources Administrator, Employment and EEO,
Cultural Competency
Facilitators:
Cathy Collins, Women's Institute Manager at the Omega Institute
Jacqueline Goffe-McNish,
Professor,
Education:
Facilitators:
Joakim Lartey, Coordinator,
Tom Sipos,
First Vice Chair, Business Advisory Council,
Panelists:
Lisa Collins, Associate Professor of Art History,
Co-chair, Committee on Inclusion and Excellence,
Iris Ruiz Grech, Director,
Multicultural Affairs/HEOP,
Katharine Hite, Associate Professor of Political Science, Director of Latin American and Latino/a Studies, Co-chair, Committee on Inclusion and Excellence, Vassar College
Frank Pepe, Superintendent,
Frank Perez, Guidance Counselor,
Health and Human Services:
Facilitators:
Peter Leonard, Director of Field Work,
May Mamiya, Director of
Case Management,
Panelists:
Sabrina Jaar- Marzouka, Director of Public Health Information Division, Dutchess County Department of Health
Solange Muller,
Associate Vice President for Eastern Dutchess,
Theresa Giovaniello, Deputy Commissioner, Dutchess County Department of Social Services
Dr. Suresh Chandani, Medical Doctor, Fishkill Medical Associates
Media Roundtable:
Facilitators:
Tim Massie, Chief Public Affairs Officer at
Kathleen Durham, Executive Director at The Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill (ERVK), attorney, motivational speaker, columnist with Poughkeepsie Journal
Panelists:
Mariel Fiori, Co-founder and Managing Editor of La Voz
Maria Marewski, Founding Director and Executive Producer, Children’s Media Project
Camilo Rojas, Chair
Communications and Media Arts Program,
Barry Rothfeld, President
and Publisher of the
The Evaluation Committee, headed by Sherre
Wesley, is reviewing the evaluations completed by participants, panelists and
facilitators and based on this we are going to determine next steps. A
meeting is set for October 20, at