2023 Equity in the 413 Summit

Summit Photos

Gratitude to our 2023 Summit facilitators!

Thank you to our dedicated facilitators for being part of this transformative journey. Your guidance through thought-provoking discussions made this inaugural summit an extraordinary experience and a success.

We’re not done yet! Stay tuned for future opportunities.

2023 Summit Agenda

Click on each agenda item for detailed information.

8:00 AM | Registration and Breakfast

Registration
Networking Breakfast

9:00 AM | Welcome and Opening Sessions

Welcome
Briana Wales-Thaxton, Vice President for People and Culture, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts

Opening Session
Behavioral Health Network
Steve Winn, President and CEO
P. Natasha Mitchell, M.Ed., MFT, LMHC – Social Justice Community Engagement
Moderated by Jessica Collins, Executive Director, Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts

10:00 AM | Developing a Capacity Building and Racial Equity Model for Western Mass

Developing a Capacity Building and Racial Equity Model for Western Mass

Dayna Campbell, Assistant Professor at American International College in the School of Health Sciences, Public Health and Executive Leader for Women of Color Health Equity Collective
Wanda Givens, Member, Women of Color Health Equity Collective
Jessica Collins, Executive Director, Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts
Angelina Ramirez, CEO, Stavros
Jaymie R. Zapata, Senior Planner- Public Health, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission

10:30 AM | Concurrent Workshop/Presentation Sessions I

Root Causes: Community Level Connections: Engaging Rural Communities in Discussions Around
Racial Equity: From Cultural Humility to Accountability
Mahagony Room
Debbie DiStefano, Ph.D., Chief People and Equity Officer Hilltown Community Health Centers, Inc.
Jenise Katalina, MSW, LICSW, Executive Leader and Vice President of the Board for the Women of Color Health Equity Collective
Joan Griswold, Rural Heath Project Manager, Hilltown CDC
Talk the Talk: Engaging in Effective Conversations Around Identity
Highland Room
National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ)
Nyaunu Stevens, Director of Programs
Sandra Vonniessen-Applebee, Director of Operations
Structural Inclusion: Baystate Health’s Approach to Advancing Equity and Reducing Bias in the Workplace
Worthy Room
Baystate Health
Jennifer Faulkner, MSHC, Vice President, Team Member Experience and Talent Management
Tyonne D. Hinson, DrPH, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Senior Vice President & Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
Kara Rose Wolf, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant
Courageous Leadership: Empowering Equitable Practices Within Organizations
Charles Room
Wilbert Weche, Willful Change, LLC
Raising Consciousness and Making Connections: A Model for Challenging Institutional Power
King Edward Room
Andre Lynch, Owner/Executive of AMPLE Consulting, LLC, serves as Director for DEI at BART Charter Public School
Kerri Leyda Nicoll, MSW, MDiv, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)
Michael Obasohan, M.Ed, Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), City of Pittsfield
Cultivating Inclusive Workplace Culture – Leading with Curiosity
King George Room
Lynn Turner, Owner, Core XP Solutions
Moving Away from Palatable Diversity
Stonehaven Room
Tanisha Arena, Arise for Social Justice
Linguistic Bias, 25 Common Phrases
Kilkenny Room
Traci Talbert Racial Justice Community Engagement Leader, Franklin County CDC
Fostering a Culture of Inclusion: Innovative Approaches to Racial Equity and Mental Well-Being
Waterford Room
Shawniel Chamanlal, LCSW, Healing Springs Wellness, LLC

11:30 AM | Concurrent Workshop/Presentation Sessions II

Starting Root Cause Discussions in Rural Communities – A Systems Approach
Mahagony Room
Debbie DiStefano, PhD, Chief People and Equity Officer, Hilltown Community Health Centers, Inc.
Becky Basch, MA, Senior Planner, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission
Alex Nelson, Network Coordinator, Outer Cape Community Solutions
Emily Beebe, Health and Conservation Agent, Town of Truro
Elen Camara, Latino Community Ambassador, Outer Cape Community Solutions
Talk the Talk: Engaging in Effective Conversations Around Identity
Highland Room
Nyaunu Stevens, Director of Programs, National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ)
Sandra Vonniessen-Applebee, Director of Operations, National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ)
Self-Fullness…Practices for Sustainability
Worthy Room
Dr. Latoya Bosworth, Got H.E.R.S.?
Bridging the Access Barrier: A Community Health Center-led Workforce Equity & Learning Model
Charles Room
Caring Health Center
Tania M. Barber, M.B.A., President and CEO
Dr. Yedalis Ruiz, Ph.D., M.Ed., Chief Access and Equity Officer and Executive Director of the Tania M. Barber Learning Institute
Johanna DeBari, Director of Workforce Equity and Training
Caring Enough to Make a Lasting Impact – A shift to empathetic leadership can create a lasting impact on your organization
King Edward Room
LaTonia Monroe Naylor, Monroe Naylor Consulting
Fostering Equity Through Data to Action
King George Room
Public Health of Western Massachusetts
Kathleen Szegda, PhD, MPH, MS, Sr. Director of Research and Evaluation
Victoria Hill, Data and Equity Manager
Undoing White Supremacy and Fostering Joy in the Workplace
Stonehaven Room
Ysabel Garcia, Estoy Aqui LLC
JAC Patrissi, Growing a New Heart
Tanisha Arena, Growing a New Heart
At the Kitchen Table
Kilkenny Room
Vonetta Lightfoot, Lower Pioneer Valley Education Collaborative
James H Lightfoot III
The part that people don’t like…Institutional Accountability
Waterford Room
Jenise Katalina, MSW, LICSW, Executive Leader and Vice President of the Board for the Women of Color Health Equity Collective

12:30 PM | Lunch

1:30 PM | Concurrent Workshop/Presentation Sessions III

Developing a Capacity Building and Racial Equity Model for Western Mass
Mahagony Room
Lisa Ranghelli, Director Capacity Building and Assessments, Public Health Institute of Western MA
Jenise Katalina, MSW, LICSW, Executive Leader and Vice President of the Board for the Women of Color Health Equity Collective
Wanda Givens, Member, Women of Color Health Equity Collective
Angelina Ramirez, CEO, Stavros
Talk the Talk: Engaging in Effective Conversations Around Identity
Highland Room
National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ)
Nyaunu Stevens, Director of Programs
Sandra Vonniessen-Applebee, Director of Operations
Self-Fullness…Practices for Sustainability
Worthy Room
Dr. Layota Bosworth, Got H.E.R.S.?
Courageous Leadership: Empowering Equitable Practices Within Organizations
Charles Room
Wilbert Weche, Willful Change, LLC
Raising Consciousness and Making Connections: A Model for Challenging Institutional Power
King Edward Room
Andre Lynch, Owner/Executive of AMPLE Consulting, LLC, serves as Director for DEI at BART Charter Public School
Kerri Leyda Nicoll, MSW, MDiv, PhD, Associate Professor of Social Work at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)
Michael Obasohan, M.Ed, Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), City of Pittsfield
Fostering a Culture of Inclusion: Innovative Approaches to Racial Equity and Mental Well-Being
King George Room
Shawniel Chamanlal, LCSW, Healing Springs Wellness, LLC
Moving Away from Palatable Diversity
Stonehaven Room
Tanisha Arena, Arise for Social Justice
Sound Meditation: Sound Healing and Inner Cleansing
Kilkenny Room
Maria Del Carmen, Sound Healer, SoulCare Love, LLC

2:30 PM | Concurrent Workshop/Presentation Sessions IV

Developing a Capacity Building and Racial Equity Model for Western Mass
Mahagony Room
Lisa Ranghelli, Director Capacity Building and Assessments, Public Health Institute of Western MA
Jenise Katalina, MSW, LICSW, Executive Leader and Vice President of the Board for the Women of Color Health Equity Collective
Wanda Givens, Member, Women of Color Health Equity Collective
Angelina Ramirez, CEO, Stavros
Talk the Talk: Engaging in Effective Conversations Around Identity
Highland Room
National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ)
Nyaunu Stevens, Director of Programs
Sandra Vonniessen-Applebee, Director of Operations
Operationalizing Social Justice Within Organizations: Moving Beyond Just Diversity & Inclusion – A Panel Discussion
Worthy Room
Behavioral Health Network
Dr. Audrey Murph-Brown, Ed D, Professional Development Director
Pallavi Bandalli, Business Analyst
Sarah Mixter, Program Director
Natasha Mitchell, LICSW, Social Justice Coordinator
Marco Hernandez Rodriguez, Corporate Investigator
Jane Simonds, Senior Program Manager
Lauren Favorite, Social Justice Director
Designing for Equity: From Startup to Growth-For Us, By Us, With Us
Charles Room
Teach Western Mass
Pema Latshang, Founding Executive Director
Melissa Grandison, Director of Residency
Caring Enough to Make a Lasting Impact – A shift to empathetic leadership can create a lasting impact on your organization
King Edward Room
LaTonia Monroe Naylor, Monroe Naylor Consulting
How to get Started, A Roadmap for DEIB
King George Room
Health New England
Vivian Williams, MHA, LSW, Manager, Care Management
Katie Bruno, MPH, Public Health and Wellness Program Manager
Moving Away from Palatable Diversity
Stonehaven Room
Tanisha Arena, Arise for Social Justice
Sound Meditation: Sound Healing and Inner Cleansing
Kilkenny Room
Maria Del Carmen, Sound Healer, SoulCare Love, LLC
Building Equitable Philanthropic Practices
Waterford Room
Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts
Nigel Greaves, Director of Development
Jeffery Markham, Jr., Program Officer for Community Impact and Partnerships
Shannon Gurek, Vice President for Finance and Operations
Briana Wales-Thaxton, Vice President for People and Culture

3:30 PM | Closing Remarks

Taking Action in our Spheres of Influence

Briana Wales-Thaxton, Vice President for People and Culture, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts

Concluding Remarks

Paul Murphy, Trustee Chair, Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts

4:00 PM | Networking and Cocktails

Networking and Cocktails

Cash bar and treats
Social Justice Jeopardy with National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ)

5:00 PM | Adjourn and Move to Symphony Hall

Public Forum Event at Symphony Hall
Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America
Heather Cox Richardson
Historian, Author, and Podcast Cohost of Now & Then
This event is free to all with no tickets required. Doors will open at 5pm.

Additional parking information: There is on-street metered parking, free parking at MGM Springfield two blocks away, or a parking garage right next to Springfield Symphony Hall under I-91 at 1620 E. Columbus Ave, Springfield. If you park in the garage under I-91, you can receive $2 parking. Simply pay for your parking in the lobby of Symphony Hall at the event. Cash only and exact change appreciated.

Heather Cox Richardson is Professor of History at Boston College. She has written about the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the American West in award-winning books whose subjects stretch from the European settlement of the North American continent to the history of the Republican Party through the Trump administration. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and The Guardian, among other outlets.

Questions? Please email Briana Wales-Thaxton, Vice President for People and Culture at the Community Foundation.

2023 Session Presenters

**Steven Winn**
President and CEO
Behavioral Health Network

**Courageous Leadership Session(s):**
Opening Remarks

**Jessica Collins**
Executive Director
Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts

**Courageous Leadership Session(s):**
Opening Remarks

Developing a Capacity Building and Racial Equity Model for Western Mass

**P. Natasha Mitchell, M.Ed., MFT, LMHC**
Social Justice Community Engagement
Behavioral Health Network

**Courageous Leadership Session(s):**
Opening Remarks

**Dayna Campbell**
Assistant Professor, American International College, School of Health Sciences, Public Health
Executive Leader, Women of Color Health Equity Collective

**External Systems Session(s):**
Developing a Capacity Building and Racial Equity Model for Western Mass

**Wanda Givens**
Member
Women of Color Health Equity Collective

**External Systems Session(s):**
Developing a Capacity Building and Racial Equity Model for Western Mass

**Angelina Ramirez**
CEO
Stavros

**External Systems Session(s):**
Developing a Capacity Building and Racial Equity Model for Western Mass

**Jenise Katalina**
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Vice
President of the Board of Directors and Executive Leader
Women of Color Health Equity Collective

**Workplace Culture Session(s)**:
Designing for Equity: From Startup to Growth-For Us, By Us, With Us

**Debbie DiStephano**, **PhD**
Chief People and Equity Officer
Hilltown Community Health Center

**Organizational Impact Session(s):**
Root Causes: Community Level Connections

Engaging Rural Communities in Discussions Around Racial Equity: From Cultural Humility to Accountability

**Wilbert Weche**
Speaker, Trainer, Empowering Coach
Willful Change, LLC

**Courageous Leadership Session(s):**
Courageous Leadership: Empowering Equitable Practices Within Organizations

Nyaunu Stevens
Director of Programs
National Conference for Community and Justice

Courageous Leadership Session(s):
Talk the Talk: Engaging in Effective Conversations Around Identity

Sandra Vonniessen-Applebee
Director of Operations
National Conference for Community and Justice

Courageous Leadership Session(s):
Talk the Talk: Engaging in Effective Conversations Around Identity

**Dr. Yedalis Ruíz, PhD, M.Ed.**
Chief Access and Equity Officer and Executive Director of the Tania M. Barber Learning Institute
Caring Health Center

**Organizational Impact Session(s):**
Bridging the Access Barrier: A Community Health Center-led Workforce Equity & Learning Model

Tania M. Barber, M.B.A.
President/CEO
Caring Health Center

Organizational Impact Session(s):
Bridging the Access Barrier: A Community Health Center-led Workforce Equity & Learning Model

**Johanna DeBari, M.A.**
Director of Workforce Equity and Training
Caring Health Center

**Organizational Impact Session(s):**
Bridging the Access Barrier: A Community Health Center-led Workforce Equity & Learning Model

**Catherine Ratte**
Director, Land Use and Environment
Pioneer Valley Planning Commission

**External Systems Session(s):**
Starting Root Cause Discussions in Rural Communities – A Systems Approach

**Alex Nelson**
Network Coordinator
Outer Cape Community Solutions

**External Systems Session(s):**
Starting Root Cause Discussions in Rural Communities – A Systems Approach

Michael Obasohan
Chief Diversity Officer
City of Pittsfield

Workplace Culture Session(s):
Raising Consciousness and Making Connections: A Model for Challenging Institutional Power

André Lynch
Owner and Executive of AMPLE Consulting, LLC and
Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
BART Charter Public School

Workplace Culture Session(s):
Raising Consciousness and Making Connections: A Model for Challenging Institutional Power

**Kerri Leyda Nicoll (she/her), MSW, MDiv, PhD**
Associate Professor of Social Work
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

**Workplace Culture Session(s):**
Raising Consciousness and Making Connections: A Model for Challenging Institutional Power

Tanisha Arena
Executive Director
Arise for Social Justice

Courageous Leadership Session(s):
Moving Past Palatable Diversity

Workplace Culture Session(s):
Undoing White Supremacy and Fostering Joy in the Workplace

**Lynn Whitney Turner**
Business Coach, Facilitator, and People Analyst
CORE XP Business Solutions

**Workplace Culture Session(s):**
Cultivating Inclusive Workplace Culture: Leading with Curiosity

**Lisa Ranghelli**
Director Capacity Building and Assessments
Public Health Institute of Western MA

**External Systems Session(s):**
Fostering Equity Through Data to Action

**Kathleen Szegda, PhD, MPH, MS**
Sr. Director of Research and Evaluation
Public Health Institute of Western MA

**External Systems Session(s):**
Fostering Equity Through Data to Action

**Victoria Hill, MPH**
Data and Equity Manager
Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts

**External Systems Session(s):**
Fostering Equity through Data to Action

**Traci Talbert**
Racial Justice Community Engagement Leader
Franklin County Community Development Corporation

**Workplace Culture Session(s)**:
Linguistic Bias, 25 Common Phrases

**Ysabel Garcia**
Founder, Upstream Suicide Prevention Educator
Estoy Aqui LLC

**Workplace Culture Session(s):**
Undoing White Supremacy and Fostering Joy in the Workplace

**JAC Patrissi**
Founder and Principal
Growing a New Heart

**Workplace Culture Session(s):**
Undoing White Supremacy and Fostering Joy in the Workplace

**Maria del Carmen Rodriguez**
Certified Sound Healer, Practitioner of Sound Therapies, Practitioner of Vibrational Therapies, and Co-founder of
SoulCare Love LLC

**Workplace Culture Session(s)**:
Sound Meditation: Sound Healing and Inner Cleansing

**Shawniel Chamanlal**
Social Worker and the visionary Founder and CEO
Healing Springs Wellness Center

**Workplace Culture Session(s):**
Fostering a Culture of Inclusion: Innovative Approaches to Racial Equity and Mental Well-being

LaTonia Monroe Naylor
Entrepreneur
Monroe Naylor Consulting

Workplace Culture Session(s):
Caring Enough to Make a Lasting Impact – A shift to empathetic leadership can create a lasting impact on your organization

Pema Latshang
Executive Director
Teach Western Mass

Workplace Culture Session(s):
Designing for Equity: From Startup to Growth-For Us, By Us, With Us