Equity in the 413: Western Massachusetts Racial Equity Summit - Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Sheraton Springfield
Springfield, MA
8AM to 7PM

Equity in the 413: Western Massachusetts Racial Equity Summit is a convening to support relationship building across several industry areas. This call-to-action will help attendees from our region align our readiness and efforts to advance racial equity in the workplaces and organizations across western Massachusetts.

At the Summit you will:

Learn how to analyze and incorporate data in an asset-based framework to understand how racial inequity is impacting our region and drive our efforts to support advancing racial equity.
Learn how to create talent acquisition and employee engagement plans that increase diversity in your workforce while building equitable practices across the employee life cycle in an inclusive culture.
Learn how to develop and enact internal policies and practices that can be changed to support people in moving along a continuum of equitable practices.
Learn lessons from leaders who have begun to advance racial equity in their organizations.

Summit Agenda

8:00AM	Registration & Breakfast
9:00AM	Opening Remarks & Keynote Address: Behavioral Health Network’s Vice President for Social Justice and Compliance Chelan Brown and President and CEO Steve Winn
10:00AM	Advancing Racial Equity Through Tobacco Prevention
10:45AM	Concurrent Workshop/Presentation Sessions I
11:35AM	Concurrent Workshop/Presentation Sessions II
12:30PM	Lunch
1:30PM	Concurrent Workshop/Presentation Sessions III
2:30PM	Concurrent Workshop/Presentation Sessions IV
3:30PM	Concluding Remarks
4:00PM	Networking and Cocktails
6:00PM	Public Forum Event, “Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America” by Historian, Author, and Podcast Co-host of Now & Then, Heather Cox Richardson

Visit regularly for updates.

Reserve your spot today!

Ticket sponsorships are available on a first come, first served basis.
Please email Briana Wales-Thaxton, Vice President for People and Culture at the Community Foundation to learn more.

Session Presenters

**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

**Briana Wales**–**Thaxton**
Vice President for People and Culture
Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts

**Workplace Culture Session(s):**
Policies and Practices for Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Across the Employee Life Cycle

**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

**Becky Basch, MA**
Senior Planner
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

**Valerie Francis**
Vice President of Employee Benefits
Hub International

**Workplace Culture Session(s)**:

**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**
Social Justice 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

**Cameron English/Muva Cam**
Practitioner specializing in holistic and metaphysical wellness
Healing Springs Wellness Center, LLC

**Workplace Culture Session(s)**:
Restorative Workshop: Sound Bath and Chakra Clearing

**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

**Judi Vigna**
Chief Executive Officer
Specialized Career Guidance LLC

**External Systems Session(s):**
Engaging High Schools in Your Entry Level Recruitment Strategies

**Dr. Latoya Bosworth**
Life Coach

**Workplace Culture Session(s):**
Self-Fullness… Practices for Sustainability

Organizing Partners

Community Partners

Together we amplify the impact in our community. We know that all interested partners do not have equal ability to support the advancement of this important work, but we know that all contributions are valuable and that all potential partners are invested in the work of advancing racial equity in our region. For this reason, we are asking that you to reconsider how we view traditional sponsorship opportunities rooted in hierarchy in a way that celebrates support based on the dollar amounts that a partner contributes and shift to a community partner model to support the conference at a level that your organization is able.

Our goal is to raise $50,000 from our community partners. All community partners will receive 3 tickets to the Summit and have their logo on materials provided to participants on the day of the Summit including any PowerPoint presentations during the welcoming.

Want to learn more? Download the Community Partners packet here.

become a community partner