2023 DI Speaker Bios - Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement

Home2023 Dismantling Inequities Speaker Bios

DISMANTLING INEQUITIES IN VOLUNTEERISM
CONFERENCE: INSIGHT TO ACTION

DECEMBER 7-8, 2023

Facilitator Bios

Adrienne Yoe 2023 Dismantling Inequities

Adrienne Yoe (she/they) has been in the volunteer engagement field since 2015, and worked with organizations supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, animal welfare, and community organizing. Adrienne works with Jaclyn Wilmot at The Phoenix, serving on the Volunteer Operations team. She strives to be an ally to people in recovery and those seeking recovery from Substance Use Disorder. Adrienne is also an educator at Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation in Baltimore, where she lives with her rescue pets.

Alon Milwicki 2023 Dismantling Inequities

Dr. Alon Milwicki (he/him) serves as a Senior Research Analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project, specializing in antisemitism. He obtained his doctorate in American history from American University in 2019, focusing on the evolution of racist and antisemitic Christian Identity theology. In 2019, he presented at the Inaugural Right-Wing Studies Conference at Berkeley University and participated in the steering committee for a male supremacism conference. Alon received a Research Grant Award from the Center for the Study of Hate and, in 2015, was published in the Journal of Hate Studies. With over a decade of academic experience, he has taught American History at institutions such as Dallas College, Collin College, and Texas A&M Commerce, where he collaborated across disciplines to create courses related to race and racism in American history and Holocaust history. Additionally, in 2013, Alon served as a consultant and Intelligence Analyst for the US Air Force. At SPLC, he focuses on monitoring white supremacy organizations and researching the foundational role of antisemitism in various racist theologies and ideologies

Amena Chaudhry, keynote speaker, is a catalyst for individual and organizational transformation. She helps leaders unlock their capacity for radical imagination through a heart-centered and systems-oriented approach. Amena is a 2nd-generation Punjabi, Muslim immigrant and bi-continental citizen. Her formative years were spent living between Toronto, Canada and Gujranwala, Pakistan. The experience of being raised at the intersections of multiple cultures, languages, religions, and worldviews as played a pivotal role in building her muscles for courageous and transformative discomfort. She adeptly moves through complex social dilemmas and holds multiple social truths to find the wisdom in difference and divergence. A no-nonsense, anti-racist DEI+ strategist, coach, and organizational consultant, Amena is laser-focused on activating leaders hungry for systemic change by transforming their relationship with power and conflict to become better stewards of our planet and all its inhabitants.

Bex Takacs Britz 2023 Dismantling Inequities

Bex Takacs-Britz (they/them/theirs) is a nonprofit strategist and inclusion advocate from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They hold a Bachelors of Science in public and nonprofit administration from Grand Valley State University. Professionally, Bex has spent the past decade focused on fund development for nonprofits spanning the entire US, from small shop to internationally-scaled organizations. They earned their CNP in 2021, their CFRE in 2022, and their ACNP in 2023. Outside of their day work, Bex is the President & founder of Welcome Home Neighbors, a community re-entry support program. Bex has a focused interest in creating inclusive and accessible workplaces and volunteer spaces.

Chris Boden is a passionate polymath with a storied life. He founded a little Makerspace that turned out to be kinda popular, wrote a few books, made a few videos that some people liked, survived being tossed into two different Federal prisons, and has lived a life through a lens throwing lightning bolts in front of thousands of people for decades. He’s a professional weirdo and rational optimist who is trying to balance misanthropy with philanthropy

Heather, Femina, and Karen Dismantling Inequities 2023

Femina Ajayi-Hackworth (pictured center)(she/her) is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Consultant. She is an experienced leader who uses evidence-based practices to strategically integrate the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility into presentations. For almost 20 years, Femina has excelled in creating and presenting educational DEI Training in an engaging and informative manner. Femina uses best practices and maintains extensive knowledge of current events, equity, recruitment, community outreach, and retention issues which she incorporates into her work. Femina has a Masters in African American and African Diaspora Studies, and a Masters in Public Affairs. She was certified as a Certified Affirmative Action Professional, CAAP level in 2012.

Heather Stein (pictured left) (she/her) is a dynamic and resilient business leader with over 12 years of progressive experience in human resources, workforce diversity & inclusion, equal opportunity, and adult education. She specializes in leading organizational change that carefully nurtures employee engagement, increases retention of talent, and optimizes culturally responsive service delivery. Heather enjoys building coalitions and thrives when serving as systems change agent. She has worked in public service for the State of Minnesota for nearly 10 years. In her current role, Heather oversees federal and state Equal Opportunity and ADA compliance, harassment and discrimination policy adherence, Affirmative Action, and DEIA programming and training. Heather lives in Minneapolis, MN with her partner and two daughters. She enjoys spending time in nature, visiting local restaurants and businesses, and giving back to her community.

Jaci Jones (she/her) is a Professional Learning Facilitator with Learning for Justice. After spending a decade in the classroom as a high school history teacher in NJ, she now resides in Philadelphia, PA with husband and daughter Penelope. She completed her undergraduate education at Penn State University where she majored in Secondary Education, Social Studies and minored in History and Dance. With a passion for human rights, she completed her Masters in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Kean University where she now adjuncts, teaching teachers how to teach about the Holocaust and social justice in their classrooms. She has worked on various curriculum initiatives to help include histories of LGBTQ+ and disability communities, received the Teacher of the Year Award in 2018, and is working with the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education to help revise the state curriculum for teaching the Holocaust and other genocides.

Jackie Cuéllar is the Director of Corporate and Volunteer Engagement at Foundation Communities in Austin, TX. For over two decades Jackie demonstrated a personal and professional passion to connect community members with meaningful service opportunities. In her tenure with Foundation Communities, Jackie has built the volunteer department from the ground up, increasing the number of volunteers from 350 to 2,000 annually in 12 sustainable programs. She has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management and volunteer engagement. In her spare time, Jackie enjoys spending time with her husband, son and extended family.

Jaclyn Wilmot Dismantling Inequities 2023

Jaclyn Wilmot, CVA, MPA, Director, Volunteer and Community Engagement, The Phoenix Jaclyn Wilmot enjoys building volunteer strategies to amplify meaningful impact. She’s a Colorado native who got her start with state and local organizations. Most recently, she’s helped to design and scale volunteer solutions for a national and international reach. In 2022 Jaclyn became certified in volunteer administration (CVA). She currently works with Adrienne Yoe to co-lead volunteer operations at the Phoenix, where they are bringing the volunteer experience to mobile. Jaclyn enjoys sober active fun, music and spending time with her teenage daughters.

Janene Reideman Dismantling Inequities 2023

Janene Riedeman is the Director of Volunteer Services for CentraCare Health and St. Cloud Hospital, where volunteers support many facilities and programs in a multitude of tasks and varying levels of responsibility. To ensure volunteers could serve safely in a rewarding manner at different ages and abilities, a committee of volunteers worked with Janene to formalize a Transitions program. Transitions facilitates volunteers moving from one position to another due to physical or cognitive ability changes. Goals of the program are to engage volunteers in the decision-making process and to always maintain dignity of the volunteer, but its successful implementation also led to greater creativity and inclusion in volunteer roles.

Jay Haapala has been a member of the Minnesota nonprofit community more than 20 years leading volunteer programs and volunteer-powered initiatives. He is currently associate state director of community engagement at AARP Minnesota working statewide to improve life for us all as we age. Related to the subject of this session, he has experience building partnerships to increase diversity in volunteer programs including people with disabilities, and breaking down internal barriers to greater inclusion.

Jermaine_Davis 2023 Dismantling Inequities

Dr. Jermaine Davis, Closing Keynote Speaker, is an international and hall of fame speaker, leadership coach, and communication strategist that engages audiences with his unique presentation style known as – EDUTAINMENT – a fun combination of education and entertainment. Before receiving the prestigious College Instructor of the Year Award, Dr. Jermaine Davis worked in corporate America for IBM, Keebler Cookies, and Frito-Lay in sales and management. Now, he’s an award-winning Professor of Communication at Century College and Organizational Leadership at St. Catherine’s University. Dr. Jermaine holds a BA and an MA in Speech Communications, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. He’s a Graduate of Cornell University’s CCDP Diversity Program (Cornell Certified Diversity Professional). A designation held by less than 300 people in the United States. Dr. Jermaine specializes in helping teams and organizations develop healthy and inclusive work environments so ALL employees can thrive and succeed

Kaitlin Desselle Dismantling Inequities 2023

Kaitlin Desselle, MS (she/her) is Vice President of Business Development and brings over 10 years of inclusive leadership experience and business innovation to SDI. With a strong corporate background in crisis and change management, she is passionate about building empowered teams and organizational cultures that interrupt systems of oppression and marginalization. Kaitlin served as a Diversity Educator and on the Chancellor’s Commission for LGBTQ People at the University of Tennessee, where she earned a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology with a research focus in Critical HROD and Queer Empowerment. As a queer woman and fat liberation activist, Kaitlin is passionate about creating safer spaces where all bodies are celebrated and have agency. Her approach to social justice work balances reformist activism with mindfulness and emotional intelligence. She is an Emotional Intelligence Practitioner certified in the EQ-i 2.0 and EQ 260 methodology, as well as a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).

Karen Caldwell (pictured right) (she/her) is an arts-based creative wellness coach with a Master of Science degree in Sociology from University College London. Her unique art-centered approach to wellness coaching empowers corporations, non-profit organizations, and individuals globally to facilitate self-expression, self- discovery, healing, and personal growth. With her sociological expertise, Karen has developed an innovative employee engagement program that utilizes the power of art-making to improve workplace well-being, boost productivity, encourage team-building, and improve overall employee engagement. Karen works collaboratively with her clients to create customized plans that address their specific needs and goals. She is passionate about helping individuals and teams achieve greater levels of success and fulfillment in both their personal and professional lives by using creativity and self-expression as essential tools for achieving mental, emotional, and physical wellness

Lisa Joyslin is a driven and effective nonprofit leader. Lisa's areas of expertise include program management/development, volunteer services, writing/editing, communications and event planning. Lisa brings a high level of initiative and a results-oriented attitude to her work, and is a successful collaborator and relationship-builder. I hold a Master of Public Policy degree with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Luiza Dreasher Dismantling Inequities 2023

Luiza Dreasher is the President and CEO of Mastering Cultural Differences. She designs and implements customized programs for organizations that want team members to understand cultural differences and work well across those differences. As a contributing writer, she spotlights innovative solutions for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusivity within professional settings. Her book, Mastering Cultural Differences: Strategies for Leading a Global Workforce, offers profound insights into the dynamics affecting culturally diverse workplaces, and identifies best practices for increased performance in a global landscape. As a result of her work, individuals frequently express a heightened sense of comfort when collaborating across differences, noting enhanced levels of comprehension and collaboration with those they guide, assist and work alongside. Luiza's expertise has been showcased on prominent platforms such as ABC, NBC, Fox, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, and various other media forums.

Michael Nguyen Dismantling Inequities 2023

Michael Nguyen serves as MAVA's DEI Director. Michael has 15 years of experience navigating the partnership opportunities that exist between the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. He has an extensive background in business development, project management, and organizational behavior projects. He is an analytical and a conceptual thinker who effectively partners with stakeholders to assess opportunities, facilitate strategic decisions, and drive successful executions. Michael’s ability to assess complex situations and identify appropriate solutions highlights his ability to gain meaningful insight and follow up thorough analysis. He is a particularly skilled presenter and group facilitator and who enjoys forging consensus among people with diverging ideas and opinions. Michael has held leadership positions at non-profit organizations including the Coalition of Asian American Leaders (CAAL) and Ascend NAAMBA Twin Cities. Michael received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Hamline University and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Political Science from the University of Minnesota.

Monica Jasso Dismantling Inequities 2023

Monica Jasso is Director of Engagement for Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest, encompassing West Texas and Southern New Mexico. A proud Fronteriza, born in El Paso, Texas, she attended Texas A&M University, and finds purpose in advancing the mission of volunteerism to positively impact communities. She comes to us with over 20 years of customer service experience and over 10 years working directly with volunteers. During that time, Monica uses her passion for mastering the art and science of great customer interactions designing genuine volunteer experiences. She notes two key markers in her professional career - changing the trajectory of her career from the corporate to the nonprofit sector and earning her Certificate in Volunteer Administration (CVA). Monica has also committed herself to viewing everything from a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. A single mother of two, in her down time, she enjoys nature, traveling, all things Star Trek, and Yelping about foodie spots.

Niila Hebert, Chief Strategic Engagement Officer, oversees The Forum’s fund development activities, partnership engagement and Black-centered leadership development. She joined AALF in 2021 as a Senior Program Director and was promoted a year later in 2022.

Niila is a passionate and energetic community leader who has worked with nonprofit organizations for more than 15 years. She carries a zest for developing collective strategies to increase community access, wealth and opportunities. Highly skilled in creating partnerships, Niila centers her work on being a catalyst for transformative change, through collaborative engagement. She also carries a wealth of experience as a DEI trainer, bringing the core values of equity, inclusion and justice in what she advocates for Black and LGBTQ+ communities.

Paulette Bonneur 2023 Dismantling Inequities

Paulette Bonneur, Opening Keynote Speaker, is a passionate changemaker trailblazing her path on her own terms. With a M.S. in Educational Leadership, she puts her education in practice working with over 12 years of service in Higher Education with Student Affairs experiences ranging from recruitment, retention and DEI.

As a four-time transplant recipient who is grabbing life by the horns, she teaches others to take action and own their own story. The proud daughter of Liberian immigrants was raised by a single mother, and knows a thing or two about hard work.

Paulette’s contributions as a consultant, speaker, storyteller, educator, community volunteer and author have helped thousands. When she is not working and making an impact in the community, she is racing to keep up with her busy three and seven-year-old and enjoying quality time with her loud, loving, Liberian family!

Rahshib Thomas is the Founder of RT Consulting, where since 2013, he has supported teams and individuals developing clarity, strategy and impact through Leadership Development, Human Resources and in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility education. Rahshib honed his human potential and people development skills for over 20 years as a human resources leader in luxury real estate and hospitality companies, executive coach, trainer, workshop facilitator as well as a justice and policy advocate through his involvement with the historic civil rights organization, the National Urban League.

As the author of “Bout That Life: Leadership Lessons for the Urban Professional,” Rahshib shares his personal struggle finding fit and being authentic in his community, at work and even in his own skin. Through each chapter, the book empowers readers to overcome challenges in self-awareness & discovering purpose, networking and authenticity. As an executive coach and trainer, Rahshib utilizes psychoanalytic approaches to create awareness, clarity and action in areas of life that are important to people and organizations. Through Leadership Development and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility education, Rahshib and his team support in the development and implementation of sustainable change management, through a holistic social emotional approach, while facilitating and educating through conversations about inclusion, belonging and naming systemic causes of inequity to create equity, parity and power.

Sarah Philippe Dismantling Inequities 2023

Hi, I'm Sarah Philippe (she/her), and I'm passionate about volunteerism, accessibility, history, and ice cream! I have 14 years of experience working with volunteers, including the last eight in volunteer administration. In 2021, I earned my Certification in Volunteer Administration (CVA), and always a consummate learner, I have completed certificates in DEIB at the University of South Florida and SHRM. Recently, I participated in the Association of Leaders in Volunteer Engagement (AL!VE) Inaugural Presenter Bootcamp and presented on "Neurodiversity in Volunteerism" at conferences and webinars since 2022. Additionally, my work can be found in "New Voices and Perspectives in Volunteer Engagement 2023," edited by Erin Spink. When not advocating for accessibility and inclusivity in volunteerism, I enjoy new ice cream flavors or read the Magic Treehouse series to my nieces and nephews.

Terri Allred (she/her) is a dynamic and experienced consultant, leadership development expert, and catalyst for team transformation. With a passion for helping nonprofit and business leaders unlock the full potential of their teams, Terri brings a unique blend of skills and expertise to drive impactful change. She believes in creating Trauma-Informed workplaces. This means that organizations recognize the prevalence of trauma among all people, recognize that trauma impacts personal expression and communal interactions, and minimize the risk of re-traumatizing people.