Showing OUT For PRIDE Panel Discussion

Career Level: Basic-, intermediate-, and advanced-level career services, university relations and recruiting, and business affiliate professionals
Competency: Fostering global and diverse connections
Fee: FREE (member); $89 (nonmember);

Summary
For 20 years, the United States has officially celebrated the month of June as Pride Month, but does your company’s or institution’s Pride effort look like 20 years in the making? Since this recognition our world has seen a lot: rainbow washing, outing, bating, and hate. As we step into 2023 we know we can do more, and be more.

Join us for “Showing OUT for PRIDE” panel discussion, a best practice and ‘how to’ panel about planning, promoting, and celebrating LGBTQ+ PRIDE! on Tuesday, May 16th @ 1pm ET. Only register if you’re ready to be inspired, learn some LGBT history, and find out what PRIDE celebrations will look like this year. The esteemed line up of our moderator and speakers includes seasoned educators and corporate leaders, LGBTQ+ advocates, PRIDE planners, and more!

Whether you’re a curious young professional, corporate ERG leader, passionate higher-ed pro, part of the LBGTQ+ community, or ally we invite you to join us. Let’s put our courageous minds together to talk about what you and your friends, colleagues, and students can do to make the most of your 2023 PRIDE, wherever and however you might be celebrating.

This exciting pre-Pride panel discussion is presented by NACE’s LGBTQ+Allies Affinity Group, a dedicated and vibrant community of college educators, career professionals, recruiters, and talent acquisition experts who meet each month to discuss, network, and lift up LGBTQ+ students and professionals. Let’s meet up for this event to celebrate louder and prouder!

Following this program, you will be able to:
- Sustain dialogue for educators, career professionals, recruiters, and TA professionals about planning and promoting PRIDE;
- Explain unique and exemplar models of pride, advocacy, inclusion, and belonging within institutions, companies, and ERGs;
- Discuss how institutions and companies are responding to current news and legislation; and
- Understand best practices and resources for the audience to use to celebrate PRIDE safely and confidently in their community and organization.
Presenters

Terrell Strayhorn, Associate Provost and Dean, Professor & Director, Virginia Union University
Dr. Terrell Strayhorn is one of the nation's leading voices on issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, which has been the focus of his ground-breaking research over the last nearly two decades. Author of 12 books and over 250 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and national reports, Strayhorn is one of the most prolific scholars in the academy today and has won international acclaim for his pioneering research on sense of belonging in education and workplaces. His book "College Students' Sense of Belonging: A Key to Educational Success" has won book awards and citations. Additionally, this work, now in its 2nd edition, has been cited in Amicus Briefs to the US Supreme Court, legislation inform student access to SNAP benefits in the Pacific Northwest, and over 30 college/university strategic plans. Currently, Strayhorn is Professor of Higher Education and Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Illinois State University. He also serves as Visiting Scholar in the School of Education at Virginia Union University (VUU), Director of VUU's Center for the Study of HBCUs, and Lecturer in Psychology. He has delivered over 1,000 keynote addresses and public lectures since 2005. Previously, he has served at UTK Special Assistant to the Provost, LOC Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs, and VUU Provost and Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs.

Christian Garcia, Associate Dean & Executive Director, University of Miami - Toppel Career Center
Christian Garcia is a higher education professional with more than 25 years of experience in a variety of areas within student and academic affairs. He currently serves as the associate dean and executive director of the Patricia and Harold Toppel Career Center at the University of Miami, where he is responsible for the management and strategic direction of one of the country's most innovative and dynamic career centers. Garcia has consistently been an active member of his profession by serving in a variety of leadership roles in regional, national, and international professional associations. In 2013, Garcia co-founded the first-ever LGBTQ Faculty-Staff Network at the University of Miami to provide a safe space for support, networking, and community. Ten years since its inception, the network remains active. Born and raised in Miami, Garcia earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Florida International University. His master's degree in higher education administration is from Florida State University. Born to Costa Rican parents, he is the first in his family to go to college.

André Thomas, Co-Chair, NYC Pride - Heritage of Pride, Inc.
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, André Thomas discovered his passion for production at a performance arts middle school and running lights and runway shows in high school. A graduate from Yale University and a decorated United States Marine Corps veteran with multiple deployments, he honed his production skills as the production officer of the Yale Dramatic Association, the country's second oldest college theater organization, Yale School of Drama and Repertory productions, and production training at Florida International University and YSD. In Washington, DC, he kept active by captaining various Stonewall Sports teams and running events for the Stonewall National Sports Tournament. He produced events for Capital Pride, including the Sunset Dance Party, and served as Head of Production/Treasurer on the Board of the CHERRY Fund, the longest running charity circuit event in the nation devoted to HIV and mental health/suicide prevention. At Heritage of Pride he served as Volunteer Captain for PrideFest, the largest LGBTQIA+ street festival in the world, and Director of Pride Island, celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2021. Now, as the first African-American male elected to the position of co-chair, he is excited to shepherd the organization that serves as the stewards of the Pride movement.

Sharon Coggins, Business Strategy Analyst, M&T Bank
Sharon Coggins is a business strategy analyst for the Consumer & Business Banking Division at M&T Bank. In this capacity, she is responsible for assisting revenue-generating business lines with the creation, prioritization and implementation of their strategic imperatives and roadmaps. Additionally, for the last two years, she has co-managed EquityOne, an Enterprise-wide campaign to create representation at all levels of the Bank’s hierarchy through Sponsorship and is a member of the executive leadership team for the Western New York Pride Employee Resource Group. She has worked in the financial services industries for the last seven years following several decades in the healthcare industry. Coggin holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from SUNY-Empire State and is a certified DEI practitioner through the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.