2019 Diversity & Inclusion Materials

Thank you for attending! Click the link to view and download all of the 2019 Summit Materials:

Our Speakers:

Zenovia Harris, Master of Ceremonies

Zenovia was recently appointed as the Chief Executive Officer for the Kent Chamber of Commerce, becoming the first African American CEO to lead the chamber in its 70+years. Her role serves as the spokesperson for the business community in the 6th largest city in the state of WA which was ranked #18 in the most diverse cities in America according to Wallethub.

Zenovia is a certified diversity professional who serves as the President for the Washington Diversity Council Advisory Board. In the last decade Zenovia has worked in higher education, sales and marketing and has owned her own business, Zenovia knows how diversity and inclusion can impact an organization bottom line and culture.

Zenovia is a dynamic leader who is fearless and full of fresh ideas. Zenovia in known for her tenacity and ability to create a thriving work cultures that are inclusive, innovative and results driven. Zenovia along with her CDP, Zenovia holds a bachelor’s degree in business management, a master’s in Public Administration, a real estate license and a signing notary certification with the NNA. She loves the community she resides in so much that she served as the President of Pheasant hollow homeowners association. Under Zenovia’s leadership she secured a grant to build a park in her neighborhood for $8600 from the city of Kent.

Kisha Xiomara Palmer, Keynote Speaker

Kisha Xiomara Palmer is a Seattle based Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Leadership Coach. Kisha focuses on capacity building through an equity and inclusion lens, and works across sectors to coach individuals and teams through transformational change. Kisha focuses on values alignment and relationship building as core to understanding and leveraging differences.

Kisha’s practice as an equity and inclusive leadership coach and facilitator is rooted in her values of truth, well-being and joy. She holds a BA in Latin American Studies from Vassar College and an MPA from the UW Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. In addition, Kisha is certified in Basic Mediation and has completed introductory and intermediate coursework as a Strategic Human Resource practitioner.

Kisha is a current Board member of the Burke Museum Association and is co-chair of the Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion Committee. Kisha has also served as a community volunteer with the Dispute Resolution Center of King County and the City of Seattle Race and Social Justice Initiative.

Kisha is the founder and principal of The Institute for Inclusive Leadership.

Breakout Session Outline

• Authentic Gender Equity on the Job

• Critical Understandings: Trans and Gender Diverse Workforce – Presented and hosted by The Reckoning Trade Project and The Lavender Rights Project

This training will provide critical strategies for creating and sustaining a safer workplace and retaining for transgender and gender diverse tradesworkers. Through discussion of gender identity and the importance of respecting pronouns, we’ll explore best practices that ensure the application and interview process is equitable and welcoming to trans and gender diverse applicants, employee retention, and how to maintain safe and respectful workplaces. We’ll learn and practice specific and relevant examples through hands-on bystander training and delve into the economic and cultural impacts of bullying and harassment in the workplace that will not only benefit trans and gender diverse trades workers but all employees.

Trainers: Che Arsenault, Morgan Mentzer, Molly Benitez

• Respectful Workplace Models