"Breaking Barriers: TIA (Taking Intentional Action) to Enhance Inclusion in the Coulee Region - (Re)Connecting in business and community.”
A learning opportunity that calls for inclusive action across the region, in our workplaces, in our community, and in ourselves.
Welcoming Speaker
Shaundel Spivey
Director at Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge, La Crosse.
Board Member at La Crosse School Board. He serves as a Racial Justice Training Consultant in the community. He also serves on the Governor's Equity and Inclusion Council. Shaundel is from Milwaukee Wisconsin.
Keynote Speaker
Cindy Bentley
"All Abilities: Intersectionality and the Workplace."
Executive Director at People First Wisconsin
PFW is a non-profit, statewide advocacy organization, run by and for people with disabilities. Cindy is a fearless advocate who leads other self-advocates across the state of Wisconsin in making our communities more accessible. Whether it’s voting rights, housing, community inclusion, mental health, employment or transportation, Cindy leads the charge.
Cindy serves on several boards and works closely with other agencies/organizations that work for equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
Lunch Break - 11:00-11:30 AM
Panel Speakers 11:30 AM-1:00 PM
"Covid-19: Reestablishing normality 20 months post-pandemic."
What communities and workplaces want to know for strengthening our economy, and contributing to overall health and mental health. This Panel is intended to also speak in terms of mental health and how to navigate the changes within our workplaces and communities in the aftermath and continuation of theCovid-19 pandemic. What did Covid highlight? What has Covid done? How do we make a difference?
Moderator
Carolyn Colleen Bostrack, PhD Candidate
Author, International Speaker, Business Strategist, Fierce Network and Acton Midwest Founder
Panelists
Brenda L Rooney, PhD, MPH
Epidemiologist, Medical Director, Office of Population Health Gundersen Health System
.
Jennifer Kleven, MD, MPH, FAAP
Chair - Department of Pediatrics
Gundersen Health System
.
Sara Johnson, Licensed Professional Counselor
Mental Health Director La Crosse Area Family YMCA
.
Trans(forming) Lives: Cultivating Queer Inclusion 1:15 PM
This presentation focuses on cultivating queer-inclusive environments, particularly for transgender people. Participants will tackle terminology, discuss the impact of cultural misconceptions, and strategize actionable steps to trans(form) their environment(s).
Christopher J. Jorgenson, Ed.D.
Pronouns: he/him/his (Learn more about pronouns!)
Director, Gender & Sexuality Resource Center
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Dr. Jorgenson (he/him/his) has been director of UW-Eau Claire’s Gender & Sexuality Resource Center for 10 years. Under his leadership, UW-Eau Claire has been ranked #3 nationally and is currently ranked #1 statewide for LGBTQIA+ inclusion and student experience (for a third consecutive year). He chairs the Queer & Trans Action Committee (QTAC) and Bias Incident Reporting Team (BIRT) and teaches in the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. Jorgenson's approach to social justice advocacy emphasizes both the acknowledgment of inequity, as well as the importance of celebrating communities whose identities are too often denigrated and marginalized. Christopher received his Ed.D. in Student Affairs Administration and Leadership, with a focus on underrepresented student populations within higher education, and regularly travels throughout the United States to speak on issues of power, oppression, privilege, and intersectionality.