FIC Human Resource Partners

Today, I am deeply humbled and grateful to be honored during the Women Veterans Day Ceremony presented by the Governor's Advisory Commission on Women and the PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. As a transgender woman who served prior to transition and was discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, this recognition is particularly meaningful to me.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Stacie Blake Collins, CEO of YWCA Lancaster, for nominating me for this honor. It was both unexpected and a testament to the inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ+ folx she’s helped foster at YWCA Lancaster. I also want to thank the staff and board members who are attending the ceremony to show their support. Your presence means the world to me.

I have been blessed with incredible mentors who have shaped my path and helped me navigate challenges. I want to give a special shout-out to two of them: Laurie Battaglia and Christine Courtney. Your guidance, encouragement, and belief in me have been invaluable. You have helped me see the continuity between my military service and my current work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

As I stand among these remarkable women veterans today, I am reminded that our paths may have been different, but our commitment to service and to making a difference is the same.

To all the women veterans out there, thank you for your service, your sacrifices, and your unwavering dedication.

Reflections on Being an Honoree During the Women Veterans Day Ceremony I am being honored at the Pennsylvania Women Veterans Day Ceremony.

I'm BEYOND thrilled to be part of the incredibly impressive lineup of speakers, panelists and moderators for this year's Increase Diversity™ Summit!

🌟 Winston Clements
🌟 Robyn J. Grable
🌟 A.C. Fowlkes, PhD (he/him)
🌟 Cecilia Stanton Adams
🌟 Gurpreet Kaur, PhD, LLM
🌟 Stephanie Ranno
🌟 Dennis M.
🌟 Sadia Hameed
🌟 Roberta Wilburn
🌟 Suzanne Wertheim, Ph.D.
🌟 Christian Harris
🌟 Dr. Nika White, CDE®, IOM
🌟 Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
🌟 Jessi Purdy
🌟 S Gerin
🌟 Val Boston III CDE, CCP

Building on the impactful groundwork laid in the first Increase Diversity™ Summit, which explored "Who is Qualified?," tackling bias in recruitment and retention, this year's summit shifts focus to the equally vital question: "How Do I Say It?". The 2024 Increase Diversity™ Summit will guide participants through the complexities of Effective Language for Inclusive Recruitment and Retention Strategies.

These sessions are designed as high-impact 30-minute workshops, in which attendees will participate in a Lived Experience Intelligence Breakout Session after each workshop. Then, following this breakout session, attendees will have the ability to engage in a brief Q&A with the speaker. The specific viewpoints that will be unpacked during the Summit include Gender: Binary, Gender: Non-Binary, Disability, Veterans, Neurodiversity, and Sexual Orientation.

+ You can save your spot for this year's virtual Summit by registering TODAY while spots are available ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eiUrF36Y

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