Equal Opportunity Officials Headline American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity’s 44th National Conference
WASHINGTON (PRWEB) June 04, 2018 -- The American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity (AAAED), an organization of equal opportunity, diversity and affirmative action professionals, announced two of the keynote speakers at the Association’s 44th National Conference and Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA. Themed "Bridging Opportunities: Keeping the Dream Alive,” the meeting will be held at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, 165 Courtland Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30303, on June 6 – 8, 2018.
Among the keynote speakers are Victoria A. Lipnic and Craig Leen, individuals who represent two of the leading equal employment opportunity agencies in the federal government: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), U.S. Department of Labor.
Victoria A. Lipnic was named Acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by President Donald J. Trump on January 25, 2017. She began her service as a Commissioner of the EEOC in April 2010, having been confirmed by the Senate for an initial term ending on July 1, 2015. In November 2015, she was confirmed by the Senate for a second term ending on July 1, 2020. Since joining the Commission, Acting Chair Lipnic has played a key role in a wide variety of Commission activities and policies. From 2015 to 2016, she co-chaired the EEOC's Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, culminating in the co-chairs issuing their final report at a Commission meeting in June 2016. She has also taken great interest in issues relating to equal pay, the good governance of the Commission, increased transparency and public participation in policymaking, and the proper role of the EEOC as a regulatory enforcement agency.
Craig Leen is Special Advisor to the Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) at the Department of Labor. Leen was formerly the City Attorney for the City of Coral Gables, an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University-College of Law, and a Volunteer Adjunct Professor at the University of Miami School of Law. Leen received his Bachelors of Arts degree from Georgetown University in 1997 and his Doctor of Law (JD) degree from Columbia University in 2000. From 2000-2005, he practiced law for various firms in New York, Boston, and Miami. He also clerked for the Honorable Robert E. Keeton, United States District Judge, District of Massachusetts. From 2005-2011, Leen held various positions in Miami-Dade County, including Chief, Federal Section; Chief, Appeals Section, and Assistant County Attorney. Leen’s wife Ana is a child psychiatrist, and they have two school-age children. The Leens are very involved in autism awareness.
The AAAED 44th National Conference and Annual Meeting will address a variety of issues relevant to practitioners in the equal opportunity and diversity professions. Among the workshop topics are sexual harassment and the #MeToo Movement; current government agency enforcement policies; equal pay and compensation; the status of affirmative action admissions; campus civility, hate and bias issues; and implicit bias.
The Association will also confer awards to eight outstanding individuals, organizations and corporations that have contributed to the cause of access, equity and diversity. The honorees are: Rev. Dr. CT Vivian; Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D., Beverly Guy-Sheftall, PhD; Rogsbert Phillips-Reed, MD; Rogelio Sáenz, PhD; The Southern Poverty Law Center; The Coca-Cola Company; and Southern Company Gas. The Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, June 7th from 12:15 pm to 2:15 pm.
"We are pleased to welcome these distinguished individuals to our conference and to hear their message as we enter another year in the pursuit of access, equity and diversity,” said Dr. Myron Anderson, AAAED President.
The AAAED 44th National Conference and Annual Meeting is open to the press. For more information or to register for the Conference, go to: https://www.aaaed.org/aaaed/Conference_Agenda1.asp
To purchase a ticket or table at the Awards Luncheon on Thursday, June 7th, go to: https://www.aaaed.org/aaaed/Sponsorship.asp
Founded in 1974 as the American Association for Affirmative Action (AAAA), AAAED is a national not-for-profit association of professionals working in the areas of equal opportunity, compliance and diversity. AAAED has 44 years of leadership in providing professional training to members, enabling them to be more successful and productive in their careers. It also promotes understanding and advocacy of affirmative action and other equal opportunity laws to enhance the tenets of access, inclusion and equality in employment, economic and educational opportunities.
Shirley J. Wilcher, American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity, http://www.aaaed.org, +1 (240) 893-9475, [email protected]
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