Brown joined FVTC in 2004. Before being named Chief Diversity Officer in July 2020, he held various positions at the College including Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Manager of Multicultural Student Services, Intercollegiate Athletics/Student Life Coordinator and Student Life Recreation Assistant. In 2014, he served as the Director of the Brother-to-Brother program, an initiative designed to increase retention rates of students of color at the College.

Active in the community, Brown chairs the Ryan Community Board of Directors and co-chairs the Imagine Fox Cities Coordinating Committee. He serves on several other boards and planning committees, including the NACCE Mentoring Council, LEAVEN Community Resource Center Outcomes and Evaluation Committee, Community Health Action Team (CHAT), POINT Action Groups, Celebrate Diversity Fox Cities Board of Directors, Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team, Fox Cities Chief Diversity Officers Collaborative, and Voices of Men Fox Cities.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43513496)

Since January 2019, DJ has co-chaired the President’s Advisory Board on Equity and Inclusion, which develops and reviews Bellarmine’s policies around hiring, training, and bias reporting for students, faculty and staff. As chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, DJ serves as a member of President Donovan’s cabinet, advising her on university-wide initiatives, programs, and policies. He also develops and monitors key performance indicators that demonstrate the university’s progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In his role, DJ often draws on his research and scholarship that explore race, gender, identity intersections, and intersectionality within higher education contexts. Publishing over 50 scholarly works, DJ’s research and scholarship have received national recognition. He is the recipient of the Diverse: Issues in Higher Education’s 2020 Emerging Scholar recognition; the Ethnographic and Qualitative Research Conference’s 2016 McGraw Hill Distinguished Scholar Award; the American College Personnel Association’s 2015 Emerging Scholar Award; and, the Multicultural/Multiethnic Education Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association’s 2014 Dr. Carlos J. Vallejo Memorial Award for Emerging Scholarship, among other honors and awards.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43513497)

Research Area Keyword(s):

Intersectionality, identity intersections, race, gender, qualitative

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43513592)

Maxine Williams is the chief diversity officer at Meta, formerly Facebook, and she serves as a member of Meta’s most senior executive leadership team under the CEO.

Maxine’s team works to increase cognitive diversity — different ways of thinking based on different backgrounds, experiences and information — of all Meta teams and integrate diverse perspectives into policy and product development. Maxine and her team also develop strategies to attract, retain and support the growth of underrepresented people at the company.

Prior to Meta, Maxine served as the director of diversity for a global law firm. She has worked as an attorney in criminal, civil and industrial courts in her native Trinidad and Tobago, and in the UK at the Privy Council. Maxine has also worked with multiple international organizations on development and human rights issues and had a career as a broadcast journalist, actress and on-air presenter. Maxine is an independent director on the board of the publicly traded Massy Group of Companies. She graduated from Yale University before receiving her law degree with first class honors from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43513516)

Reggie began his career at McDonald’s in November 2020. He joined McDonald’s from VF Corporation, where he served as Vice President, Global Inclusion and Diversity, building the company’s first I&D strategy and turning it into an award-winning program.

Reggie has worked in a variety of disciplines including supply chain, merchandising, international project management and multiple specialties within human resources. Prior to joining VF, he was the Director, Diversity Strategy and Support, responsible for the D&I strategy, reporting, and consultation for all Walmart stores in the U.S. and was a recruiter and D&I leader at Tyson Foods. He also was an instructor and faculty administrator for the University of Phoenix for several years.

A US Army Veteran, he served as a Supply Sergeant with deployments to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. In addition, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education - HR Development and a Master of Science in Education - Workforce Development from the University of Arkansas. He also received an MBA from Webster University.

Reggie serves on the Executive Advisory Committee for the College of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T State University; and serves as the Co-President for the Board of Directors for Camber Outdoors. He is also on the Board of Directors for Paradigm for Parity; and on the Advisory Council for Diversity MBA. The National Diversity Council named Reggie to the Top 50 Chief Diversity Officer list in 2020, and to the Top 100 Chief Diversity Officer list in 2021.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43513564)

In his current role, Dempsey leads BP’s diversity and inclusion agenda, linking external networks and partnerships with internal engagement to position BP as an industry leader. Reporting directly to the BP America Chairman and President, Dempsey leads a broad portfolio including national strategic relationships and initiatives, supplier diversity, workforce diversity, and philanthropy.

By stewarding community investments and through identifying what he calls “intersections of interest,” Dempsey and his team are focused on building lasting partnerships for the company – particularly in the areas of STEM education and veteran outreach. To strengthen supplier diversity, Dempsey and his team are working to create more opportunities for minority and women business enterprises to do business with BP. As the demographics of the country continue to shift, Dempsey understands the importance of having a supply chain – and a company – that reflects the communities where we live and work.

As president of the BP Foundation, Dempsey guides global philanthropic giving programs, including employee matching gifts, disaster relief, and grants for education, environment, and economic development. During Dempsey’s tenure, the BP Foundation has been recognized as a leading corporate foundation by the Houston Chronicle and as a best-in-class employee matching program by TriplePundit (a media consultancy that cultivates awareness and understanding among the business community of the “triple bottom line”—economic, ecological, and social).

Dempsey holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He Chairs the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Engineering at Kansas State University, where he was also named a 2012 Alumni Fellow.

Dempsey is vice chairman of the board for the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, and treasurer of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute. He also sits on the board of the National Urban League, the National Minority Supplier Development Council, and the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Dempsey is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), the preeminent membership organization for the development of global black leaders.

Dempsey was named by Savoy Magazine as one of the “2016 Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America.” He was also named a 2012 “Game Changer” by Politic365, and received the 2013 “Best of Black Business” Award for Visionary Leadership in Energy from the American Academy of Business and Commerce.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43513581)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43513599)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43515083)

Michelle Gadsden-Williams is the Managing Director, Inclusion & Diversity Lead – North America at Accenture. Previously, she was the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Ceiling Breakers LLC, a multi-faceted business focused on diversity consulting, media driven women’s empowerment initiatives and diverse entertainment investments, based in New York City.

Gadsden-Williams is the former Managing Director and Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Credit Suisse AG. She provided strategic direction, thought leadership and championed the development of an inclusive environment by integrating diversity practice into all aspects of the business. Michelle is a seasoned and highly sought after diversity practitioner with more than 20 years of experience working in the consumer goods and pharmaceutical industries before transitioning to financial services in 2011. She has held positions of global responsibility in the diversity management and staffing functions for large multi-national corporations such as Credit Suisse, Novartis and Merck & Co, Inc. Prior to her tenure at Merck & Co., Inc, Gadsden-Williams has also held positions in Human Resources and Product Development at Philips-Van Heusen Corporation and Wakefern Food Corporation both headquartered in New Jersey.

An exemplary role model and advocate for equality and social justice, Gadsden-Williams has worked tirelessly at refining processes, policies and programs that support an inclusive work environment. Examples include the design and deployment of global diversity strategies, the re-constitution of global diversity councils, the creation of innovative marketing strategies that target diverse consumers, the design and deployment of global diversity training curriculums and the creation of over 50 employee resource groups around the world. Her work has been cited in a number of research periodicals and trade publications in recent years.

Gadsden-Williams has acquired a number of community service awards and accolades for her work as a diversity practitioner. Most recently, she has been recognized as a 2015 Ebony Magazine Power 100 honoree. Over the span of her career, Gadsden-Williams has been profiled in Black Enterprise Magazine, DiversityInc, Diversity Executive, Ebony, Essence, Fortune, History Makers, Heart & Soul, Jet, New Vision, Science Magazine, Sister to Sister, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Target Market News and was recognized as one of 40 Outstanding Executives Under 40 in America in 2006 by the Network Journal early on in her executive career. Gadsden-Williams has consistently ranked as one of the Top 100 Executives in America by Uptown Magazine. In 2010 she was ranked #6 in the Top 25 Women of Substance in Healthcare, (#48) in 2011 and (#31) in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Her other notable tributes include: being named the 2010 recipient of the Maya Way Award for Diversity Leadership by the incomparable Dr. Maya Angelou, receiving the 2008 recipient of the Harvard Black Men’s Forum Businesswoman of the Year Award, accepting the Rainbow Push Coalition’s Bridge Builder Award by the honorable Rev Jesse L. Jackson and being recognized with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree from Kean University for her outstanding personal and professional accomplishments in the field of Diversity and Inclusion. In 2013, Gadsden-Williams was appointed as a member of the Global Advisory Council on Gender Parity for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Gadsden-Williams earned a B.S. in Marketing, a B.A. in Communications from Kean College of New Jersey and an M.S. in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and the Executive Leadership Council. Gadsden-Williams serves on several boards including the Jackie Robinson Foundation, Hip Hop Sisters Foundation, Black Girls Rock, the SLE Lupus Foundation and an Executive Committee Member of the Women’s Leadership Board of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Gadsden-Williams and her husband, David Jamal Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of Ceiling Breakers, LLC, live in New York City.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43514055)

At PMI, she is known for being incredibly proactive on inclusion and diversity (I&D)—she is a coach and mentor to other women, has built a women’s network at PMI and prior to her current role, worked

closely with senior leaders across the organization on workplace strategies and tactics to advance I&D.

Over the past months, she has successfully expanded the focus of the company’s I&D strategy and established a number of global Employee Resources Groups (including on gender, race and ethnicity, and LGBTQ+ inclusion) with the purpose of creating a space for community and connection among employees, and to foster a sense of belonging, visibility, and greater understanding of different experiences and dimensions of diversity at PMI.

Prior to PMI, she spent 12 years in leading research roles at the Coca-Cola Company, four years at Apollinaris & Schweppes and four years at Marbert Kosmetik. She began her career at Research International after earning her degree in mathematics from Ruhr University, Bochum in Germany.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43514081)

Jennifer most recently served as the Diversity and Inclusion Business Partner for Technology at Uber Technologies. Prior to that, she was a private DEI consultant for brands like Unilever and the Levo Institute. She also served as Visa’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, developing their first Leadership Development program for underrepresented communities and leading Visa’s first appearance in San Francisco’s Pride Parade.

Jennifer also worked as a member of the Center for Talent Innovation’s (CTI) leadership team. At CTI, she co-authored the study Misunderstood Millennial Talent: The Other 91 Percent, and managed the development and publication process of additional studies. She was also a member of Morgan Stanley’s Diversity team, where she helped to build and lead professional development programs, manage Employee Resource Groups, and deepen relationships with strategic external partners.

Jennifer holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Fairfield University. She is the proud daughter and sister of Haitian immigrants, and speaks Haitian Creole at home. She still resides in her home town of Brooklyn, NY.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43514087)

McCaskill had always defended her roles in supporting gays and lesbians at the university and gave evidence to that at her press conference.

“I fully support the members of the LGBT community as I support all groups across Gallaudet and its community,” McCaskill told the news conference.

“When I assumed my position we had an LGBTQA Resource Center that had been formed without funding,” she said. “It was simply an office. I relocated resources to provide support for the center because I believe that members of the LGBTQA community deserve more.”

Three months after her suspension, on January 7, 2012, while students and faculty were still on break, Hurwitz announced that McCaskill had returned to campus and assumed her full-time duties.

The news was received with joy from many quarters, but others raised concern as to how Gallaudet students and staff will recover now that McCaskill had returned to her position.

There were concerns that McCaskill, who was once liked and respected in the school, would now have her words and actions observed critically by LGBT advocates and their colleagues.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43514079)

brands understands

equity brings forth flavor

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43514997)

Angela manages all activity relating to diversity and inclusion (D&I) while also leading the recruiting team in driving inclusivity in Riot’s hiring and talent sourcing processes. As a member of Riot’s executive leadership team, Angela ensures D&I is tightly integrated into Riot’s broader strategy to identify, recruit, develop, and retain the best talent to make incredible experiences for players.

During her more than twenty years of human resource experience, Angela has held positions leading diversity and inclusion, talent management, and leadership development for companies in the technology, financial services, asset management, government, entertainment, and manufacturing industries. Prior to joining Riot, Angela was the Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Dropbox. Previously she provided human resource guidance to Fortune 500 companies including T. Rowe Price, Jones Lang LaSalle, Genworth Financial, Whirlpool Corporation, and Manpower International.

Angela has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work including Black Enterprise’s 150 Diversity Executive, The Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business, and 50 Out Front for Women’s Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion. She has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, The Diversity Journal, and The Commercial Real Estate Women’s Network. Angela studied at the University of Louisville and Roosevelt University.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43514171)

Mr. McMillion has served for several years as the chair of the Black Affairs Diversity Committee, which helps the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to advance objectives that affect African American employees and enhance minority recruitment, employment, and retention at FBI.

Mr. McMillion began his FBI career as a special agent in 1998 in the Omaha Field Office in Nebraska. He worked on several criminal investigative squads and was the senior team leader of the Evidence Response Team. In 2006, Mr. McMillion transferred to the Gallup Resident Agency of the Phoenix Field Office, where he investigated crimes in Indian Country.

He was promoted to supervisory special agent in 2008 and was assigned to the Cyber Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington. He was promoted to unit chief in 2010 and oversaw the Innocent Images National Initiative and Digital Analysis Research Center.

In 2013, Mr. McMillion transferred to the Criminal Investigative Division as a unit chief in the Strategic Initiatives Unit, Violent Crimes Against Children Section. He later moved to the Jacksonville Field Office in Florida, overseeing the Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, and Panama City Resident Agencies. Mr. McMillion transferred to the Inspection Division at Headquarters in 2018. He was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the Columbia Field Office in South Carolina, in charge of the National Security Branch, in 2019.

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. McMillion was a special agent for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology from Florida State University and a Master of Forensic Science from Nebraska Wesleyan University.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43514290)

that so much racial injustice

exists in society

that we need so many

diversity champions to bring

a tomorrow full of equal

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43515013)

Cyrus Salazar works at the Department of Defense.

Mr. Cyrus Salazar is the Department’s Chief Diversity Officer and serves as the Director of the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI). In this capacity, Mr. Salazar is responsible for overseeing the development and promulgation of policy and procedural guidance for the Department’s Military Equal Opportunity (MEO), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights, and Disability EEO programs. As ODEI Director, Mr. Salazar serves as the principal staff advisor to the Executive Director, Force Resiliency, on matters pertaining to oversight responsibility for the direction and enforcement of all DoD EEO and MEO policies affecting civilian and military personnel worldwide. In his current role, Mr. Salazar provides strategic guidance to DoD leadership; spearheads key DoD initiatives; and directs efforts to evaluate, enhance, and advance DoD policies and programs pursuant to the ODEI mission.

Prior to this assignment, Mr. Salazar served as the Director of Air Force Equal Opportunity where he administered Air Force-wide policy regarding military and civilian requirements covering complaint processing, human relations education, organizational climate assessments, affirmative employment and special emphasis programs, disability employment, and reasonable accommodation. He also served as Director of the Early Resolution and Conciliation Division within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In this capacity, he presided over USDA alternative dispute resolution policy for employment and program cases.

Mr. Salazar has more than 19 years of accomplished experience having served at all governmental echelons. He has held leadership and developmental positions with the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of Treasury, the Department of the Air Force and the National Institutes of Health. He served as Adjunct Faculty, teaching equal opportunity and alternative dispute resolution curriculum at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute and Ira C. Eaker Center for Professional Development, Maxwell AFB, AL. Additionally, in February 2011, Mr. Salazar volunteered to deploy in support of OPERATION NEW DAWN where he served as Policy Advisor with United States Forces – Iraq (USF-I). In this position, he oversaw the eMinistry initiative, a 25 million dollar investment to implement a human resources information system for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.

Mr. Salazar holds a Master of Science in Military Operational Art and Science from Air University and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from New Mexico State University.

The ODEI Director is responsible for overseeing the development and promulgation of policy and procedural guidance for the Department's Military Equal Opportunity (MEO), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Diversity and Inclusion, Civil Rights, and Disability EEO programs. The Director serves as the Department's Chief Diversity Officer and the principal staff advisor to the Executive Director, Force Resiliency, on matters pertaining to oversight responsibility for the direction and enforcement of all DoD EEO and MEO policies affecting civilian and military personnel worldwide.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43514330)

Prior to her current role, Hogan led the diversity recruiting team, spearheading new programs such as the firm’s Black Analyst and Associate Initiative and Neurodiversity Hiring Initiative, which provide mentorship and networking opportunities to Black and neurodiverse individuals, respectively. In addition, Hogan’s team partnered with teams across the firm to establish the Market Madness: HBCU Possibilities Program earlier this year, which recruits students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

She notes that she’s most proud of launching the neurodiversity initiative in 2019 on World Autism Day. “As a mother of a child with learning differences, it has been important for me both personally and professionally to create opportunities for children like mine who are exceptionally bright, but navigate the world differently,” said Hogan.

A Thread of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Throughout Prior Work

“Prior to joining the firm, there was a thread of advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in my corporate law work,” said Hogan. She worked as a litigation associate at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP covering white collar, insurance, and complex commercial cases and trials. During that period, Hogan dedicated significant time to pro bono cases, primarily representing immigrants seeking asylum. “I come from an immigrant family – my mother’s family came from the Dominican Republic to find better educational and economic opportunity for themselves and their children. It’s always been important to me to advocate for people seeking refuge from persecution as a way to pay it forward and allow others to find those same opportunities,” said Hogan.

During an externship, she also spent six months working for MFY Legal Services, where she provided legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers to resolve issues in the areas of housing and foreclosure. “A large part of my work was focused on identifying housing opportunities for people who had difficulty finding affordable housing,” Hogan said. “This included protecting them from private actors or individuals who might be biased against them.

Commenting on her decision to interview at Goldman Sachs, Hogan said: “I ultimately realized that I wanted to work on diversity, equity and inclusion full time.” She went on to say of the firm’s diversity and inclusion work in recent years: “We have done a lot of great work to level the playing field across recruiting, and opening up opportunities at the firm to an even greater array of candidates.”

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43515766)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43515768)

He joined Walmart in 2008, and previously served as senior vice president, strategic services, in Walmart Technology. In this role, Ben and his team were responsible for ISD (Information Systems Division) strategy, communication, innovation, vendor management, project management, business analysis, Global Technology Services (GTS) – India & Mexico and quality assurance.

Prior to joining Walmart, Ben worked 11 years at Dell Inc. where he progressed through several leadership positions before serving as vice president of corporate & product group information technology (IT). In this position, he directed teams in Texas, Shanghai, Taipei and Singapore. Ben also served as general manager of Dell’s IT Development Centers in Brazil and India. He gained broad experience in IT, human resources, rates and regulatory affairs and customer service early in his career across 14 years at ENSERCH Corporation, an energy company based in Dallas.

Ben was the 2006 recipient of the Temple University Fox School IT Award for Distinguished Alumni. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Amberton University in Dallas and a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a computer science concentration from Temple University in Philadelphia. Ben also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Ben is a board member for several national and local organizations, including the Walmart Foundation, Catalyst Board of Advisors, Ron Clark Academy (Atlanta), United Negro College Fund and Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43515770)

Prior to her selection as DIO, Sonya led the Director’s Advisory Group on Women in Leadership (DAG), which last month completed its five-year tenure. In her role overseeing the completion of the DAG effort, Sonya and her team successfully worked through the implementation plan stemming from the Study Group’s overall goal of increasing senior leadership opportunities for women at CIA and to improve opportunities for all employees.

Throughout her 34 year Agency career, Sonya has served in a range of impactful leadership positions at Langley and in the field within the Directorates of Support and Science and Technology, and in the Director’s Area. Sonya many career highlights include her Joint Duty role as the Chief of Staff in the Pentagon’s Human Capital Management Office; Program Manager for the Director’s External Advisory Board, as well as well as a number of key positions at CIA’s Recruitment Center, including a tour as the Southeast Regional Recruiter.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43515772)

Currently, Dr. Logan Smith serves as chief of equity and belonging for Teach for America where she continues to fight for educational equity and excellence for all children. Dr. Logan Smith also facilitates training seminars for rising corporate executives and diversity and inclusion initiatives. She has trained approximately 1,500 participants from Edward Jones, The Partnership of Boston, Nestle Purina, St Louis Chamber of Commerce, and St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative. After earning an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and graduating cum laude with her B.S. degree in Education (K-8) and Psychology from Lakeland College, she earned her Ph.D. from the School of Education at Cardinal Stritch University in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service. She has also served as adjunct faculty, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, management, and business for the university. She lives with her husband, Christopher, an executive coach with higher education and adult learning expertise and Ph.D. Candidate, in Jackson, Mississippi.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43515773)

Diversity on the Menu

By Irwin Speizer

Nov. 1, 2004

The midday fog spills over the hills like soapsuds and on past a Denny’s restaurant in a shopping mall near San Francisco.

Inside, the booths are retro-’50s style, the benches covered in orange plastic with cloth backs adorned in vaguely Aztec patterns. Rachelle Hood, chief diversity officer of Denny’s Corp., sits in a booth, part of the daily lunch rush that includes patrons and workers of every imaginable color and nationality.

The irony of the scene is not lost on her. In 1991, just a few miles south at a Denny’s in San Jose, a group of 18 African-American students who had stopped for a late-night snack were told they would have to pay a cover charge and prepay for their meals.

They launched a discrimination suit and were soon joined by dozens and then hundreds of other African-Americans around the country who complained of unequal, shoddy and sometimes rough treatment by the company.

The U.S. Justice Department investigated what would become the largest such case at the time under the public accommodations section of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Denny’s, which is headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina, settled the lawsuits in 1994 for $54 million. But the incident generated such bad publicity that the chain became tagged as one of the most racist companies in America.

What a difference a decade makes. Under Hood’s direction, the company spent millions on diversity initiatives that brought legions of new minority managers, franchisees and suppliers into a company run almost exclusively by white males. She was the nation’s first diversity officer to report directly to the CEO.

An irrepressible optimist, Hood has used her position of authority to guide Denny’s through a remarkable turnaround.

Women and minorities today make up half of Denny’s eight-member board of directors, and 45 percent of the 11-member senior management team. Minority owners hold 45 percent of Denny’s franchised restaurants.

Denny’s has also recovered ground with minority customers. A 1996 company survey found that only a third of African-Americans gave Denny’s good marks on measures such as respectful service; today, satisfaction totals from African-Americans range from the mid-70s to more than 80 percent.

About half of African-Americans linked Denny’s with discrimination in 1996; that has been whittled down to 14 percent today, and the company anticipates reaching 10 percent soon.

The change has been so swift and complete that by 1998, the company came in second on Fortune’s list of the 50 best companies in America for minorities. In 2000, the company was No. 1.

“What happened at Denny’s was a sea change,” says Elizabeth A. Sanders, a current member of Denny’s corporate board.

The tale of Denny’s diversity turnaround is a textbook example of how fast and far a company can progress with an aggressive strategy and strong leadership. But it also demonstrates the limits of what diversity can deliver. Denny’s may have conquered its discrimination demons, but it has yet to figure out how its diversified workforce can increase profits.

Denny’s is the nation’s largest family-style full-service restaurant chain, a company with more than 1,600 restaurants, $2.2 billion in annual revenue chainwide and 70,000 employees, including those who work at more than 1,000 franchises.

Groaning under hundreds of millions in debt and myriad operational problems, the company has been losing money for years. Although the losses have finally begun to decline and the company has begun reducing its debt, Denny’s still reported a net loss of $11.6 million for the first half of 2004.

For advocates of diversity who argue that effective diversity programs produce profits, the Denny’s experience seems to provide contrary evidence.

Company president and CEO Nelson Marchioli, who took over the job in 2001 and remains a strong proponent of diversity, says he has never been able to quantify the financial benefits from the millions of dollars and years of effort invested.

“If you think diversity is going to sell one more pancake, you’re crazy,” Marchioli declares.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4973175&forum_id=2#43519864)