To promote unity and diversity and inspire new leaders who are committed to both, the University of Phoenix (UOPX) is kicking off a free webinar series this week for the general public through its Office of Educational Equity. 

These live forums are meant to create a space to have “crucial conversations” to bring about real change, said Saray Lopez, director of student diversity and inclusion for the office.   

“The reason we want to make these conversations so diverse is because our students are truly diverse. We have more than 56 percent minority students and our students work across different industries so we want to look at how we are serving these students, how we are having these conversations, and how we are educating not only our students and our alumni but our community to actively contribute to a culturally complex society,” Lopez said.

As one of the largest for-profit universities in the United States, the Phoenix-based has a massive network of alliances with professional organizations, associations, councils, commissions, school districts and alumni to affect leadership thought and action.  

“We’re bringing together key individuals that are making a great impact in different spaces that would not technically come together otherwise, to engage in crucial conversations and discuss topics affecting our communities, industries and society at large,” Lopez said.   

Business involvement encouraged 

Ultimately, the goal of the new monthly webinars is to improve equity and inclusion from the classroom to the boardroom, said Lopez, who has been a force for diversity and inclusion in Arizona.    

Lopez earned the 2019 Inclusive Leader Award by the in Phoenix for her work in building stronger relationships between the university and regional community groups, chambers of commerce and employers.

A holistic approach is what works best, she said. Corporate involvement is a key component. Lopez hopes the webinars can inspire employers and organizations to improve diversity through actions in their day-to-day practices, hiring procedures, and approaches to fostering an inclusive culture “because it impacts our key stakeholders which are our students.” 

Panelists are global leaders in equity and organizational change  

The first, entitled: Fostering Unity while Addressing Inequities, is Thursday, June 25 at 11 a.m. and will feature international experts on diversity. 

Among the speakers are Dr. Shawn C. Todd-Boone, of UOPX who has received international recognition for his research and work in community building, community policing, and violence prevention, and Jim Massey, a globally recognized expert on diversity and inclusion and organizational change.

Other panelists are Dr. Linda Groomes Walton, an expert on diversity management who founded Achieving My Purpose, Inc., of Scottsdale, that supports women to discover their life’s purpose; and Dr. Jeff McGee, founder and CEO of Cross-Cultural Dynamics in Mesa that provides diversity and cultural training for companies and organizations. 

The moderator is Dr. Jamal Watson, editor-at-large at Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and professor and director of graduate studies for the Strategic Communication and Public Relations program at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C. 

Topics of discussion during the first webinar will be:

·      Systemic racism

·      The role of higher education

·      Allyship and advocacy

·      Leading inclusively in times of crisis

·      Equity and social justice

To register for the free webinar, go to:  

Public input wanted 

The university also is seeking input from the public about topics it wants to be educated on in the monthly webinars, said Tondra Richardson, director of student diversity and inclusion for the Office of Educational Equity. 

“We’re tying the webinar series to what’s going on in our society to provide a means of education for our students, faculty, other DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) practitioners and the general public,” Richardson said. “We’ve designed this around feedback we have received regarding what resources and education people are seeking and we’re pulling leaders both from within the university and other industries to bring that knowledge.”

Anyone interested in sharing a topic they would like to learn more can send an email to: content@phoenix.edu.

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Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, has been named to serve on a national steering committee for a U.S. Chamber of Commerce initiative to improve economic equity and opportunity for people of color. 

The goal is to engage hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses, chambers and trade associations to help make it happen. 

With Minneapolis police officers now charged with the murder of George Floyd, America needs to use this as the turning point, he said. 

“We all have much to learn from the senseless killing of George Floyd and this moment in the nation’s history—I know I do,” Hamer said. “I welcome this appointment as someone who doesn’t have all the answers, but who has a real desire to ensure that all Americans have access to an even playing field and a future defined by hope and opportunity.”

The U.S. Chamber unveiled the last week in the midst of national outrage as a video went viral showing Floyd’s murder at the hands of four police officers on Memorial Day.

Call to the business community to take action 

The goal of the initiative is to engage hundreds, if not thousands, of chambers, trade associations and companies to participate and improve racial equity in their communities, Hamer said. 

He said, as a Jewish ‘kid’ from the Bronx, he was honored and humbled to be chosen for the committee. 

“The opportunities offered by this country should be open and available to all Americans, not just some,” he said.

Employment rates tell the story 

As part of the effort, the U.S. Chamber, representing more than 3 million businesses, will also promote policy at all levels of government to help effect change. 

The initiative will focus on four areas: education, employment, entrepreneurship, and criminal justice reform. 

The numbers show the need for a renewed effort, said Suzanne Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber in a statement announcing the initiative last week. 

The unemployment rate is historically about twice as high for black Americans as for white.

“The combined impacts of the pandemic and economic crises have disproportionately hit disadvantaged communities, making this problem worse,” Clark said. “The chamber believes that the moral case for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace is indisputable, and there’s overwhelming evidence that greater diversity benefits the American economy, businesses, communities and employees.”

Other programs to improve racial opportunity

The national initiative builds on other programs that U.S. Chamber has initiated or supports including:

-The U.S. Chamber Foundation’s that works to move students of color into high demand careers. 

-Partnering with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation on the that emphasizes the positive economic aspects of racial justice and higher employment,  like meaningful increases in consumer spending; federal, state, and local tax revenues; and decreases in social services spending and health-related costs.

-The , a collaboration with black colleges and universities to develop diverse business leaders by exposing students to new career opportunities and entrepreneurship, and encourage knowledge sharing among academics, business leaders, and trade associations.

Steering committee members from different industries, regions

In Hamer’s appointment to the steering committee, he joins five other business and chamber executives from different industries and geographies: 

-John Harmon, founder, president, and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey

-Susan Neely, president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers

-Vincent B. Orange, Sr., president and CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce

-Carlos Phillips, president and CEO of the Greenville (South Carolina) Chamber of Commerce

-Matt Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation

Hamer also chairs the U.S. Chamber’s Commerce Committee of 100, a group of chamber executives that represent the perspectives and needs of chambers and their members to the national body.

As the president of the Arizona Chamber, Hamer has taken an international role in promoting Arizona to have strong relationships with trade and intellectual partner countries like Canada, China, Israel, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. 

For more information about the Arizona Chamber, go to: .For more information about the U.S. Chamber, go to: .

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