Let’s Talk Diversity

The Greater Pittsburgh business and nonprofit community is invited to a free symposium on April 13, 2012 entitled “Let’s Talk Diversity.”  The symposium, organized by Working Diversity, Inc., and hosted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, will feature a panel of five Pittsburgh executives with major employment diversity responsibilities.  The panel will lead a participatory discussion about the challenges and rewards of employment diversity initiatives, and share perspectives on best practices employers can use to start or invigorate those initiatives.

These individuals work at the forefront of diversity initiatives in their respective organizations.  They are eager to help their fellow Pittsburghers learn from their experience.  Any individual who works for a Pittsburgh-area organization, and who wants to increase the diversity of that organization, will leave the symposium with ideas and strategies they can immediately implement.

The symposium panelists will be:

• Bridgette Cofield, Senior Manager, Diversity & Employee Relations, FedEx Ground
• Chaz Kellem, Manager of Diversity Initiatives, Pittsburgh Pirates
• Jamie Scarano, Director of Integrated Inclusion Strategy, UPMC
• Chris Weiss, Director of Recruiting – Midwest/Central Regions, and Executive Diversity Council Member, Aerotek
• Susan Yohe, Managing Shareholder of the Pittsburgh Office and Shareholder In Charge of Diversity (Firmwide), Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney P.C.

 The “Let’s Talk Diversity” symposium will be held on Friday, April 13, 2012 at 3:00 PM in the Teplitz Auditorium, Ground Floor, Barco Law Building, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 3900 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA  15260.  There is no charge to attend.  Advance registration is encouraged, but not required.  Interested persons may register online at www.workingdiversity.org. 

 Contact:
Paul Henry Hawkins, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Working Diversity, Inc.
Telephone: 412-441-4441
Email: info@workingdiversity.org

The WPDI Annual Meeting has been post-poned until mid-June 2012.  Please keep an eye on on your inbox for an announcement of the new date, time, and place. 

The events committee is hard at work securing a great keynote speaker, followed by WPDI’s annual business meeting and networking lunch.  Members and Non-members are welcome to attend.

Save the date and prepare to get connected!  Join WPDI for happy hour on Wednesday, April 19th from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.  at a popular downtown Pittsburgh location.

All are welcome to attend.  The goal is to connect WPDI members who are committed to recruiting and retaining diverse talent with HR professionals, Western PA professional-level job seekers, and other non-profit organizations who assist in placing professional diverse candidates with Western PA employers. 

Appetizers and cash bar will be available.

Registration and Locaction coming soon.

Presented by the Pennsylvania Diversity Council
Location:  Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA
www.padiversitycouncil.org

Discussion topics:

• Cross Cultural Leadership: Women Bridging the Racial Divide
• Hints to maintain your “Value” During Shaky Economic Times
• Winning at the Game of Office Politics
• Speaking Up: Being Your Best Advocate
• Breaking through Middle Management

Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity Presents “A Time for Innovation”
March 20-22, 2012, Minneapolis Convention Center

 The 24th annual conference will feature three keynotes from high-profile global leaders, 64 sessions within eight tracks, a career fair, diversity awards, plus opportunities to network and share best practices. The theme, “A Time for Innovation,” will spark insightful conversation in addition to providing smart, practical, ready-to-use tools for people who believe that advancing diversity and inclusion is not just a moral imperative but a competitive advantage in today’s global economy.

The forum is designed for professionals who manage a diverse workforce or are responsible for diversity within organizations of all sizes. It also is recommended for anyone working with a multicultural clientele. Attendees come for the Forum’s unique, expertly curated presentation of the field’s most passionate thought leaders, fresh perspectives and innovative ideas related to diversity and inclusion.

WPDI Members receive a discounted rate by using the following registration codes:

PDI-Pre-conference only – 12Group2a
Day 1, or Day 2 or Full conference – 12Group2b
Pre-Conference and full conference – 12Group2c

Full details and Registration:  http://www.stthomas.edu/mcf

UPMC vs. Highmark:  Where Do We Go From Here?

8:30 a.m.                     Continental Breakfast
8:30 – 10:30 a.m.        Program / Q & A

If you live in Western Pennsylvania, the topic of health care is certainly on your mind.  How will the UPMC – Highmark dispute affect your business, your employees, and you personally?  How did the dispute come about in the first place?  Where does it stand today?  What will the impact be if the two healthcare giants fail to come to terms?  How do we all prepare for that possibility?  Can the government step in, and will they?

 Join WPDI on Wednesday, January 11, 2012, at the WPDI Office as Representative Dan Frankel and Elliot Dinkin, President & CEO of Cowden Associates, Inc. provide a comprehensive overview of the UPMC – Highmark situation.  This is more than a contract renewal issue.  We will look at the healthcare system structure and how that has contributed to the current status.  They will also discuss disruption in the marketplace and issues of access as well as answer any questions you may have.

Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and learn what you can do to prepare!

Register

LeMont Restaurant
1114 Grandview Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15221

Ticket prices are the following:

WPDI, PAHRP, PHRA, & SHRM Members
$75.00-Single
$100.00-Couple
$650 per table of 10

Non-Members
$100-Single
$200-Couple

Celebrate the diversity and economic development of Pittsburgh at a fundraiser that guarantees to yield a positive investment in our community. Come enjoy the musical sounds of the Kevin Howard Trio, a WPDI Silent Auction, and delicious cuisine at Pittsburgh’s famous LeMont Restaurant overlooking our beautiful City. We know you will enjoy the fabulous festivities at our “Inclusivity Party”.

To top off the evening, WPDI is honored to welcome Mr. Eric Peterson, Manager of Diversity & Inclusion for the Society for Human Resource Management, as our guest speaker. WPDI is pleased to collaborate with the Pittsburgh Human Resource Association and the Human Resources Certification Institute to offer recertification credits for attendees.

Please join us for a night to remember with collaborative partners of the Western Pennsylvania region. This fundraising event kicks off the 2011-2012 WPDI Speaker Series. Please register on-line at www.wpdiversity.org for an evening of fun, dialogue, and an opportunity to participate in a spectacular Silent Auction filled with wonderful items for bid. If you are not a member of the WPDI family, please contact our office to learn about membership so that you can take advantage of the membership rate. Don’t miss out on the party!

Click here to register for the event.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011 – 4:00p.m.-9:00p.m.
Regional Learning Alliance
850 Cranberry Woods Drive
Cranberry Twp., PA 16066
724-741-1000

Glade Run Lutheran Services, in collaboration with the Western Pennsylvania Diversity Initiative, is sponsoring two Career and Recruitment Fairs. If you desire is a career in the Human Services field plan to attend one or both of these upcoming events to begin the process of joining the Glade Run team!

MISSION

Our mission, Linking Faith and Service, guides us to continually meet the most pressing social service needs in our communities. Glade Run helps numerous people throughout Pennsylvania and surrounding areas through a broad continuum of care regardless of race, gender, age sexual orientation or religion.

Glade Run is a not-for-profit organization serving various communities in the Pittsburgh area. Our clients include children, youth, familes and adults with mental and behavioral health conditions. Services are provided in four locations including Beaver Falls, Butler, Pittsburgh and Zelienople, Pennsylvania. Community and Residential programs along with our licensed private school, St. Stephens Lutheran Academy, enable us to provide excellent care and educational opportunities for the clients we serve.

We are seeking candidates to consider for employment in positions including:

– Direct Care Workers,

– Teachers and Teacher Assistants

– School Based Behavioral Supports

– Nurses (RN’s and LPN’s)

– Behavioral Specialist Consultants

– Blended Case Managers

– Mobile Therapists

– Outpatient Therapists

– Therapeutic Staff supports

– Case Managers

For more information go to bit.ly/gladerunhires. We hope to see you are our events!

At Glade Run Lutheran Services people are shown a bridge to a brighter future. Our overall goal is to join with children, adults and families to help them lead a life filled with promise and success. Whether in homes, schools, communities or on our

325-acre campus in Zelienople, we offer a safe, healing environment and innovative programming. We believe that we can best help people move along a continuum from wounded to wellness by working together to address mental health, behavioral health, educational and vocational needs.

Glade Run is committed to the Sanctuary Model of organizational leadership, which is based on an understanding of how trauma affects individual clients, their families and their communities. The Sanctuary Model encompasses safety, communication, emotional intelligence, social learning, shared governess, social responsibility, growth and change.

Click here to register for the event.

WPDI Office
414 Grant Street
City-County Bldg., Room 920
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

This event is $10.00 for Members
$20.00 for Non-Members

Globalization is bringing people together from around the world, creating a global economy and work environment that require increased and effective communication between cultures.

Communication is at the heart of cross-cultural understanding. People from other countries and cultures show subtle differences in their ways of thinking and communicating. Understanding these differences and how they impact day-to-day work life is essential for reaching organizational goals as well as for achieving and maintaining successful personal working relationships.

This interactive, participative workshop will provide guidelines and information on how to communicate more clearly, efficiently and considerately with people from other cultures, especially with those who speak English as a second language.

Rhonda Coast , President of International Development Resources and Lynda Stuckey , President of ClearlySpeaking, LLC are our two presenters for this event.

Click here to register for the event.