Keynote Speaker Bio
Cultural Humility Part 1: Historical Context
Robert Edison, MS History & Civic Affairs
Distinguished Visiting Professor of American Studies on Race and Ethnicity at Oklahoma Christian University
Mr. Edison has devoted himself to a career of working in the field of public and museum education. Throughout the field of public education, he has taught both required and elective courses. He has a lifetime teaching certificate for secondary social studies from the State of Texas. As director of social studies, he established the Center for Cultural Understanding and conducted professional development on cultural competency. Mr. Edison also served as an advisor for the Dallas ISD Teen School Board, where he helped members to be proactive on their campuses in dealing with race and diversity issues. He has also managed several diversity grant programs including The American Indian Education Grant and Teaching American History Grant. His Public History Projects include Dallas ISD African American Cultural Heritage Center, Black Dallas Remembered, Juanita Craft Civil Rights House, and the Kathlyn Joy Gillium Civil Rights House. Mr. Edison has received multiple awards and accolades throughout his career of public and museum education including the Dallas Teacher of the Year, Outstanding Educator Award (East Texas State University), and the NAACP Juanita Craft Award in the field of Education. He has also served as the Director of Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture at the College of Charleston, and as the Curator of the Dallas ISD African American Cultural Heritage Center. He retired as the Director of Social Studies for the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) on June 1, 2017. Presently, he serves as Distinguished Visiting Professor of American Studies on Race and Ethnicity at Oklahoma Christian University, teaching Introduction to African American Studies. SLP Private Practice in Color is looking forward to Mr. Edison presenting his wealth of knowledge at the Cultural Humility Part 1: Historical Context Webinar.
Keynote Speaker Bio
Cultural Humility Part 2: Systematic Racism in the Health Field
Dr. Petrenia Davis-Jenkins M.D./M.B.A.
Board Certified Family Medicine Physician
It is with great pleasure that I introduce our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Petrenia Davis-Jenkins, M.D./ M.B.A.. Dr. Davis-Jenkins received her Executive M.B.A. from Auburn University and Medical Doctorate Wayne State University School of Medicine. She also served 4 years as a Flight Surgeon for the US Air Force. Dr. Davis-Jenkins is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician and is currently providing patient care at Memorial Family Medicine Practice in Jacksonville, Fl, and is a Locum Hospitalist at various hospitals in Savannah, Ga, and Jacksonville, Fl. Her passions include Preventative Health and Patient Education. She also served as a Flight Surgeon for the US Air Force. Dr. Davis-Jenkins is also a member of the National Medical Association (NMA) which is the oldest and largest organization of African American Physicians and Health Professionals in the United States. She has chosen the NMA as the organization that we will donate to because of their continued fight to close the racial disparities in the health field since their inception in 1895. We are looking forward to her insight on racial disparities that disproportionately impact the Black Community...Please register through the events section of our website.
Keynote Speaker Bio
Cultural Humility Part 3: Systematic Racism in Education
Dr. Dianne Hawkins, Ed.D
Special Education Director, Ft. Worth ISD
It is with great pleasure that I introduce our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Dianne Hawkins Ed,D. She graduated from The University of Texas at Tyler in the spring of 1981 with a Master of Education Degree in Special Education. Concurrently, she completed related course work and holds certifications in the areas of Mid-Management Administrator, Educational Diagnostics, Program Supervision, Supervision, and Generic Special Education. Over the course of more than thirty years as a professional educator, Dr. Hawkins has served major urban, suburban and rural school districts in various capacities including Speech and Language Pathologist, Special Education Teacher, Educational Diagnostician, Program Administrator, and Executive Special Education Director. She is currently employed by the Fort Worth Independent School District as a Special Education Director supporting Transition Services, Parental, Campus and Administration Engagement, as well as the Equity Initiative for the division. In August of 2017, Doctor Hawkins completed requirements at Texas Wesleyan University for the Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction along with Superintendent’s Certification. Dr. Hawkins serves as an Adjunct Professor in both the Schools of Education and Graduate Studies at Texas Wesleyan University.
Dr. Suzanne Williams, PhD., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
It is with great pleasure that I introduce our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Suzanne Williams Ed,D. With over 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Williams is a licensed speech-language pathologist currently working for River Forest Public Schools inRiver Forest, Illinois. In her position, she provides diagnostic and intervention services to students ranging in age from 3-14 years of age with varying communication disorders. Her prior work experiences include working in
Chicago Public Schools and with the Easter Seal Society of Chicago. In all
these employment contexts, she has serviced students with a diagnosis of
Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, apraxia, learning disabilities, Nonverbal
Learning Disability, and Autism Spectrum Disorders, to name a few.
Dr. Williams is also an adjunct instructor in the Department of Communication
Sciences and Disorders at Elmhurst College, where she teaches
undergraduate and graduate courses in language development, language
assessment and intervention in young children, and counseling and
professional issues. She is a member of the American Speech Language
Hearing Association and the Illinois Speech Language Hearing Association.
Our Keynote Speakers
MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
HR Leader with The Walt Disney Company
It is our pleasure to introduce our Keynote Speaker for Part 4 of the Cultural Humility Series, Intersectionality: Race x Gender in the workplace, Keivin Kilgore. Keivin Kilgore received his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Speech Communication from Wabash College of Liberal Arts at Indiana. He then went on to receive his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management. He also received his Senior Designations from the Human Resources Institute and Society of Human Resources Management (SPHR, SHRM-SCP). Keivin is currently the HR Leader for The Walt Disney Company. With over 15 yrs of HR Executive Experience in Healthcare and Non-Profit Sectors. We are excited to gain his insight and learn from his expert opinion. #letsgrowtogether
Our Keynote Speakers
Michael Green, Jr., M. Ed.
Dean of Culture and Instruction for
Uplift Education
It is our pleasure to introduce our Keynote Speaker for Part 5 of the Cultural Humility Series, The Push for Equity, Michael Green, Jr. Michael received his undergraduate from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, affectionately known as A&T. A&T is considered a Historically Black College and University, located in Greensboro N.C., and it is here where Michael first deeply connected to his purpose in equity and inclusion. Although he initially majored in accounting, most of his time was spent working and volunteering in juvenile detention centers, group homes, and early middle college programs. These endeavors were informed by Michael’s desire to merge his love for kids and his dedication to fighting for the inclusion of underrepresented people. Following his tenure at A&T, Michael worked for a short time in the field of accounting, but ultimately found his true calling and returned home to begin working for the Texas Public School system. Since this life-changing revelation, Mr. Green has received his masters in special education and gained various experiences to include: 6th grade math instructor, educational grant manager, non-profit director, and motivational speaker. In 2008 Michael Co-founded Motivational Goals LLC, a mentoring and speaking firm that he credits for providing the opportunity for him to utilize his diversity in education to empower students and parents of all backgrounds. Michael currently serves as the Dean of Culture and Instruction for Uplift Education, where he impacts teacher practices and influences the way schools provide culturally sound educational experiences for all students. In light of recent events, he has also formed an alliance of African American educators, called Black Men For! The main objective of this group is to eliminate systematic racism in education once and for all! The creation of Black Men is a direct result of racial unrest in America and Michael’s belief that education can be one of the best catalysts for change. We are excited to gain his insight and learn from his expert opinion. #letsgrowtogether
Our Keynote Speakers
Ciera Haynes, CPA, EA
Owner, Ciera Haynes CPA, PLLC
Our Keynote Speaker for Pt. 1 of our How to Start a Private Practice Series is Ciera Haynes. Ciera Haynes, the owner of Ciera Haynes CPA, PLLC is a licensed Texas CPA who specializes in providing virtual accounting services to female service-based businesses. Ciera earned her BBA in Business Management from the University of Houston and began her professional career as a Middle School and High School math and business education teacher. After 4 years of teaching, and feeling unfulfilled in her career, Ciera enrolled in the Certificate of Accountancy program at the University of Houston, a postgraduate program that allowed her to gain the hours that she needed to sit for the Texas CPA Exam.
While enrolled in the CAP program, Ciera began working at a local University in the accounting department, where she quickly learned the basics of accounting. Over the next couple of years, Ciera would work for several public Oil & Gas companies within Houston, TX, where she worked in Revenue Accounting and within the Internal and External Financial Reporting departments.
Ciera started her practice in 2015 to help individuals legally lower their tax liability, through accurate tax preparation and planning. She eventually expanded her business to include virtual bookkeeping and payroll services as more clients began to come to her at year-end, without having the proper financials in place. Within her practice, Ciera likes to incorporate her past experience as an educator to not only perform the monthly accounting and tax preparation for her clients, but to also educate them on what the numbers and ratios means, in order for them to better understand the financials of their business. Ciera likes to describe her approach with her clients as one of "girlfriends having a conversation about finances". She strives to take the "uncomfortableness" out of having conversations about money and tries to break the conversation down so that a non-accountant can understand their numbers. We look forward to the wealth of knowledge Mrs. Haynes will disseminate during our Starting and Keeping up the business webinar.
Ciera can be reached at info@CieraHaynesCPA.com and at www.CieraHaynesCPA.com, where you can book a complimentary discovery call, to discuss your business needs.
Our Keynote Speakers
Candice Haley, Esq
Owner, Haley Law, PLLC
Candice P. Haley is the founding Attorney of HALEY LAW, PLLC representing clients in Estate Planning, Probate, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury & Contractual Matters. A native of Dallas, TX, she is a graduate of The Southern University Law Center where she earned her Juris Doctorate Degree. Candice also holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Government - Legal Studies from Texas Woman’s University.
An advocate for THE PEOPLE, Candice strongly detests the wrongful treatment and overlooking of others. Her dream has been to defend the rights of others and to provide a voice to voiceless. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best,...
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
Our Keynote Speakers
Olivia Heyward, Branding Specialist
Owner, OH Creative Boutique
Our Keynote Speaker for this week is Branding Specialist, Olivia Heyward. Olivia Heyward, owner of a OH Creative Boutique has nearly 12 years experience as a brand designer, Olivia’s background and graphic design and brand development provides a fresh perspective for not only from a design aspect but for branding strategy as well. She is passionate about helping women entrepreneurs to create authentic brand and to develop strategies to launch or expand their business. She is also partnered with Tallahassee woman magazine as creative director.
Our Keynote Speakers
Stephen Edwards, EMR & Billing Specialist
Owner, EEP Billing Agency
Our Keynote Speaker this week to discuss billing and electronic medical records is Stephen Edwards. Stephen Edwards started Edwards Electronic Processing 25 years ago with his wife, Roxanne. Prior to working at EEP, Stephen was in retail management for 10 years. His last position in retail was as District Manager with Phar-Mor Drugs. His district consisted of 14 stores with annual sales of over $120 million. Stephen has been managing EEP for over 15 years and has increased sales over 10% every year. He has worked hands-on in every department of the billing agency. This has given him an understanding of all aspects of billing, as well as the ability to consult with EEP’s clients on a real-world level. Stephen keeps the focus of EEP on customer service and accuracy. We are excited about the wealth of knowledge he will disseminate in Pt 4: EMR and Billing of our How to Start a Private Practice Series.
Let's Talk Dialect Speakers
Dr. D. Latimer-Hearn
PH.D. CCC-SLP
"Respect the Dialect"
It is our pleasure to introduce one of our expert panelists for the Let's Talk Dialect discussion, Dr. Latimer Hearn. Dionna Latimer-Hearn completed her Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership for
Changing Populations at Notre Dame of Maryland University in Baltimore, MD. Her research focuses on African American English, service delivery for culturally and linguistically diverse populations, and race and class inequities in education. In addition to leading the Respect The Dialect Facebook group, Dr. Latimer-Hearn is co-founder and director of REACT Initiative, a Christian nonprofit organization that advocates for equity in education. She has served as a multilingual speech-language pathologist and international educational consultant since 2002, holding positions in France, Illinois, Japan, Maryland, and Texas.
Dr. J Berry, PH.D. CCC-SLP
Author of, "The Little Gullah Geeche Book"
It is our pleasure to introduce one of our our expert panelist for the Let's Talk Dialect discussion, Dr. J. Berry. Dr. Jessica Berry is a Gullah Geechee native of Huger, South Carolina. She is a wife, mother, scholar, and passionate advocate for the recognition, celebration, and inclusion of Gullah Geechee in mainstream culture. Dr. Berry is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist who received her Bachelor's degree from Winthrop, Master's degree from South Carolina State and Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. She is the acting chairperson and assistant professor in the department of speech pathology and audiology at South Carolina State University. Her research focuses on child language disorders in the context of regional dialect variation. Dr. Berry is the recipient of the 2019 ASHA Language Journal Editor's award. She. enjoys educating others about modern Gullah Geechee culture and language and her favorite saying is, “Gullah Geechee bin ya, een gwine nowhere!”
Jordyn Carroll, MS, CCC-SLP
IG "Jrc_theslp"
It is our pleasure to introduce one of our expert panelists for the Let's Talk Dialect discussion, Jordyn Carrol. Jordyn is a school-based speech-language pathologist in Washington, D.C. She specializes in culturally responsive therapy and child language development. Jordyn emphasizes the importance of being the person you needed when you were younger. She creates products and materials with the intention of serving as representation both in and outside the field of speech-language pathology.
Dr. J. Jackson, PH.D. CCC-SLP
"Speaking Strategies, Inc."
It is our pleasure to introduce one of our expert panelists for the Let's Talk Dialect discussion, Dr. J. Jackson. Dr. Jackson is a native of San Diego, California. She received her doctorate from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where she contributed to the development of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation (DELV) tests, non-biased language assessments, published by Ventris Publishing. She was a post-doctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Jackson is president of Speaking Strategies Inc. and a clinical service provider for Dekalb County School District in Georgia. She has served as a faculty member at various universities including the University of Texas-Austin and the University of South Carolina. She has also taught internationally at the Graduate School of Linguistics, in Liden, Netherlands. For close to 30 years, Dr. Jackson has presented research on African American English at national and international conferences including the International Workshop on SLI Research in Groningen, Netherlands, The American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, The National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing, and the Society for Research in Child Development. Dr. Jackson has authored book chapters and her work has been published in a variety of journals including The Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, Developmental Psychology, Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistic, and Topics in Language Disorders. Dr. Jackson’s greatest accomplishment is being a single adoptive parent. She is the proud mother of her 11-year-old daughter, Bria.
SLPS Empowering Communities Conference 2020
Dr. J. Jackson, PH.D. CCC-SLP
Dr. Jackson is president of Speaking Strategies Inc. and a clinical service provider for Dekalb County School District in Georgia. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she contributed to development of the Diagnostic Evaluation of Language Variation (DELV) non-biased assessments. She has presented research on African American English and non-biased assessment nationally and internationally. Her research has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, Developmental Psychology, Studies in Theoretical Psycholinguistic, and Topics in Language Disorders.
Dorothy Gaspard, MS CCC-SLP
Dorothy Gaspard-St. Cyr is a Haitian-American speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience providing speech therapy services to pediatric and adult populations in school, and private practice settings. She has extensive experience treating a variety of language disorders including apraxia, ASD, DLD, fluency, and cognitive impairments. As a Director of Clinical Operations for private practice, Dorothy mentored and supervised graduate students and new clinicians in their clinical fellow year. Currently, she is a faculty clinical instructor at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington DC where she teaches, and supervisors graduate student clinicians in preparation for the field of speech pathology.
Jordyn Carroll, MS, CCC-SLP
Jordyn Carroll, M.S., CCC-SLP is a school-based speech-language pathologist specializing in child language development, culturally-responsive therapy, and advocating for BIPOC both in and outside of the field. She owns a small business, JRC the SLP, that entails providing courses and learning opportunities related to cultural responsiveness, creating diverse therapy materials, consulting, selling meaningful apparel, and servicing private clients. Jordyn uses her social media platform to continue advocating for BIPOC—especially Black children, push for diversity, and emphasize “being the person you needed when you were younger.”
Christina Navas, MS CCC-SLP
Christina Navas is a licensed and certified Speech-Language Pathologist from the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from San Francisco State University. She has worked in public education and has worked with students from preschool to high school, as well as per diem at a skilled nursing facility and in early intervention. Christina started SLPs of Color as an online community back in February 2019 after being inspired by conversations she and friends had regarding the racial disparities within our profession. In June of this year she and the team at SLPs of Color were able to file for nonprofit status. The mission of the nonprofit is to connect, support and empower the community and recruit diverse students and clinicians to enter our field. She believes in being a life long learner, she values authentic connections, and she’s passionate about helping others.
James Hammond, Financial Consultant
Owner of SMG Financial
Owner of SMG Financial
James Hammond started his career in finance in banking. He got Securities lIcensed with one of the largest firms in America and has brought in over $890,000 in assets. He’s an award winning presenter and has traveled all over the country presenting and teaching on retirement. In 2020 he decided to start his own financial practice to help educate and promote growth within disadvantaged communities.
