2013 USBLN® 16th Annual Conference Keynote Biographies
The USBLN® would like to thank our esteemed 2013 Keynote Presenters:
Keith P. Wiedenkeller, SPHR
Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer
AMC Entertainment
Chair, US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
Jill Houghton
Executive Director
US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
Michael Johnson
Director, Diversity & Inclusion
McKesson Corporation
Richard Schroder
Manager, Inclusion & Diversity
GlaxoSmithKline
Steve Pemberton
Chief Diversity Officer
Walgreens
Nikki Alphonse
Corporate Director,
EEO/Compliance & Workplace Accommodations
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Jorge Perez Izquierdo
Senior Vice President
Manpower North America
Deborah Dagit
President
Deb Dagit Diversity LLC
Cynthia Collver
Director, Enterprise HR Compliance
Raytheon Company
Vice-Chair, NILG
The Honorable Kathy Martinez
Assistant Secretary,
Office of Disability Employment Policy
U.S. Department of Labor
Nate Finch
Student Advisory Council Vice-Chair
US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
Preety Kumar
Chief Executive Officer
Deque Systems, Inc.
Richard E. Marriott
Chairman of the Board, Host Hotels & Resorts
President and Trustee, Marriott Foundation
Apoorva Gandhi
Vice President, Multi-Cultural Markets & Alliances
Marriott International, Inc.
Kevin Webb
Director
Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation
Tony Billinger
Director of Corporate Supplier Diversity
OfficeMax
Katy Jo Meyer
Sr. Global Diversity & Inclusion Manager
Microsoft Corporation
Ari Ne’eman
President and Co-Founder
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Marcus Tuck
Career Link Program Mentee
US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
Mike Corbo
General Manager & Senior Vice President
Mitsubishi Electric US
Darlene Fuller
Senior Director, Supplier Diversity
Sodexo
KEITH P. WIEDENKELLER
Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, AMC Entertainment Inc. (AMC)
Chair, US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
Keith P. Wiedenkeller is senior vice president and chief people officer for AMC
Entertainment Inc. (AMC). In this position, Wiedenkeller is responsible for all
aspects of human resources including recruitment, diversity, training,
organizational development, compensation & benefits, recognition,
community relations, internal communication and employee relations.
Wiedenkeller started in “the business” as an usher in 1975. He began his career with AMC as a manager
in 1985, working his way up through various operations and human resources roles before being named
to his current role in 2002.
During his tenure at AMC, Wiedenkeller has been instrumental in developing and implementing a
variety of ground-breaking initiatives. His efforts have earned the company numerous awards, including
recognition as “Best Large Employer” from the Missouri Governor’s Council on Disability and “Best Place
to Work” from Ingram’s Magazine and the Kansas City Business Journal.
Wiedenkeller earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City and has
been certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) for over a decade. He currently
serves as president and founding member of the Business Leadership Network of Greater Kansas City.
His insights on human resources are featured regularly in his column, “The People Factor,” in Film
Journal International magazine. He is also a top-ranked speaker, presenting on HR topics at numerous
local, state and national seminars and conferences.
Wiedenkeller resides in the Kansas City area with his wife of 28 years.
JILL HOUGHTON
Executive Director
US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
Jill Houghton was appointed as the Executive Director of the US Business
Leadership Network® (USBLN®) in October 2011 after serving as the
Interim Executive Director for 10 months.
The US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®) is a national non-profit
that helps business drive performance by leveraging disability inclusion in the workplace, supply chain,
and marketplace. The USBLN® serves as the collective voice of over 50 Business Leadership Network
affiliates across the United States, representing more than 5,000 businesses.
Additionally, the USBLN® Disability Supplier Diversity Program® (DSDP) is the nation's leading third party
certification program for disability-owned businesses, including businesses owned by service-disabled
veterans.
Ms. Houghton has over 22 years of diverse leadership experience at the federal, state and local levels to
advance the employment and economic self-sufficiency of all people with disabilities. Most recently, Jill
served as the Executive Director of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel from
February 2005 until its legislative sunset in January, 2008. The bi-partisan Panel was comprised of twelve
private citizens and was housed independently within the Social Security Administration in Washington
D.C. The Panel's charge was to advise the President, Congress and the Commissioner of Social Security
on the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program and issues related to work incentives programs,
planning and assistance for individuals with disabilities.
Ms. Houghton is a graduate of the University of Kansas and served as an intern for Senator Robert J.
Dole in the United States Senate. Ms. Houghton was appointed in 2009 by Governor Charlie Crist to
serve a three year term on the Florida's Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged and has also
served on numerous boards at the national, state and local levels.
JORGE PEREZ IZQUIERDO
Senior Vice President
Manpower – North America
Jorge Pérez Izquierdo is senior vice president of Manpower North
America. In this role, he oversees ManpowerGroup’s staffing business in
the United States and Canada. During his tenure with Manpower North
America, Pérez Izquierdo has increased sales, productivity and profitability
by redefining the business’ market strategy and delivery models and
optimizing its operations.
Pérez Izquierdo joined ManpowerGroup in 1994 and was quickly promoted to managing director of the
Manpower Mexico, Central America and the Dominican Republic region. During his seven-year tenure in
this role, Manpower became the region’s largest staffing supplier and an industry leader. He also
launched two additional brands –Manpower Professional (now Experis) and Right Management – in the
region.
Pérez Izquierdo is an industry-leading expert in workforce trends and is passionate about equal
employment opportunities. He founded the Mexican Staffing Association (AMECH) and the Manpower
Mexico Foundation that sponsors programs to support equal employment opportunities, including
Caminemos Juntos and Vinculacion Academica. He partnered with the Secretary of Labor of Mexico to
create the Empresa Incluyente award, given to companies that support and create job opportunities for
people with disabilities and aging workers.
In his current role, Pérez Izquierdo launched Project Ability. The program is focused on putting people
with disabilities to work by creating partnerships with local governments, not-for-profit organizations
and organizations that need skilled talent.
Active in the community, Pérez Izquierdo serves on the boards of several associations, including the
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, United Community Center (UCC) and Casa de la
Esperanza Foundation. He is also a member of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility
(HACR), Chicago United and serves on the Steering Committee of the Hispanic Integration Initiative of
the Council of the Americas.
A resident of Mequon, Wis., Pérez Izquierdo earned a degree in electromechanical engineering from La
Salle University in Mexico City, an AD Executive Direction Program from the IPADE business school in
Mexico and an Executive Program from the INSEAD business school in Fontainebleau, France. He has
also completed advanced studies in finance and quality management.
CYNTHIA COLLVER
Director Enterprise HR Compliance, Raytheon Company
Vice-Chair, National Industry Liaison Group (NILG)
Cynthia Collver is director of Enterprise Human Resources Compliance at
Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN). Raytheon Company, with 2012 sales of
$24 billion and 68,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and
innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets
throughout the world. Raytheon’s global headquarters is in Waltham,
Mass.
In this role, Collver has overall responsibility for creating and implementing Human Resources (HR)
compliance strategy, related programs and initiatives and processes for Raytheon to ensure consistency
of application and approach. She oversees U.S. and international HR compliance and coordinates all HR
political and legislative initiatives with current executive branch, key agencies and federal and state
legislatures. Collver is responsible for the development and implementation of equal employment
opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action strategies, plans and programs and is the primary contact to
the government agencies and federal contract community.
Prior to joining Raytheon, Collver held enterprise compliance and diversity roles at BAE Systems and
MCI.
Collver is vice chair and founding member of the National Industrial Liaison Group, a steering committee
member for the Mid-Atlantic Corporate Industry Liaison Group, a member of the Society of Human
Resource Management; Equal Employment Advisory Council and former board member, a member of
the Mercer WON group and a member of Direct Employers Recruitment Regulatory Compliance
Committee. She has served on various Equal Employment Opportunity Commission committees to
include the Mediation Taskforce, Revisions to the EEO-1 Taskforce and the Charge Processing Taskforce.
Collver is proud of her association and board member position with the now retired Mainstream, Inc.,
an organization that for more than 20 years placed differently abled job seekers with employers in the
Washington metropolitan area. Additionally, Collver is an active participant in Raytheon’s Diversity
Council.
Collver obtained a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University. She is also SHRM (Society for Human
Resource Management) PHR (Professional Human Resources) certified.
STEVE PEMBERTON
Chief Diversity Officer and Divisional Vice-President
Walgreens
Steve Pemberton is a Child Advocate, Motivational Speaker & Author of A
Chance In The World (Thomas Nelson, 2012). He currently serves as the
Chief Diversity Officer and Divisional Vice-President for Walgreens, living a
very different life than the one initially envisioned for him. He has become
recognized as one of the nation’s leaders on matters of diversity and
inclusion and its importance to the growth of the American industrial complex. In 2006, Fortune named
Steve Pemberton one of the Top 20 Chief Diversity Officers in corporate America. In 2007, Steve was
called to Capitol Hill to provide expert testimony on best practices in diversity recruiting and in 2008 he
was named by Savoy as one of The Top 100 most influential African-Americans in corporate America.
A ward of the state for much of his childhood, Steve has made opportunity, access and equality pillars of
his personal and professional life. He is recognized as one of America’s most inspiring executives. His
unconventional journey to corporate America has had a profound influence on the lives of others,
inspiring young people and teaching professionals and care givers what is possible when you overcome
tragedy and become more than your circumstance. A Chance In The World: An Orphan Boy, a
Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home (Thomas Nelson), is Steve’s riveting
autobiography that chronicles his difficult path through foster care and determined search for his family.
It is an inspirational story that crosses generations and cultures, but specifically speaks to those who
have had the odds stacked against them. His relentless journey to overcome, find his biological family,
and right the wrongs of his parents’ past, is a model for all children to follow. His powerful story has
been featured by People Magazine, The Boston Banner, The Boston Herald, Crain’s Chicago Business,
Chronicle News Magazine, and multiple news networks across the country.
Steve currently serves on several boards including The Home for Little Wanderers and UCAN to provide
guidance and inspiration to children in need. The Pemberton Fund For The Future has been established
in his name at The Home For Little Wanderers to assist children aging out of the foster care system.
Steve is a graduate of Boston College. He is married and has three children.
NATE FINCH
Student Advisory Council Vice-Chair
US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
Nate Finch, a recent college graduate with a degree in accounting from the
University of Hartford, now lives in the Boston area. He is in the process of
networking and actively exploring job opportunities within the operations
management field. Specifically he is interested in the areas of logistics,
scheduling and inventory management although he is open to exploring
other possibilities. He hopes to combine his interpersonal and quantitative skills, in support of the dayto-day operations of an organization.
People often describe Nate as a motivated and hardworking individual with a kind, positive attitude.
During the summer of 2012, he had the opportunity to intern under the Chief Financial Officer at
UnitedHealthcare in Hartford.
While in college, he started a disability inclusion group on his campus that provides a place for
individuals of all abilities to socialize as well as advocate for people with (dis)abilities. He is continuing
his disability advocacy work as a board member of a therapeutic horseback riding program based in
Lincoln, MA. In his spare time, he likes to go contra dancing as well as downhill ski, bike, fish, and play
backgammon.
RICHARD E. (DICK) MARRIOTT
Chairman of the Board, Host Hotels & Resorts
President and Trustee, Marriott Foundation
Richard Marriott is chairman of the Board of Directors of Host Hotels &
Resorts, which is among the largest owners of lodging properties in the
world. Marriott also serves as chairman of First Media Corporation, an
independent broadcasting firm privately owned by the Marriott family.
Marriott joined Host on a full-time basis in 1965 as manager of a Hot
Shoppes restaurant, having held part-time positions with the company since his mid-teens. He
subsequently served as eastern coordinator of the Roy Rogers division, corporate vice president for the
Architecture and Construction division, and vice president of Property Development for Marriott Hotels.
In 1976 Marriott was promoted to group vice president of Restaurant Operations, and in 1978 he was
appointed corporate group vice president, with continuing responsibility for the company’s restaurant
business as well as its theme parks division. He was elected a director of the corporation in 1979 and
assumed responsibility for its Data Processing operations in 1983. He subsequently was named an
executive vice president in 1984 and vice chairman in 1986.
Marriott is chairman of the Boards of Trustees of both the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation
and the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities. A former president of the National Restaurant
Association, Marriott serves on the Federal City Council and the National Advisory Council of Brigham
Young University.
He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Polynesian Cultural Center, was a trustee of the Boys
and Girls Clubs of America, and a member of the Gallaudet University board. He is an active member of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Washington, D.C. area.
Marriott graduated from the University of Utah and holds a master’s in business administration from
Harvard Business School. The younger of the two sons of company founders J. Willard and Alice S.
Marriott, Marriott was born in Washington, D.C. He resides with his wife Nancy in Potomac, Maryland.
They have four daughters and 13 grandchildren.
KEVIN WEBB, M.A.
Director
Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF)
Kevin R. Webb manages national grantmaking and corporate employee
volunteer programs as director of Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation. The
Foundation’s mission is to help young people with disabilities maximize their
potential and participation in society, and Webb works to further this mission
by serving as vice chair of the board of the Disability Funders Network, and on
a number of inclusion advisory committees.
Previously, Webb worked for a decade with the International Visitors Council (IVC) in Columbus, Ohio,
serving as executive director for eight years. During his tenure with IVC, Webb welcomed 3,500 State
Department-sponsored visiting international leaders to Central Ohio and led six civil society training
missions to Chile, Moldova, Russia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. Webb taught college courses on International
Business and Global Cultures for three years and served for six years on the board of the National
Council for International Visitors.
An Eagle Scout, Webb holds a BA in International Studies and an MA in Public Administration from The
Ohio State University. He lives in Leesburg, Virginia with his wife and two children.
KATY JO MEYER
Sr. Global Diversity & Inclusion Manager
Microsoft Corporation
Katy Jo is a Sr. Global Diversity & Inclusion Manager at Microsoft, where
she has been for 14 years. As a part of the Global Diversity & Inclusion
team, Katy Jo partners with Business and HR Leaders to attract, retain, and
develop diverse talent, as well as create an inclusive work environment
where all employees can reach their potential, in two of Microsoft’s
engineering groups and two field locations, covering 25,000 employees worldwide. Katy Jo also acts as a
liaison with Microsoft’s Staffing Consultants globally around hiring and onboarding people with
disabilities. She continues her passion for working with People with Disabilities by representing
Microsoft on the Corporate Advisory Board for the United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN).
Prior to working in Global Diversity & Inclusion, Katy Jo spent 7 years in another Organizational
Development role, this time, building and launching Microsoft’s integrated worldwide platform for
managing and developing people, known as the career model. She both helped to build and launch the
first version of the career models for the entire company, as well as improve upon that work by leading
the effort to re-design the career model, which then launched to all 95,000 Microsoft employees in
January, 2013.
Prior to working with career models, Katy Jo spent her first 5 years at Microsoft within the Staffing
organization, both recruiting for Finance professionals and then technical professionals for internships
and full time jobs following their college graduation. During her time on the College Recruiting Team, in
an effort to increase the Computer Science graduation rates among females and diverse students, she
co-created the Explore Microsoft Program. This program, still thriving today as a pipeline of technical
talent, is designed to provide a meaningful introduction to a career in the technology industry to
freshman and sophomore college students.
Outside of working at Microsoft, Katy Jo is very involved with her family, the community and athletics.
She was born and raised in Seattle and received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology
from Carroll College in Helena, Montana. She received her graduate degree in Organization Systems
Renewal from Seattle University.
ARI NE’EMAN
President and Co-Founder
Autistic Self Advocacy Network
Ari Ne’eman is the President and co-founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy
Network, an advocacy organization run by and for Autistic adults seeking
to increase the representation of Autistic people across society. He is an
Autistic adult and a leading advocate in the neurodiversity and selfadvocacy movements. In 2009, President Obama nominated Ari to the
National Council on Disability, a federal agency charged with advising Congress and the President on
disability policy issues. He was confirmed by the Senate in July 2010 and currently chairs the Council’s
Entitlements Committee. Between 2010 and 2012, Ari chaired NCD’s Policy & Program Evaluation
Committee. Ari worked to shut down the New York University Child Study Center’s “Ransom Notes”
campaign and also led other successful disability community responses to offensive advertisements,
including the response to the Autism Speaks “I am Autism” fundraising video. In his policy work, Ari has
worked on a wide variety of disability rights related legislation relating to education, transition,
employment, rights protection and other areas.
From 2010 to 2012, he served as a public member to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, a
Federal advisory committee that coordinates all efforts within the Department of Health and Human
Services concerning autism. Appointed by Governor Jon Corzine, Ari served as Vice Chair of the New
Jersey Adults with Autism Task Force, where he represented autistic adults in reviewing the state’s
autism services. He also previously served on the New Jersey Special Education Review Commission,
where he authored a minority report on the topic of aversives, restraint and seclusion. In 2008, Ari
served as the first ever Patricia Morrissey Disability Policy Fellow at the Institute for Educational
Leadership. That year, he also received the HSC Foundation “Advocates in Disability” Award, and in
2009, he received the Expanding Horizons Award from United Cerebral Palsy. He is also a board member
of TASH, an advocacy organization focusing on advancing social justice for people with significant
disabilities. In addition, he was named by the New York Jewish Week as one of their “36 by 36″ in 2010.
He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, where he studied
political science in the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program.
MARCUS TUCK
Career Link Program Mentee
US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®)
Marcus is a mentee of the 2013 USBLN program. During his time as a
mentee, he had the opportunity to learn various business skills, observe
how corporate operations are performed, as well as build lasting
professional connections. In addition to participating in the USBLN
program, Marcus works as a Help Desk Analyst at High Point Regional
Hospital.
Marcus earned his undergraduate degree in Information Systems and Operations Management from
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is also a member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional
Business Fraternity.
MIKE CORBO
General Manager & Senior Vice President
Elevator and Escalator Division, Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc.
Michael Corbo, General Manager/Senior Vice President of Mitsubishi
Electric US’s Elevator and Escalator Division, has more than 30 years of
experience in the elevator and escalator industry. Since joining Mitsubishi
Electric US in 1986, Corbo has helped establish the company as a
recognized leader in product quality and reliability.
Corbo began his career as the first sales representative for Mitsubishi Electric’s newly established US
operation. From 1986 to 1990, he managed the company’s San Francisco branch office, and was
instrumental in the sale of the first spiral escalators in North America. Corbo served as the division’s
deputy general manager from 1997 to 1999, and national sales manager from 1991 to 1997. Corbo took
over responsibility for the elevator and escalator division in 1999 when he was named general
manager/vice president.
Prior to joining Mitsubishi Electric US, Corbo worked for Schindler Elevator in Los Angeles and San
Francisco, where he was responsible for new construction and service sales.
Corbo holds a BA in business administration from Ohio University. He resides in Mission Viejo, Ca. with
his wife and three children.
MICHAEL JOHNSON
Director, Diversity & Inclusion
McKesson Corporation
Michael is employed by Fortune 14 Company McKesson Corporation as
Director of Diversity and Inclusion. In his Diversity & Inclusion role,
Michael works closely with Human Resources, McKesson business units,
and Corporate Communications to bring diversity and inclusion thought
leadership to business strategy.
His strategic objectives are to develop and implement Diversity Talent Sourcing and retention strategy,
Employee Resource Groups strategy and Marketplace partnerships, business and diversity
opportunities, and search externally for leading trends, innovation and thought. Michael is also the
former inaugural Chair of the McKesson African American Employee Resource Group, ASPIRE.
Johnson has more than 20 years' experience in strategy and business development, finance, technology
information solutions, and healthcare IT and logistics. He's a veteran of the US Air Force and has worked
for Philips as Vice President of Business Development, MedCenterDirect, Time Warner HBO, and
Lockheed Martin.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Colorado.
RICHARD SCHRODER
Manager, Inclusion & Diversity
GlaxoSmithKline
Rick Schroder has worked in the field of Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) for 15years. He is responsible for driving alignment of the Employee Resource
Groups (ERGs) with business strategies, expanding I&D communications,
providing oversight for the Outreach strategy, and facilitating
benchmarking and research opportunities.
Prior to joining GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), he was with Campbell Soup Company, Shell Oil, and provided
consulting services to BP, and Lockheed-Martin. He began his career in I&D in 1998 with Shell Oil
Company. Prior to joining GSK, Rick drove strategy within the Office of Diversity at Campbell Soup
Company.
Rick came out at Shell in 1994. Over the years he has been active in LGBT workplace issues and creating
more inclusive work environments.
Rick is author of “Finding The Energy – Coming Out In Corporate America”, which captures the key
learnings and observations leading up to his decision to come out in the workplace in 1994 and the
journey that followed.
Rick has degrees from Idaho State University (ISU) and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU). He is a
member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Arts & Letters at ISU, and a member of the
Disability Equality Index Advisory Committee - a joint venture between the US Business Leadership
Network (USBLN) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).
NIKKI ALPHONSE
Corporate Director, EEO/Compliance & Workplace
Accommodations
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Mrs. Alphonse has over 18 years of HR experience and in her current role
she has responsibility for corporate-wide equal employment opportunity
and affirmative action planning, regulatory reporting, OFCCP audits,
diversity performance metrics and initiatives, as well as recently leading
an Enterprise wide Workplace Accommodations and Accessibility team initiatives. She began her career
at Northrop Grumman in 1996 as an employment and employee relations representative in Human
Resources at the St. Augustine, Florida site and has held progressive positions of responsibility with the
company at site, sector, and the corporate office levels. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman she worked
for AlliedSignal (now Honeywell) in Human Resources generalist and labor relations capacities. She has
also previously provided EEO and AA services to a variety of government contractors while employed by
two nationally recognized labor and employment law firms.
A graduate of the University of North Florida with a bachelor's degree in pre-law / criminal justice, she
also obtained her master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Webster University while
working full-time. Mrs. Alphonse is a committee member of the Jacksonville Industry Liaison Group
(JILG) and a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).
DEBORAH DAGIT
President, Deb Dagit Diversity LLC
Former Chief Diversity Officer and VP, Global Diversity & Inclusion,
Merck
Deborah Dagit joined Merck as their Chief Diversity Officer in June 2001.
She has had responsibility for global equal opportunity, employee
relations, recruiting and staffing and diversity & inclusion and has now
transitioned to lead Deb Dagit Diversity, a consulting firm that offers
practical just-in-time resources, tools and support for diversity practitioners.
Under Ms. Dagit's leadership at Merck, organizations such as Diversityinc, Working Mother, the Families
and Work Institute, the Department of Defense 2010 Freedom Award (Veterans), the 2005 Department
of Labor New Freedom Award (People with Disabilities) and the Human Rights Campaign have
recognized the company for its exemplary work in diversity and inclusion. Merck has undergone more
than 55 different federal audits for compliance with U.S. Affirmative Action/Equal Employment
Opportunity requirements for federal contractors since 1980 - each time, receiving a letter of
compliance. Ms. Dagits’ current clients include TD Bank, Northrop Grumman, KeyBank, the Marine
Corp, Lincoln Financial, The City of New York, the Arcus Foundation, Highmark, Traveler’s Insurance,
Linkage, Iowa Women’s Leadership, and the Northeast HR Association.
Ms. Dagit joined Merck from Silicon Graphics, Inc. where she was the leader of Learning
Communications and Diversity since 1993. Prior to Silicon Graphics, Ms. Dagit was the leader of
Strategic Cultural Initiatives for Sun Microsystems, Inc. from 1991 to 1993. She played a key role in the
passage of the American with Disabilities Act through lobbying efforts in California and Washington, D.C.
Ms. Dagit earned a bachelor's degree with honors in Psychology from Oregon State University, and
conducted her master's coursework in Clinical Psychology at San Jose State University. She was a
founding member in 1991, and a past Chair of the Conference Board's Workforce Council on Diversity.
Among her many awards, Ms. Dagit has received the 2010 Winds of Change Multicultural Forum on
Workforce Diversity, the 2006 Champion of the Year from Out and Equal; the 2000 Exemplary Leader
from Silicon Graphics; the 1999 Advocate of the Year from the Black Employees Network; the 1997
Award of Professional Excellence from the Northern California HR Council; and the 1996 Tribute to
Women in Industry. Ms. Dagit was also asked to speak on diversity and inclusion at the December 2008
"Citadel of Free Speech" City Club of Cleveland which was broadcast live on NPR, and to testify in July
2011 before the U.S. Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions committee re: best practices for
improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Ms. Dagit is married and has three children ages 17, 18 and 19.
THE HONORABLE KATHY MARTINEZ
Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy
U.S. Department of Labor
Kathleen Martinez was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the
third Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy and was
confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 25, 2009. As head of the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Ms.
Martinez advises the Secretary of Labor and works with all DOL agencies
to lead a comprehensive and coordinated national policy regarding the employment of people with
disabilities.
Blind since birth, Ms. Martinez comes to ODEP with a background as an internationally recognized
disability rights leader specializing in employment, asset building, independent living, international
development, diversity and gender issues.
She was appointed Executive Director of the World Institute on Disability (WID), based in Oakland,
California, in 2005. Ms. Martinez directed Proyecto Visión, WID's National Technical Assistance Center
to increase employment opportunities for Latinos with disabilities in the United States, and Access to
Assets, an asset-building project to help reduce poverty among people with disabilities. At WID,
she also led the team that produced the acclaimed international webzine DisabilityWorld
(www.disabilityworld.org) in English and Spanish.
In 2007 she was appointed a member of the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a Congressionallycreated agency dedicated to research and projects in conflict management. In 2005 Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice appointed her as one of eight public members of the newly-established State
Department advisory committee on disability and foreign policy.
In 2002 she was appointed by President Bush as one of 15 members of the National Council on
Disability, an independent federal agency advising the President and Congress on disability policy.
PREETY KUMAR
CEO
Deque Systems, Inc.
Preety Kumar, CEO of Deque Systems, Inc. (Deque), co-founded Deque in
1999 to pave the way for digital equality both from both user and the
technology perspectives. Under Preety’s vision and leadership, Deque has
developed a uniquely robust suite of software tools that include
WorldSpace Sync - our enterprise level testing and remediation tool,
FireEyes - a free testing plugin, and Amaze - a game-changing new software tool for accessibility triage
and remediation. Deque has been a market leader, and a thought leader, in digital accessibility software
and services for over a decade; and since the commercial launch of Amaze in 2012, Deque has
experienced rapid growth and secured its place as the top accessibility software and services
provider. In June 2013, Deque was awarded the Computerworld 21st Century Achievement Award for
Innovation for the Amaze technology, and the company has been recognized four times in the Inc. 5000
List of America’s Fastest Growing Companies.
Preety's central tenet is to help her customers achieve their digital accessibility goals and to educate and
empower them to work towards a self-sustaining accessibility model. Preety herself is a recognized
accessibility thought-leader and frequent industry spokesperson. She was recognized for her
contributions to the field of accessibility by being offered the position of vice-chair of the GSAsponsored Accessibility Forum. She serves on the board of the International Association of Accessibility
Professionals and the Yes I Can Foundation, is an active member of the World Wide Web Consortium,
and is a member of Women in Engineering, Women in Technology, Northern Virginia Technology
Council, IEEE, and the Association of Computing Machinery. Preety is also a contributing author to a
book published by the United Nations G3ICT to promote information accessibility to countries around
the world.
APOORVA N. GANDHI
Vice President, Multi-Cultural Markets & Alliances
Marriott International, Inc.
As Vice President for Multi-Cultural Markets and Alliances for Marriott
International, Apoorva Gandhi is responsible for creating and executing an
externally-focused global strategy that builds preference and loyalty
from diverse customer segments for the Marriott portfolio of brands.
He helps ensure the company’s marketing, sales and operations consider
and reflect multi-cultural markets and alliances as Marriott continues its aggressive growth
throughout the world.
Mr. Gandhi has nearly 20 years of proven strategy, business process, program management and
organizational change skills, leadership and delivery expertise. He also has extensive management and
delivery experience working with diverse business clients and a solid track record delivering measurable
success to clients across various business disciplines.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Gandhi was senior director for organizational capability where he led
the company’s global reorganization program in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He has held
other positions with Marriott, beginning as a front desk associate when he first completed college. He
also worked as vice president for global lodging services where he helped deliver critical brand
initiatives.
Before joining Marriott, Mr. Gandhi was a senior consulting manager in Accenture’s Communications
and High Tech practice for more than a decade, where he managed merger and integration programs as
well as process reengineering efforts for large telecom clients. He also led diversity programs at
Accenture.
Mr. Gandhi is an honors graduate of the University of Maryland, School of Business and Management.
He is a member of the J.W. Marriott, Jr., Diversity Award committee, Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity
and Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society.
ANTHONY BILLINGER
Director of Corporate Supplier Diversity
OfficeMax
Anthony Billinger is the Director of Corporate Supplier Diversity at
OfficeMax and is responsible for creating and implementing the
enterprise-wide strategy for supplier diversity. Mr. Billinger joined
OfficeMax in June of 2009 after previously serving as the architect of the
supplier diversity initiative at Snap-on Tools, headquartered in Kenosha,
Wisconsin. Prior to joining Snap-On in 2006, Mr. Billinger was the Director of Supplier Diversity and
Minority Affairs for the Missouri State Lottery for nearly 10 years.
A Chicago native, Mr. Billinger has worked in supplier diversity for the past 15 years and was the 2000
recipient of the Missouri Governor’s Torch of Excellence Award, the 2004 recipient of the 100 Black Men
of Metropolitan St. Louis’ “Trailblazer Award”, and was named one of the “2011 Top 100 Diverse
Business Leaders Under 50” by Diversity MBA Magazine. Mr. Billinger has both a Bachelor’s degree and
an MBA from Lincoln University of Missouri. He currently serves on the board of the Chicago Minority
Supplier Development Council, and the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce.
DARLENE FULLER
Senior Director, Supplier Diversity
Sodexo
Darlene Fuller works within Sodexo's Supply Management Department
leading their supplier diversity efforts. Ms. Fuller is a long term employee
of the company, beginning her career in operations for their Health Care
division of Saga She has held positions in Distribution and both national
and regional purchasing for Marriott then Sodexo.
A Penn State graduate, Ms. Fuller's volunteering includes serving as Sodexo's Company Ambassador for
the Women's Foodservice Forum and is serving as 1st Vice Chair for MD/DC MSDC. She also is a member
of the certification committees for US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®) and for Women
President's Executive Organization (WPEO).