The West Michigan Public Relations Society of America (WMPRSA,) in conjunction with Inclusive Performance Strategies (IPS), will host the thought-provoking event, Own Your Privilege: West Michigan Nice is Not an Inclusion Strategy
Last week, the West Michigan Public Relations Society of America (WMPRSA), along with Inclusive Performance Strategies (IPS), announced the upcoming event on Tuesday, November 12th, West Michigan Nice is Not an Inclusion Strategy. The event will run from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Grand Valley State University’s Loosemore Auditorium, 401 Fulton Street West, Grand Rapids, MI 49504. The program will work with attendees to unpack their privilege while finding their role in promoting equity in the community. Tickets are $35 for professionals and $15 for students. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. for networking and registration. In recent days Jeffrey Mosher caught up with Paul Doyle to find out more!
Paul Doyle shares the details with Jeffrey, check them out in the SoundCloud PodCast!
Here's some supplementary information to read after you've listened to Paul's interview.
“There is a definite disconnect with how a portion of residents view our community versus how the majority experience it,” said Paul T. Doyle, Founder and CEO of Inclusive Performance Strategies and event moderator. “In 2015, Forbes ranked Grand Rapids the second worst city in the US for African American economic opportunity (home ownership, entrepreneurship, and median household income). This is a very different statistic than being named “Best Place to Live” by U.S. News and World Report in 2019.”
Our country’s culture climate is more polarized than ever. At the same time, words like inclusion, diversity, and equity are gaining traction as buzzwords in conversations. Too often, these phrases are nothing more than lip service and do little to inspire action that creates meaningful change.
“As communicators, we are responsible for starting and maintaining key conversations within our community,” said Andrea Finnigan, WMPRSA board president. “This event is designed for leaders and community members to grow with tools and perspective, to truly support equity in our community and to step away from West Michigan Nice.”
Attendees will hear from 3 speakers, who will each bring very different perspectives on inclusion to the attendees.
- Paul T. Doyle, moderator and owner of Inclusive Performance Strategies, has over 30 years of management experience in helping organizations enhance their performance through inclusive work and service environments.
- Cam Young worked in communications at Steelcase for nine years before joining Behler-Young in a marketing role this year. He serves on the board of directors of several area disability-related organizations, where he advocates for greater access to housing, transportation, employment, and inclusion for people with disabilities.
- Keyuana Rosemond is an activist, change agent and nonprofit professional in Grand Rapids. Keyuana is involved locally as a planning and leading member of Equity Drinks, an Urban Core Collective Transformational Leadership Program (TLP) Alumni Board member and the current Vice President of the Eta Pi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. a historically Black Greek letter organization.
Over the course of the evening, attendees will:
- Hear real-life stories from neighbors and colleagues about life in West Michigan
- Get the opportunity to learn about equity work gaining traction in our community
- Unpack their own privilege and think through what they can do to promote equity in our community
The Title Sponsor is Amway. Supporting sponsors include: 8THIRTYFOUR, Black Truck Media, Experience Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Small Biz 4 Equality and Inclusive Performance Strategies. A portion of ticket sales will go toward forming a WMPRSA diversity, inclusion, & equity fund for exceptional student experiences.
Those interested in attending can register at: www.wmprsa.org/events. For sponsorship information, reach out to Kim Bode at kim@834design.com.
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About WMPRSA The West Michigan Public Relations Society of America (WMPRSA) is dedicated to advancing the profession and PR professionals. WMPRSA is comprised of members living within the western half of the lower peninsula of Michigan, from Benton Harbor to Traverse City. WMPRSA hosts educational programs and special events for public relations practitioners, including the annual PRoof Awards.
To learn more, visit, www.wmprsa.org
About Inclusive Performance Strategies
Through our strategic approach and an insistence on measurable results, we’ve seen corporations, non-profits, and community groups transformed, all through the power of inclusive performance strategies.
But we’re not here to turn your organization upside-down; we’re here to enhance the best of what’s already there – to harness your untapped potential to help you achieve your goals.
Engaging Inclusive Performance Strategies is a game-changing proposition.
Program Speakers
Paul T. Doyle, Moderator & Host - Paul T. Doyle, Founder & CEO, applies over 30 years of management experience to help organizations enhance their performance through inclusive work and service environments. By understanding how to embrace the cultures, values and behaviors of a diverse workforce, Paul helps organizations maintain the competitive edge needed for success in today’s rapidly changing global economic market. A key to his success is creating platforms of trust through intentional relationship building, allowing diversity of thought to be achieved and valued, thus fostering inclusive growth and innovation.
Paul holds a degree from the College of Education & Human Services at Ferris State University, from which he also received the Distinguished Alumni Award. He has completed the Executive Leadership Institute at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He is a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP) through the National Diversity Council and also a certified administrator of the Intercultural Developmental Inventory (IDI). Paul is a recipient of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation Leadership & Philanthropy Award, Grand Rapids “GIANTS” Leadership Award for Community Health and the Legacy Award for Legislative Leadership. He teaches as Adjunct Faculty at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. Paul also serves on several boards and committees to improve the quality of life for all individuals within his community through inclusion.
Cam Young, Panelist - Cameron was born and raised in the Grand Rapids area and after graduating high school attended the University of Michigan. Between his junior and senior years, while studying abroad, he had a diving accident that left him a quadriplegic. He recovered and rehabbed in Grand Rapids, then returned to Ann Arbor to finish his degree in political science. After graduation, he moved back to GR to continue his physical rehabilitation and start his professional life.
He worked in communications at Steelcase for nine years before joining Behler-Young in a marketing role this year. He serves on the board of directors of several area disability-related organizations, advocating for greater access to housing, transportation, employment, and inclusion for people with disabilities.
Keyuana Rosemond, panelist - Keyuana Rosemond is an activist, change agent and nonprofit professional in Grand Rapids. Keyuana is involved locally as a planning and leading member of Equity Drinks, an Urban Core Collective Transformational Leadership Program (TLP) Alumni Board member and the current Vice President of the Eta Pi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. a historically Black Greek letter organization. After discovering a love of poetry and writing in high school, Keyuana completed her education at Grand Valley State University earning a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and Women & Gender Studies; and later obtained both Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration degrees from GVSU in 2014. She released her first collection “Words in ADHD” in January 2018 and has performed at events for the Urban Core Collective, Grand Valley State University Center for Gender Equity, the Grand Rapids Pride Festival, MUSE GR and New Holland Brewing. Having over 12 years of experience working with children and families in the area, Keyuana serves professionally as the FitKids360 Program Director and has been working for the program at Health Net of West Michigan since May 2014.
Gema Lowe, panelist - Gema Lowe was born in Mexico and she immigrated to the US in the 90’s following her mother’s side of the family that immigrated to Grand Rapids in 1945. Gema has been participating actively in the community since 2006 in a massive march for immigration reform. In 2009, Gema took a trip to DC as a volunteer for an organization called “Michigan Organizing Project.” This trip change Mrs. Lowe's life to the point that her activism became her passion and she went from being a volunteer to an organizer. In 2013, she put together community and resources to take three buses with 150 people to Washington, DC to march for immigration reform. That year a Senate immigration bill passed but it got stalled at the House of Representatives.
In 2015, Gema served as the organizer for the Workers’ Center of West Michigan, an initiative of the Micah Center, an interfaith organization. The Workers’ Center mission was to teach workers their rights; together, workers and advocates protect those rights and work to make them count for the betterment of the working class in our community, especially the most marginalized like immigrant workers.
In February of 2017, Gema went to a convention in Boston to learn about Movimiento Cosecha. Movimiento Cosecha is a new, nonviolent movement fighting for permanent protection, dignity, and respect for all immigrants. Cosecha believes in using non-cooperation tactics and leveraging the power of immigrant labor and consumption to force a meaningful shift in public opinion in favor of immigrant rights in the US.
The first mega-march organized by Movimiento Cosecha GR was on February 16, 2017. More than 2,000 people were in attendance with the intention to shine the light on immigrant issues in our community. Since then, Gema has been organizing for Movimiento Cosecha and has done escalation actions like civil disobedience and May 1 marches with thousands in attendance to fight for immigrant issues. Some of the accomplishments that Movimiento Cosecha GR have been able to count are ending administrative Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holds and minimizing the cooperation that Kent County has with ICE. Movimiento Cosecha was instrumental in the decision that the Kent County Sheriff’s Department had in not renewing the contract with ICE in September 2019.
Doors open for registration/networking: 5 pm
Program start: 5:45 pm
FEES:
Registered on or before November 6: $35.00 per professional / $15.00 per student
Registered November 7 through 10: $40.00 per professional / $20.00 per student
A portion of ticket sales will go toward forming a WMPRSA diversity, inclusion, & equity fund for exceptional student experiences.
