Date
October 24, 2024
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. CT
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About
Join the Texas Diversity Council for our 2024 Virtual Texas LGBTQ+ Conference! This conference brings together distinguished LGBTQ+ leaders who will address topics regarding leadership, professional development, community building, and career advancement. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the LGBTQ+ climate, equipping organizations to build fully inclusive workplaces and boost competitive edge.
Keynote Speaker
With a life and career dedicated to the advancement of public transportation, Jeffrey C. Arndt’s legacy as an advocate for equitable access to mobility, and equity in all forms, is hard to beat and impossible to deny.
Arndt is the President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Metropolitan Transit, covering the second-largest service area in the state with 14 member cities including San Antonio and unincorporated areas of Bexar County.
In his 12 years at the helm, Arndt has earned VIA and the people it serves a place at the table among civic, business and development leaders. He has blazed trails for transit and service innovation that present a path for opportunity that did not exist before.
Arndt joined VIA in February 2012 as Deputy CEO/Chief of Business Support Services before being named President and CEO. He has been a leader in the transit community for almost 45 years and has a broad range of expertise in operations, planning, and finance. He is continuously working to improve the livability and sustainability of the region through the development of attractive mobility choices.
With a special talent for turning challenges into opportunities, Arndt oversees the ongoing development of award-winning strategies to elevate community engagement and inclusion. During his tenure at VIA, Arndt has made it his priority and the mission of the agency to make better living through mobility a reality for the nearly 2 million residents who call San Antonio and Bexar County home.
While at VIA he has built a diverse and inclusive leadership team that represents the multi-cultural, multi-faceted fabric of the communities VIA serves. His commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion has earned him accolades from thought leaders and stakeholders across the region, from business and economic development to culture and arts, and public and private enterprises. These include being recognized as a CEO Champion of Diversity by the National Diversity Council; the LaHood Award for men who contributes to the advancement of women and minorities in the transportation industry; and Community Support award for supporting accessible and inclusive transit by the San Antonio Independent Living Services.
Arndt put VIA and San Antonio on the path toward embracing technology and innovation has brought the agency to important milestones that have had major impact in San Antonio and the region, beyond transit. Recent milestones include conversion of VIA’s bus fleet to compressed natural gas, introduction of free Wi-Fi on all VIA buses and VIAtrans vans, implementation and rapid expansion of the region’s first Mobility on Demand service, and winning public support via a successful election for VIA’s Keep SA Moving plan to revolutionize the way we move in San Antonio.
Arndt previously worked for Houston METRO for 25 years and achieved the position of senior vice president of operations/chief operating officer before moving on to the Texas A & M Transportation Institute (TTI). Arndt spent five years as a research scientist/research specialist at TTI.
He holds a M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Houston and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. He currently serves numerous local and regional Boards, including the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, TEX-21 (Vice President), San Antonio Mobility Coalition (Treasurer), San Antonio Housing Commission and the Texas Transit Association (Vice President). He is an alumnus of Leadership APTA and Leadership San Antonio Class 38. He served on the Steering Committee of Class 46 and was Co-Chair of Class 47.
Panelists
A seasoned DEI practitioner and consultant, first-generation graduate Alex Rodriguez brings her years of civil rights activism, engagement, and community outreach and development into the forefront of her work. In collaboration with organizations and businesses alike, Alex ensures company leadership, in facilitation with both stakeholders and employees, work to establish a culture built on diverse, equitable, and inclusive practices. A Texas native and legislative analyst working in local politics, Alex is no stranger to navigating challenging dialogue and working with organizations and individuals with diverse perspectives and lived experiences. She has provided DEI training and implemented committee initiatives to varying organizations and political campaigns, most recently including works with campaign volunteers supporting former Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke as well as Congressman Greg Casar. Alex proudly shares her perspective and lived experiences as an openly Queer, first-generation Mexican American facing many paths of adversity. With her lived experiences in tow, she now works alongside varying groups to ensure they understand the impact of every step made through this journey. Alex Rodriguez is a Texas State University alumnus, holding degrees in Political Science, Administrative Law, and Business Management. Rodriguez is a published author, public speaker, and workshop leader. Rodriguez currently serves as the Manager of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at San Antonio Zoo where she leads an award-winning DEI program and works alongside Executive and community leaders to make the zoo a zoo for all. Alex currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Red Cross Greater San Antonio chapter as well as the San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce, where she serves as the Chair of the Community Relations Committee. Additionally, she serves on Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion committees for the Association of Zoo’s and Aquariums, SATX SHRM, and is a member of the Texas Diversity Council.
Denise is honored to serve as Production Manager in the Paint Shop at Toyota Texas.
Denise began her career at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas in 2006 as a Production Team Member. She became a Team Leader in January 2007, quickly promoting into a Group Leader role 6 months later. In 2015, she became a Paint Production Manager. Her entire career at Toyota has been in various process areas – all within the Paint Shop.
At one point early in her Group Leader role, she was the only woman running a Production line at TMMTX. Denise recognized the need to address the importance of having a diverse and inclusive work environment and how providing that can lead to a more productive workforce. Her strong work ethic drives her passion for empowering others to feel secure in pursuing their career goals.
As an advocate for diversity and inclusion, she participates in committees to address the inequalities in the workforce, recently becoming a Diversity + Inclusion Champion for Toyota. She has actively been involved in Toyota’s Employee Resource Group, Spectrum, for over 10 years.
Denise is born and raised in San Antonio. She is married (Tracy) and has one daughter (Jordyn). She enjoys spending time taking road trips to the beach and fishing with her family and fur baby (Tucker).
Eric Mitchell is an accomplished Human Resources strategist with over 30 years of experience leading change and growth initiatives across a wide range of HR functions: diversity, equity & inclusion; recruiting, staffing & talent management; workforce transformation & organizational change management; and effective HR services delivery.
In 2022, Eric finished over 40 years of service with the AT&T family of companies as the Assistant Vice President – Diversity & Inclusion, where his responsibilities included oversight and support for AT&T’s Employee Resource Groups and Employee Networks. Eric is now President of Eviem HR Consulting, based in San Antonio.
Ms. De Los Santos is the Executive Director for the 502d Force Support Group (FSG), Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, which includes JBSA-Randolph, JBSA-Lackland, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Camp Bullis. The 3,000-person 502d FSG executes Force Support functions that bolster more than 266 mission partners, more than 80,000 full-time personnel and a local community of more than 250,000 retirees. Ms. De Los Santos oversees JBSA’s Community Partnerships for Transitioning Service Members, Military Spouses and Family Programs. She serves as the Chair of the JBSA Workforce and Transition Alliance.
Ms. De Los Santos is a Military Veteran/Retiree having served in the Air Force culminating with service in the Army as an Army Logistics Officer. She started her civil service career in 2004 as a Department of the Army Civilian serving as the Senior Logistics Officer for the 470 th Military Intelligence Brigade, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. In 2008 she was the Plans Officer, then the Executive Officer for Fort Sam Houston Army Garrison working on the Joint Base San Antonio transformation and implementation. In October 2010, Ms. De Los Santos became a Department of the Air Force Civilian as part of the Joint Base-San Antonio transformation. She served as Deputy for Installation Support, 502d Mission Support Group, Joint Base-San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston. Ms. De Los Santos currently serves as the Executive Director for the FSG. Ms. De Los Santos is a native of Brownsville, Texas.
Dr. Stacy Speedlin Gonzalez is a Licensed Professional Counselor- Supervisor (LPC-S) and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) in the state of Texas. She is board certified as a Nationally Credentialed Counselor (NCC). Her professional values are exemplified in her precision and deep commitment to her research, evaluation, and clinical work. She exemplifies the core value of equity and inclusive practices through her teaching, research, and scholarly activities. Her research interests include LGBTQ+ issues in counseling, substance use disorders, mental health disparities, and women’s issues.
Dr. Speedlin Gonzalez is the owner and Executive Director of Salient Clinical Services – a company created to provide optimal clinical, evaluative, and consulting services. She is also a nationally recognized speaker; having given multiple talks and workshops on the topics of mentorship, relationships, LGBTQ+ Ally-Development, and Cultural Responsiveness. Additionally, she has published several peer-reviewed manuscripts on addiction, trauma, mentorship, and grief. She has spoken all over the world and provided consultation to organizations who seek to improve their equity and inclusion strategies for recruitment, retention, and marketing development.
Captain Flores began her career with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office in Aug 2010. She quickly rose through the ranks of the agency, becoming a member of the special emergency response team and team leader for that squad when promoting to the rank of Corporal. Soon thereafter she was prompted to the rank of Sargeant moving to work directly under Sheriff Javier Salazar as his Sergeant for Special Projects. During this time she and the Sheriff designed and implemented many programs, policies and practices that have shaped the agency to what is currently is under his command.
One of those programs was the Community Liaison Program, designed to bridge the gap between law enforcement and some of the minority communities in our city. The 1st liaison Sheriff Salazar designated was Captain Stephanie Flores as the LGBT Liaison where captain flores continues to attend speaking engagements and all pride events possible. Captain flores was the 2nd female in history to ever become the Special Operations commander for the Bexar County sheriff’s Office.
Currently Captain Flores serves as the Operations Commander for the entire Bexar County Adult Detention Center better known as the Jail. Her and her team also currently work diligently to ensure that the new officers embarking on this honorable career in law enforcement receive the training, structure and support necessary to be successful. So far after designing a new reality based training and follow up program for the new officers for 2024 after training 206 new officers Captain flores and her team have been able to successfully retain 93% of these officers.
Michael Thurston is a Project/Program Lead for CPS Energy’s Corporate Responsibility department. Michael spearheads the department’s corporate sponsorships, special fundraising projects, and the company’s United Way campaign. Prior to CPS Energy, Michael worked at Southwest Business Corporation (SWBC) within their Marketing and Corporate and Community Relations departments. In his role as a Marketing Programs Developer, he managed marketing campaigns for its insurance, employee benefits, and professional employer organization (PEO) divisions. Michael led SWBC’s largest marketing campaign for their PEO office before moving into his role as Community Relations Manager for SWBC where he oversaw the company’s community relations program, volunteer initiatives, and the United Way campaign.
Before SWBC, Michael worked for LiftFund’s Marketing and Communications department where he co-led the company’s eight-state rebrand rollout. He also has worked for the City of San Antonio, The Texas Department of Health and Human Services Commission, and Sprint in New York City.
In his spare time, Michael currently serves as Social Chair for CPS Energy’s NextGen group and a member of CPS Energy’s Toastmasters. Michael holds his Master of Arts in Public Administration from PACE University and his Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a proud graduate of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Alexander Briseño Leadership Development Program (ABLDP). Michael also is a licensed Real Estate and Texas General Lines Insurance Agent. And when he is not working or selling a house with an insurance policy, he is at home with his husband Scott and their two pups, Zuggy and Chloe.
Moderators
Kasandra is a distinguished figure in the realm of real estate, serving as a top-producing Realtor with Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper Realtors, where she has made an indelible mark on the San Antonio and surrounding areas. Kasandra brings a wealth of expertise and passion to her role, driven by a deep-seated commitment to helping individuals achieve their dreams of homeownership. Fueled by an unwavering passion for real estate, she embraces the industry with unbridled enthusiasm and dedication. In her capacity as the founding Chapter President of the Real Estate Alliance, San Antonio Chapter, Kasandra has dedicated herself to a cause that lies close to her heart— increasing home ownership within the LGBT Community. She fervently believes in the transformative power of homeownership and is steadfast in her mission to combat the disproportionate marginalization that members of the LGBT Community often face in their pursuit of owning a home.
Melissa is a Financial Services Professional*. She has a BAAS Degree in Business from Texas A&M University-San Antonio and an Associate of Applied Science in Accounting Technology from San Antonio College. Melissa loves being a single parent to her granddaughter. On her spare time, she loves playing the guitar, running, working out and swimming. She has completed 3 marathons, 13 half marathons, multiple 10k & 5ks.
In 2018, Melissa was recognized by the Texas A&M University-San Antonio LGBTQ+ Coalition as an exemplary community leader and advocate and received a LGBTQ Stoll and cords. In 2022-2023, she was recognized by Texas A&M University – San Antonio Rainbow P.A.W.S. and received the LGBTQ+ Jaguar Alumni of the Year award. She currently serves on the Texas A&M University – San Antonio Foundation Board. In May 2023 she was the Keynote Speaker for Our Lady of the Lake University Lavender Graduation. Also, served as a moderator for the National Diversity Council NCOD LGBTQ Summit and two-time panelist for the Texas Diversity Council LGBTQ Summit.
Melissa currently serves as President for ACTS Missions Board, Board Member of Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar’s Foundation Board, VP of Membership for Langley Elementary PTA, and Honorary Commander for the 502nd Air Base Wing at Joint Base San Antonio.
In the past, she was a member of the LGBT Chamber of Commerce from 2017-2022, where she was a board member, Treasurer one year, President for the last three years, and worked closely with Renee Watson from the Bexar County Small Business Entrepreneurship Department to recognize the LGBTQ+ Business Certification. She was one of four Leaders of the Texas LGBTQ Chambers of Commerce for three years. Melissa served on the Board of Directors for the ACTS HIV/AIDS Ministry at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in 2020 -2021, Board of Directors for the PCI Headstart Program, Parent Council President for Meadowood School, and was on the PCI Headstart Program Policy Council from 2019 – 2021. She has also been involved with her local church Women of the Well, ACT
Melissa has served on the ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Association Walk Committee for 10 years. In 2022 she received the Martha Acosta Volunteer of the Year Award from the ALS San Antonio Chapter. After losing her dad to ALS in 2017 she has made it a mission to continue bringing awareness about the disease by advocating and raising funds to help find a cure. Prior to helping the ALS Association, Melissa helped the LLS (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) Association raise funds for 10 years.
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