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The GVMA Wellness Committee is hosting the GVMA’s first ever Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Workshop. Education plays a pivotal role in the pursuit for more diverse and inclusive workplaces. The intent of this workshop is to break down the barriers to equity and inclusion in the veterinary profession by equipping you with the knowledge and skills necessary to create welcoming environments for clients and co-workers alike.
What is DEI?
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is a term used to describe policies and programs that promote the representation and participation of different groups of individuals, including people of different ages, races and ethnicities, abilities and disabilities, genders, religions, cultures and sexual orientations.
Why does DEI Matter?
DEI in the workplace goes beyond training modules, mentorship programs, and new policies. Equitable employers create diverse and inclusive workplaces where employees share unique perspectives, respect one another’s individual needs, and reach their full potential without barriers.
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Program
OBJECTIVES
Veterinary medicine is one of the least diverse professions in the US. Demand for access to veterinary care is only growing, and increasing BIPOC and LGBTQ+ representation in the profession will increase access to care for animals and our community. This virtual workshop will review the key concepts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and understanding these concepts within the context of the veterinary workplace. This course will also review the importance of pronouns and strategies for gender inclusive language in the workplace. Learn how to create and maintain an inclusive culture, as well as understand the crucial role of leaders in creating an inclusive and equitable profession. GVMA is committed to creating an inclusive professional community where all can deliver on the veterinary oath.
This virtual workshop will occur within the Zoom platform and will consist of teaching sessions and small breakouts with a facilitator to help guide discussion around the concepts in DEI and ways to take action. Participants will be required to attend virtually on camera with a natural or blurred background.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, September 17, 2022
9:00 am – 9:50 am | Storytelling & Concepts in DEI with Dr. Lisa Greenhill
9:50 am – 10:15 am | Breakout Session
10:20 am – 11:10 am | Difficult Conversations with Dr. Dawn Bennett-Alexander, Esq.
11:10 am – 11:35 am | Breakout Session
11:35 am – 11:50 am | Morning Recap
11:50 am – 12:00 pm | Storytelling with Dr. Tasha Axam
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm | Lunch Break
12:30 pm – 1:20 pm | Toolkit: Communication & Considerations for those with Disabilities with Dr. Lisa Greenhill
1:20 pm – 1:45 pm | Breakout Session
1:50 pm – 2:40 pm | From Personal to Practical, Building on Experiences to Understand Allyship through Proactive Pronoun Use with Dr. Dane Whitaker
2:40 pm – 3:05 pm | Breakout Session
3:05 pm – 3:20 pm | Storytelling with Dr. Sarah Masoero
3:20 pm – 3:35 pm | Workshop Recap
Instructors
Dr. Dawn Bennett-Alexander
(She/Her)
Tenured Associate Professor
University of Georgia, Terry College of Business
Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander, tenured associate professor of Employment Law & Legal Studies, emerita, at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, is a cum laude graduate of the Howard University School of Law and a magna cum laude graduate of the Federal City College (now the University of the District of Columbia), both in Washington, DC. She is licensed to practice law in DC and six federal jurisdictions. With over 60 awards and recognitions for teaching and service, including, upon her retirement in 2021, the University creating the Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander Inclusive Community Award, a yearly monied award for faculty demonstrating a significant commitment to Diversity and Inclusion. Selected additional awards include the 2019 Minority Services and Programs Honored Trailblazer recognition, the 2017 award for UGA’s best Diversity & Inclusion program, 2016 Women’s Studies Professor of the Year and one of UGA Student Government Association’s ten Outstanding Professors of the Year. Bennett-Alexander delivered a TED Talk on Practical Diversity in 2015 that has been viewed over 182,000 times and is the 2011 recipient of the University of Georgia’s highest award for diversity, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Building Bridges award.
Dr. B-A has conducted diversity and Employment Law seminars for the public and private sector since 1983, has been featured in media across the country, including National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Fortune magazine, Georgia Trend, the Houston Chronicle, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. She dedicates all she does to her Ancestors and her three daughters and two grandchildren.
Dr. Lisa Greenhill
(She/Her)
Senior Director
Institutional Research and Diversity
Dr. Lisa M. Greenhill originally joined the AAVMC in 1996 and has worked for the association on three separate occasions. Most recently, she joined the AAVMC in 2004 as the Associate Executive Director for Institutional Research and Diversity before becoming Senior Director for Institutional Research and Diversity. Her work primarily focuses on the ongoing development and implementation of the DiVersity Matters initiative at the national and local levels as well as promoting the veterinary medical profession within underrepresented and marginalized communities.
Lisa also directs the association’s national research agenda. She collects and analyzes data and produces reports related to academic veterinary medicine to include the applicant pool, enrollment, institutional economic impact and diversity.
Previously, she worked as a Research Associate at the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and as the Legislative Manager for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
She earned a master’s degree in Public Administration (with a specialization in health policy) from George Mason in Fairfax, Va. and an EdD in Higher Education Administration and Organizational Change from Benedictine University.
Lisa is the mother of teenage daughter and the owner of a fun-loving puppy. She also currently runs a blog about adoption in communities of color.
Dr. Dane Whitaker
(He/Him)
President
Pride Veterinary Medical Community
Dr. Dane Whitaker has been practicing veterinary medicine in the San Francisco area for over 25 years. He completed his Masters in Preventive Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis in 2017 and is currently providing small animal clinical relief services across central California. He is also a relief veterinarian at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito CA providing clinical as well as field support for marine mammal rehabilitation and research projects. Although a Bay Area native, he grew up in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in 1994. After graduation, he completed a small animal medicine and surgery internship at the Santa Cruz Veterinary Hospital. His veterinary interests include small animal medicine, clinical pathology, marine mammal medicine and One Health. Dr. Whitaker is the president of the Pride Veterinary Medical Community and takes an active role in promoting the ideas of inclusion and acceptance for all members of the community in the veterinary profession.
Pricing & Discounts
Special Rate
GVMA Premier Members
- $75
GVMA Individual Members
- $120
Non Members
- $250