As founder of the National Diversity Council, I would like to welcome you to the fourth and final edition of the 2012 Texas Diversity Council Newsletter. As the winter holidays approach, I invite you to look back on all our events and programs from this past year, and join us at our upcoming holiday mixers, in order to learn how you can become more involved with the council's work in 2013.
The Texas Diversity Council held its 9th Annual DiversityFIRSTTM Awards Luncheons on October 18th, 23rd, and 31st in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston respectively. These luncheons were designed to highlight the importance of incorporating diversity and inclusion in the community and the workplace, focusing on the theme, "Looking Ahead: The Future of Diversity and Inclusion."
What is in your leadership toolkit? I asked this at a recent speaking engagement, and was astonished that most of the audience didn't even know what a leadership toolkit is; much less what it should contain. Given the diversity of the participants across traditional age, occupation, gender, race, and interest lines, this was a surprising commentary on a missed opportunity. What are the tools you utilize each and every day? Part wisdom, part experience-based, and often learned from others in the workplace, our leadership toolkit supports us in everything from creating mundane expense reports to having a difficult conversation with a colleague. As Abraham Maslow opined back in the 60's, however, to rely upon just one tool sub-optimizes our leadership potential and conspires against carefully cultivating our creativity and flexibility.
I am still amazed at how some still see Diversity as affirmative action, quota, checking a box on a form or just a difference of color, race and ethnicity.
February 8, 2013 Women in Leadership
February 27, 2013 Diversity Learning Series
March 21, 2013 Member Mixer
March 28, 2013 Healthcare Diversity Summit
April 25, 2013 College Tours
May 2, 2013 Lunch and Learn Series
May 16, 2013 DiversityFIRST Awards Luncheon
September 21, 2013 Young Women's Leadership Symposium
November 14, 2013 Women's Summit
December 5, 2013 Holiday Mixer
The Texas Diversity Council held its 4th Annual Women in Leadership Symposium in Fort Worth, TX on Friday, September 14, 2012, at Texas Christian University. A diverse group of women leaders from numerous organizations around the Fort Worth area gathered to address topics relevant to women in leadership.
The Texas Diversity Council’s Central Texas Healthcare Summit took place on Thursday, August 23, 2012 at the St. Vincent de Paul Auditorium of the Seton Healthcare Family Administration Offices in Austin, TX. The event promoted dialogue, awareness, and support to organizational culture and diversity development strategies within the healthcare communities.
On Saturday, October 6th, 2012, the East Asia Institute (EAI) at UTSA in collaboration with the Texas Diversity Council hosted "GenerAsian Next Youth Leadership Summit: East Meets West," running from 8:30 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. Participating students came from 15 difficult local schools and were with a variety of ethnic backgrounds, many of whom were of Asian descent and all were all quite eager for the day's event.
The first American Indian Heritage Day was celebrated in the state of New York in May 1916. Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a Seneca Indian and Director of the Arts and Sciences Museum in Rochester New York was an early proponent of a day to honor the first Americans and, in fact, convinced the Boy Scouts of America to institute such a day. Several states after that enacted a day to honor American Indians. However, it was in 1990, under the leadership of President George H.W. Bush that a joint Congressional resolution declared November National American Heritage Month. The celebration later was expanded to include the celebration of the heritage of Alaska Natives.
