Organizations Reaching Beyond Traditional Concepts to Advance New Ideas for Diversity & Inclusion Work

More than 70 leaders recently achieved Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)® and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE)® credentials from IDC

INDIANAPOLIS, IN, UNITED STATES, February 1, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As India unveils its universal health coverage plan and some of the best companies in the U.S. partner to explore ways to cut America's health care costs, the world is witnessing a global emphasis on improving the quality of life for diverse groups for the future. This is also the focus of North Carolina's Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), which hosted a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)® Prep course in Chapel Hill. Jacqueline R. Wynn, MPH, CDP, Associate Director, NC AHEC Program Office, says, “As leaders in health careers and workforce diversity, it is vital that NC AHEC employees understand why diversity and inclusion is important and what a more diverse group of health care professionals means for the future of health care. NC AHEC’s newly Certified Diversity Professionals will work across the state ensuring health equity and education, and many will be available to offer diversity training to internal and external stakeholders, including NC AHEC staff, executives, students, health care professionals, and our academic and community partners". The NC AHEC program office is based at UNC Chapel Hill, and its 9 Area Health Education Centers are distributed across the state. Together with the Duke AHEC Program, representatives work to meet the state’s health and health workforce needs. As part of a national network, AHEC provides educational programs, services, and funding to bridge the gap between academic institutions and communities in an effort to improve the health of ALL people in North Carolina.

Over 20 NC AHEC professionals received credentials as equity and inclusion leaders from IDC. Below is a complete list of recently Certified Diversity Professionals (CDP)®:

- Sheila Bogan, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Earl Boney, CDP - Navy Gateway Inn & Suites (NGIS)
- Tonya Burney, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Francisco Castelblanco, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Ashley Cochran, CDP - Chicago Housing Authority
- Battina Cole, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Rosite Delgado, CDP - The University of Tennessee
- Beverly L Durham, CDP - BLD Communications
- MaryAnn Fappiano, CDP - Move Forward Coaching & Consulting
- Patience Ajoff Foster, CDP - Drexel University
- Sabina Gebczyk, CDP - Chicago Housing Authority
- Alicia Gonzalez, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Debbie Grammer, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Hayley Harris, CDP - Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
- Nedra Edwards Hines, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Amy Hoffarth, CDP - Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
- Lorna Hollowell, CDP - University of Minnesota Crookston
- Lauren Honeycutt, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Lauren Hunter, CDP - State of Minnesota
- Shelia Jackson, CDP - Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
- Craig Jajko, CDP - BP
- Crystle Johnson, CDP - Bosch
- Carla J Kimbrough, CDP - National Civic League
- Ruth LaToison Ifill, CDP - Goodwill Industries International
- Kassandra Marshall, CDP - Church Mutual Insurance Company
- Ben McDowell, CDP - Nationwide Insurance
- Blake McMorris, CDP - Parker Wright Group
- Cynthia Meredith, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Melanee Mills, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Charlotte Morris, CDP - Pepco Holdings
- Warren Newton, MD, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Thupten Norbu, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Wendy Ofer, CDP - Canon USA
- Scarleth Lever Ortiz, CDP - Chicago Housing Authority
- Elaine Owens, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Tommi Paris, CDP - Southern Company Gas
- Bertina Parkins, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Patricia Parrish, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Natasha Rodriguez, CDP - University of Maryland University College
- Sigrid Lorraine Smith, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Jennifer Smith, CDP - American Institutes for Research
- Kristina Smith, CDP - All in Good Company
- Joann Spaleta, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Monica Taylor, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Ava Toney Snider, CDP - Chicago Housing Authority
- Jennifer Turner, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Meenu "Kaur" Vin, CDP - Harvey Nash Group
- Sheri Crosby Wheeler, CDP - Mr. Cooper
- Natasha Winfree, CDP - Goodwill Industries of Central & Coastal Virginia
- Jacqueline Wynn, CDP - North Carolina AHEC
- Leaha Wynn, CDP - Center of Effective Philanthropy

IDC's advanced practitioner program focuses on identifying and removing institutional barriers to equity and cultural competence, as well as on expanding the inclusive framework beyond talent towards suppliers, board members, new markets and product development. Dr. Nika White, CEO of Nika White Consulting, says, “I am honored to be among many that are benefiting from having gone through the Institute for Diversity Certification's CDE program. It’s important for D&I practitioners to have a standard upon which to benchmark and elevate our work. I feel better equipped as a student of my industry and grateful to have expanded my network to include leaders in the discipline.” Recently Certified Diversity Executives (CDE)® include:

- Laura Antal, CDE - Sodexo
- Danielle J. Barrett, CDE - City of New York
- Sarika Bhakta, CDE - Nikeya Diversity Consulting LLC
- Rena Rebecca Borkhataria, Ph.D., CDE - University of Florida
- Tonie Bowie, CDE - MaxLife, LLC
- Valerie Davidson, CDE- Butler University
- Paula Davis, CDE - University of Pittsburgh
- Deidra Dennie, CDE
- Kristin Ekkens, CDE - Cultural Intelligence Center
- Lloyd Gellineau, CDE - Town of Brookline, MA
- Aaron L. Hamilton, Jr., CDE - U.S. Department of Defense DEOMI
- Richard Hill, CDE - National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Jennifer Lewis, CDE - Church Pension Group
- Jonathan Mayes, CDE - Albertsons Companies
- Cynthia Good Mojab, CDE - LifeCircle Consulting
- Rhonda Mower, CDE - Volunteers of America
- Minny Deol Olson, CDE - Seva Diversity Consulting
- Marlo Rencher, CDE - Cleary University
- BaRhonda Dickerson Stewart, CDE
- Nika White, D.M., CDE - Nika White Consulting
- Irma Zoepf, CDE

Dr. White adds, "If you are interested in impacting systems, structures, policies and practices to foster inclusive environments, I highly recommend the Institute for Diversity Certification.”

Leah Smiley, CDE
Institute for Diversity Certification (IDC)®
1-800-983-6192
email us here