In the next installment of its Investing in Equity Series – which dives into ways business owners and leaders can make diversity, equity and inclusion part of the fabric of the Northern Kentucky business community – the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce (NKY Chamber) will explore “Employing, Understanding and Engaging our LGBTQ+ Population.”
Taking place from 8:30-10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, at Gateway Community and Technical College Edgewood Campus, Room E101, attendees will hear from experts that identify as and work closely with the LGBTQ+ population. They will lead the discussion and provide business leaders with actionable and measurable goals to work toward so we are all working together respectfully and to our fullest potential.
“As we continue toward becoming a more welcoming region, we must take a deeper look into our policies, practices and procedures to ensure we can retain the talent we are attracting,” said NKY Chamber President and CEO Brent Cooper. “Our panel will share tangible and measurable ways that we can all do our part to make Northern Kentucky a place for everyone to feel safe, valued and supported.”
Each quarterly Investing in Equity Series event includes a panel of experts who are advancing DEI work in the Northern Kentucky Metro region and who can help Northern Kentucky businesses continue to make strides toward becoming more inclusive and welcoming to everyone.
Mitch Morgan, Vice President and Director of Inclusion for Fifth Third Bank, will serve as moderator for this event.
The scheduled panelists are:
• Chris Hartman is the first director of Kentucky’s Fairness Campaign and a steering committee member of the Fairness Coalition. He has helped pass anti-discrimination LGBTQ Fairness Ordinances in 21 Kentucky communities. He was named the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau’s “Partner of the Year” and is a former Community Foundation of Louisville Alden Fellow and LGBTQ Fellow of the Rockwood Leadership Institute.
• Drew Boehmker is the Digital Account Supervisor at Scooter Media where he manages the agency’s digital marketing and social media efforts. He also serves as the Communications Director for the Northern Kentucky Pride Center and has been a part of the planning committee for the annual NKY Pride celebration in Covington since 2015. In 2022, he was named Northern Kentucky’s LGBTQ+ Community Activist of the Year.
• Dr. LaVette M. Burnette is the Director of LGBTQA+ Student Initiatives at Northern Kentucky University where she works to cultivate an inclusive environment where all LGBTQA+ students feel a secure sense of belonging and care. She is a first-generation college student earning her Doctorate of Communication from Georgia State University and Masters and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Western Kentucky University.
Pre-registration for the event is required. Tickets for Investing in Equity Series events are $20 for NKY Chamber members and $15 for NKYP pass holders. Future NKY Chamber member tickets are available for $35. Capacity is limited to 90 seats. More information and registration are available at NKYChamber.com/DEIseries.
To learn more about the NKY Chamber’s DEI initiatives, powered by Fifth Third Bank, visit NKYChamber.com or contact Ashleigh DuBois at adubois@nkychamber.com.
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce