Diversity conference to be held in Jonesboro

Three Jonesboro organizations are partnering to host the third annual Northeast Arkansas Diversity Conference. The aim is to help businesses and organizations develop and create more inclusive workplaces.

St. Bernards Healthcare, the Arkansas State University Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at ASU are hosting the event. It will be held on June 24 in Centennial Hall of the Reng Student Union on the ASU campus.

“Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) as a Tool for Organizational Success” is the conference’s theme. The event will take an in-depth look at equity and offer tools for creating spaces that promote equity, create a sense of belonging, and strategically implement inclusion throughout the organization.

“We are so excited to host this conference,” said Evette L. Allen Moore, assistant dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at NYITCOM at ASU. “It is our hope that the conference serves as a great way for organizations to begin conversations that will move them toward lasting change for a culture of DEIB.”

The conference will begin with a keynote address by Candice Maxwell, distinguished education equity fellow and professor for the University of Central Arkansas College of Education. The afternoon will feature break-out sessions that will allow in-depth discussion on how to implement the principles Maxwell discussed into daily practice.

Nurses and physicians will be eligible to receive CEUs. Social workers and educators will receive certificates indicating their attendance. These certificates can be used by attendees to apply for professional development credit through the appropriate granting agency.