Conference

The Fourth Annual Texas Diversity & Leadership Conference & Exposition will be held on May 14-16, 2008, at the Westin Galleria Hotel in Houston. The theme for the conference is “Deconstructing the Texas Glass Ceiling.” The expected attendance is over 1,500. Furthermore, the conference will feature Former United States Attorney General John Ashcroft, Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Dateline NBC Correspondent Ed Gordon as the featured keynote speakers.


Summits
Mentoring Summit, Chief Diversity Officer Forum, Healthcare Summit, Hispanic/Latino Summit, Workforce Compliance Summit and the GLBT Summit are all pre conference events scheduled to be held on May 14th at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management.  Additionally, the 2nd Annual College Student Diversity Summit sponsored by Abercrombie and Fitch will take place on May 15th at the Westin Galleria Hotel.  Designed to inform and educate, these sessions will allow the opportunity to hear discussions on issues faced by the prospective communities they target.

 
Tracks
The conference will offer attendees several Tracks including: Compliance, Diversity (Workplace and Marketing), Leadership, Professional Development, Recruiting, Talent Management and Women.


Keynote Speakers  
43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush, Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and Dateline NBC correspondent Ed Gordon are all scheduled to participate as keynote speakers for the 4th Annual conference and will address their audiences on Diversity & Leadership and how it has applied to their personal and professional careers.  (Two additional keynote speakers to be determined)


Awards
Numerous awards will be given during the 4th Annual Texas Diversity & Leadership Conference to recognize individuals, community groups, non-profit organizations, and business establishments within the legal, academic, corporate, and/or health community that have demonstrated outstanding achievements and sustained commitment to the pursuit of cultural diversity and inclusion in the community and workplace.  Award titles are as follows:

DiversityFIRST™Award
DiversityChampion™ Award
Texas Legal Diversity Award                                                                                                        Texas Glass Ceiling Award

                               
Glass Ceiling Breakfast
Chaired and Hosted by Karen Taylor, SVP & Chief Diversity Officer for Reliant Energy, the breakfast will start the first full day of conference events with a keynote speech on the conference theme, “Deconstructing the Texas Glass Ceiling” and an analysis of the 2008 Texas Glass Ceiling Report.  During the breakfast, we will be presenting the Texas Glass Ceiling Awards to individuals who have championed women in the workplace and/or to those who have overcome the proverbial Glass Ceiling.


Legal Diversity Luncheon
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft delivers his keynote address on the state of Diversity and Inclusion within the legal profession.  Local and statewide law firms and attorneys will also be recognized with the Inaugural Texas Legal Diversity Award which will recognize those committed to the values of diversity, inclusion and cultural understanding in the workplace.


Scholarship Dinner
Join us for the Inaugural Texas Diversity & Leadership Conference scholarship dinner scheduled for May 15th in the Grand Ballroom of the J.W. Marriott Hotel as we recognize students for their achievement in scholastics, leadership potential, and initiative.  In conjunction with a keynote address by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the scholarship program will reward traditional students that value the potential for success through the continued pursuit of higher education.


Job Fair
Free to the public, The Texas Diversity & Leadership Conference Job Fair will be one of the largest diversity professional job fairs in our region with over 100 organizations participating.  Located in Woodway Hall at the Westin Galleria Hotel, it will offer attendees the opportunity to meet one on one with recruiters and hiring managers from some of the nation’s largest companies and organizations who are looking to hire qualified candidates for internships, entry-level and full time professional positions.


Exhibit Hall
The Exhibit Hall located in Woodway Hall at the Westin Galleria Hotel is free to the public and will be open from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.  The Exhibit Hall will be divided into three sections: Regional Diversity Job Fair, Business Schools (MBA), and the Marketing of Goods and Services.  We will have over 100 employers participating in the job fair. For those seeking an MBA, the exhibit hall will feature the top MBA Schools in the southwest region. We are anticipating over 150 exhibitors.

Additionally, the exhibit hall will have several raffles in which $10,000 worth of gift certificates and travel packages will be given away. All attendees of the exhibit hall have an opportunity to participate in the give-always