2023 Denver Virtual NDC Certification Program
Faculty
Cecilia Orellana-Rojas serves as the chief of learning and consulting for the National Diversity Council. In this role, she oversees the execution of the organization’s strategic goals to generate new revenue streams. She leads the consulting function as well as innovative, high-quality educational and research initiatives in diversity and inclusion. She is the creator of the NDC Certification Program curriculum, which prepares professionals for successful careers in the DEIB space. She is also the developer of the NDC Toolkit, a unique diversity reference portal and research consolidator. Cecilia brings 15 years of experience at AT&T, where she started as a manager in diversity marketing. She spent most of her career at the telecommunications giant as associate director and lead consultant of corporate diversity. In this role, she offered support in the formulation, implementation and direction of AT&T’s diversity and inclusion strategy including metrics, communications, and training. She also provided consulting in all aspects of workforce diversity. Prior to her corporate role, she worked as a journalist and later taught in academia for more than 10 years in the area of sociology, with emphasis on U.S. race relations, gender, Latin America, and research methods. Cecilia is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. She was instrumental in the launch of the Texas Diversity Council and served as the first president of the San Antonio Advisory Board. As a founding member of the Texas Hispanic/Latino Summit, she played a leadership role in establishing the mission of the summit as a venue for Latino/a voices within the Texas Leadership and Diversity Conference. She has been recognized numerous times with the Diversity Champion Award and Diversity Leadership Award for her commitment and dedication to diversity business practices. Cecilia has served on the Emeritus Board of Directors for the Masters Leadership Program of Greater San Antonio and as an external member of the Workforce and Diversity Committee for the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). In addition, she has served on the Immigration and Refugees Action Team for the City of San Antonio’s Faith-Based Initiative. A native of Chile, Cecilia earned a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of New Mexico. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Dakota. She resides in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, Henry, and their son, Rodrigo.
Speaker
Lori Walker is the Vice President, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Consultant at Comerica Bank. She has been with Comerica Bank since 2009. In her current role, she has primary responsibility for Diversity and Inclusion education and Corporate Governance for the company. This includes managing the required and elective D&I education for senior leadership, managers and employees. The Corporate Governance role includes management of the bank’s EEO and Affirmative Action program. Prior to joining Comerica in 2009, Lori worked as a Director of Diversity, Manager of Affirmative Action and other Employee Relations management roles over the previous 15 years. She received her Masters’ Degree in Industrial Relations from Wayne State University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan Flint. Lori is a Certified Diversity Professional through the National Diversity Council. Lori is on the Board of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion and the Michigan Diversity Council. Personally, Lori enjoys spending time with her husband and twin 11-year old girls. She is very involved in her daughters’ school and coaches cheerleading. She enjoys traveling, running and gardening.
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