Why Representation Matters

Have you ever wondered Why Representation Matters to your employees?

Come join us for our extended meeting to learn why, and what you can do to build and support fairness, equity, and build a more inclusive and understanding work culture. 

We are pleased to have as part of our panel...

Lori Caldwell
Business Account Manager | State of Nevada Vocational Rehabilitation

Lydia Huerta, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Gender, Race, and Identity | UNR

Alex White III
Vice President | Preferred Business Market Leader – Las Vegas, Reno & Utah Market

Faith Whittier, MD
Chief Medical Officer | Northern Nevada HOPES. 

Speaker Introduction

Lori Caldwell
Business Account Manager | State of Nevada Vocational Rehabilitation

Lori Caldwell is a Business Account Manager for the State of Nevada Vocational Rehabilitation. She has been employed by the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation for 14 years.  She introduces employers to an untapped labor resource of qualified individuals with disabilities. Lori is a Windmills Certified Disability Awareness Trainer.  She has reached out to more than 700 employers and have created almost 80 employer partnerships.  She knows that doesn’t seem like a great percentage but, Lori looks at it like this, there are 80 job opportunities for VR clients.  80 employers that said yes. Lori knows that number will grow, and more opportunities will be available to VR clients. The more she can educate the public on disability awareness and to focus on someone’s abilities and not their disabilities that number will indeed grow. That is her mission, her passion, and that is her reason she is with Vocational Rehabilitation.  During Lori’s career at the State of Nevada DETR Department she is dedicated to give Nevadans her very best. 

Lori has also owned and operated a multi-state General Contracting company.  Outside of the office, she loves spending time with her best friend Charlie who is the most beautiful golden retriever. Lori has lots of hobbies including being a children’s book author, a Coordinator and teacher of a Dutch Oven Cooking group, and the one most dear is Wood Carving.  Most days at home she will be found in her carving studio.

Lydia Huerta, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Gender, Race, & Identity | University of Nevada, Reno

Lydia Huerta is an assistant professor of gender, race, and identity at the University of Nevada, Reno. Huerta specializes in 20th and 21st century cultural studies of the Americas, with an emphasis on the relationship between social media and narratives about the U.S./Mexico border. Her primary research examines the cultural production created in response to the women-killings in Ciudad Juárez since 1993. Other research interests focus on social movements, cultural narratives and public policies created in the United States and Mexico, which call attention to issues related to undocumented populations, specifically, women and LGBTQ migrants.

Alex White III
Vice President | Preferred Business Market Leader

In this role, he leads the team of Business Solutions Advisors across Greater Nevada and Utah. Alex’s team is responsible for Identifying small business and consumer opportunities with new/potential clients, deepening relationships with existing small business clients including consumer needs, and analyzing the client’s financial and operating strategies to recommend alternative or additional financial services to best meet the client’s immediate and longer-term business and personal needs. 

Alex joined the organization in 2014 as a Financial Center Operations Manager. In addition to his role as VP, Preferred Business Market Leader, Alex serves as the National Co Leader with the Black Professional Group- Virtual Chapter for Bank of America- Employee Network and is the Consumer Business Integration Lead for the Reno Suburban Market on the Market President’s Leadership Team. A passion of Alex’s is promoting a consistent message when it comes to Bank of America’s One Team Strategy and drives a continued partnership within the market through all lines of business. Alex is engaged with several councils within Bank of America such as Black Executive Leadership Council, Diversity and Inclusion Council, and Employee Engagement and Inclusion Council where he serves as a Leader supporting all of the west teammates. He has received accolades for his support and leadership within the organization over the years; 2020 Valiant Award winner – a prestige award that is given to about 15% of our Bank of America teammates across the organization annually for the impact made within communities, clients, and within the company. In 2024, Alex also received the distinguished Diversity & Inclusion Manager Award - only 1% of the Company’s global footprint was nominated. And only 0.1% of the Company’s employees were awarded this mantle.

Faith Whittier, MD
Chief Medical Officer | Northern Nevada HOPES

A HUGE Thank You to Our Sponsors:

Annual Platinum Sponsor

Annual Gold Sponsor

Cancellation and No-Show Policies

No refunds will be given. If you are unable to attend, we will be happy to give you credit toward another event as long as we receive notice 48 hours before your scheduled meeting. Please send your request to [email protected].