Diversity + Inclusion Forum 2020 Schedule Announced

Having a strong record of diversity, equity, and inclusivity is critical to attract top talent, so make plans now to attend the inaugural Diversity + Inclusion Forum on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

Join us Tuesday, April 21, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Washington Marriott Wardman Park in the Washington Room: 5 & 6. (Held in conjunction with Roofing Day in D.C. 2020)

Brought to you by the National Roofing Contractors Association, National Women in Roofing and the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, the Diversity + Inclusion Forum 2020 will help you identify ways to engage underrepresented groups, develop resources to increase your cultural competency, and educate you on why supporting diversity and fostering a culture of inclusion is a business imperative to strengthen your workforce.

During the event, dynamic industry leaders and stakeholders will discuss sustainable strategies for advancing diversity and inclusion and share best practices on how to effectively lead in a diverse and inclusive culture. Throughout the day, you also will have the opportunity to meet and network with fellow roofing and industry professionals from across the U.S. who also are striving to achieve inclusive, culturally diverse and competent workforces.

Schedule-at-a-Glance:

9:30 a.m. - Registration/Networking Coffee

10 a.m. - Welcome and Overview of Day

• National Roofing Contractors Association (Reid Ribble)
• National Women in Roofing (Jennifer Stone)
• California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (Julian Canete)

10:30 a.m. - Why Inclusion and Diversity are Essential to Foster High Performing Teams

High-performance teams that advocate for diversity and inclusive behaviors and include a diversity of age, gender, race and ethnicity, or geographic and national culture, allows the company to better serve its consumers. In addition to a mixture of age, gender, and cultural backgrounds, “cognitive” diversity, which is mixing people together with different thinking styles, habits and perspectives, often allows teams to achieve better outcomes and become much more multidisciplinary. Learn how collaboration becomes a tool to access your company’s ‘why’ in more distinctive and boundless ways, ultimately aligning you both internally and externally with your customers.

Presenter: Leah Maguire, Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity, Owens Corning, Toledo, Ohio

11 a.m. -  Why Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Matter to Your Business’ Bottom Line

Diverse and inclusive workplaces ultimately impact the bottom line in numerous ways. Diversity supports business performance by helping companies generate unique ideas that can improve the quality of decision making. And, individual identities shape how people experience, learn, and perceive the world, which is then reflected in the different perspectives and skillsets they bring. Our speaker will share how this new source of insight and talent sparks creativity and leads to the formation of new ideas, which ultimately helps businesses progress.

Presenter: Julian Francis, President/CEO, Beacon Building Products, Herndon, Va.

11:30 a.m. - Eliminating Barriers: Building Diverse and Inclusive Organizations

In today's extremely competitive yet socially conscious business environment, one of the best ways to sustain an innovative organization is to create an inclusive and diverse organization. When a company creates a culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion, they are often faced with barriers within and outside their organization. This session will discuss what some of those barriers can be, how to overcome them, and how to ensure that efforts are maximized. 

Presenter: Julian Canete, CEO, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, Sacramento, CA

Noon - Luncheon/Keynote Speaker(s)– Member(s) of Congress (invited)

1 p.m. - Leading in a Diverse and Inclusive Culture – Industry Panel

Leading in a diverse and inclusive culture gives you deeper insights into yourself, your team, and the benefits of inclusion at all levels in your organization. Panelists will share best practices, as well as insights and strategies to develop competencies and get tools to create an environment fueled by engagement and innovation.

Panel members:

Mardee Billingsley, Executive Vice President, Tremco Roofing & Building Maintenance, Beachwood, Ohio

Leo Ibarra, Vice President, Blue’s Roofing Co.,Milpitas, Calif.

Sherri Miles, President, Miles Roofing Inc., Chesapeake, Va.

James Thomas, President/CEO, Topps Products, Canton, Miss.

Elizabeth Walters, Marketing & Business Operations Manager, Derbigum Americas Inc., Kansas City, Mo.

Heidi Ellsworth (moderator), President, HJE Consulting, Camp Sherman, Ore.

2 p.m. - Takeaways/ Networking Mixer

2:30 p.m. - Register/Check-in - Roofing Day in D.C. 2020

3 p.m. - Opening Program - Roofing Day in D.C. 2020

Learn more about NRCA in their RCS directory.