

Less than a week after the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce hosted it’s inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Summit, Gwinnett Young Professionals (GYP) hosted it’s very own “Continuing the Conversation” Summit on May 26, 2021 to dive deeper into the diverse experiences of young professionals in the workplace.
The event began with a guided exercise to allow attendees to get to know each other. That was followed by a panel discussion which offered honest, positive, respectful, open-minded and productive dialogue about diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s society and workplace from a young professionals’ point of view.
PANELISTS:
Nury Castro | Administrator, Georgia Gwinnett College
Nury Lizeth Castro is a dynamic and forward thinker, intentional community builder, and healing agent. Her practice is guided by scholarship, theory, intersectionality, critical consciousness, and principles that center community and social equity. Her natural talent, unwavering tenacity, and ability to center theory-to-practice have allowed Nury to serve in various roles as a university and college administrator. Nury is currently a doctoral student at the University of Dayton and she received a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Science from North Carolina State University.
Janelle King | Founder, Excel Leadership
Janelle King is an I/O Consultant and Certified Life & Leadership Coach. It is her mission to help organizations, teams, professionals, and people reimagine and redesign the way they do life and work through the power of purpose and the science and practice of industrial-organizational psychology. She is currently living out this mission as an I-O Consultant to organizations through her company Excel Leadership, where she creates purpose-driven and engaging cultures for organizations, teams, and professionals to excel and thrive in the workplace. She also serves as a Certified Life & Leadership Coach through her personal and professional development company, Life Designer University, where she coaches women to design a life and career they love.
Cole Porter | Vice President, Porter Steel
Cole Porter is the current Vice President of Porter Steel and past owner of multiple small business ventures. A graduate of the University of Georgia and a lifelong Atlanta native, Cole focuses most of his energy today on facilitating growth, development, and efficiency in his employees, work processes, and business relationships. Additionally, he places a large emphasis on community involvement and integrity in business.
Kam Phillips | Founder, The Kam Phillips Group
Kam Phillips is a certified Life & Leadership Coach and Inspirational Speaker who specializes in developing teens, students, and early career professionals into emerging leaders. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Economics from Emory University and excelling in the corporate world with firms such as ETRADE, AllianceBernstein, and JPMorgan Private Bank, Kam decided to walk away from his career in finance. Kam now uses his gifts to help students and young adults navigate through difficult transitions by providing speaking engagements that positively impact their personal development, emotional well-being, and career trajectory.
MODERATORS:
Jasmine Billings | Community Development Manager, City of Lawrenceville
Jasmine Billings is a vibrant, intentional community builder, passionate about growth in the community through building relationships, developing partnerships, supporting youth advocacy, and strategic civic engagement/awareness. Serving as the Community Development Manager for the City of Lawrenceville, Jasmine is experienced in Event Management and Community Outreach, with a passion for Sport Management. Through connectivity and shared experiences, her drive is to educate and engage with youth and create awareness through workforce development.
Tommy Easley | Ticket Sales Director, Atlanta Gladiators
Tommy Easley is the Ticket Sales Director with the Atlanta Gladiators Professional Hockey Club. He is entering his 5th season with the club where his focus is on business development through season tickets and premium hospitality. Tommy is a current member of the Gwinnett County Young Professionals Board. Prior to joining the Gladiators, Tommy has worked with the Chicago Bulls and Cincinnati Reds.




Nicole Love Hendrickson is a mom, social worker, and community advocate. She is no stranger to the Gwinnett Community. She has dedicated nearly 15 years to serving the citizens of Gwinnett County in many different capacities and has led efforts to ensure that a diversity of voices were reflected in decision-making at all levels.
Nick Masino heads the
Njeri Boss is a graduate of the Dekalb County school system. She has a BA in Journalism from the University of Iowa and a Law Degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego, California. After her undergraduate work, Njeri worked as a reporter for several years before attending Law School. After Law School, she was a practicing attorney for about 12 years.
John Pearson Sr. has dedicated more than 35 years to the community as a Law Enforcement Executive. He served as Deputy Director of Police Services with the DeKalb County Police Department. At the time, it was the second largest police department in the State of Georgia. During his 25 years with DeKalb, he used his leadership skills in numerous positions, including SWAT Commander, Drug Unit Commander and Assistant Commander of Criminal Investigations Division. He also has served as the Assistant Police Chief for Hogansville, Georgia, Chief of Investigations and Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Jocelyn Dorsey retired from Channel 2 WSB-TV after 45 years of service. She had been the Director of Editorials & Public Affairs at Channel 2 since 1983. From 1973-83, Jocelyn was an anchor/ reporter/ producer and assignment editor for WSB-TV’s Channel 2 Action News. In fact, she was the first African-American anchor of a Channel 2 newscast as well as the first African American news anchor in the Atlanta market. Jocelyn was also Executive Producer and regular contributor to People 2 People, a weekly half-hour public affairs program broadcast on Channel 2.


As a professional athlete most known for building a multi-sport legacy, Brian Jordan is clearly a man of many talents. Sports enthusiasts have long been aware of his athletic skills, as he has been an All-Star player with the Atlanta Braves and an All-Pro selection with the Atlanta Falcons.
Dr. Bernie Mullin is Founder & Chairman of 
Deputy Chief McClure began his career as a police officer with the
Monica Kaufman Pearson is the first woman and first minority to anchor the daily evening news in Atlanta, GA where she worked for 37 years at the leading station, WSB-TV. She has won over 33 Southern Regional and local Emmy Awards for reporting, anchoring and her Closeups celebrity interview show. When she retired, she was honored on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by the bipartisan delegation of the State of Georgia for her years of service on and off the air to improve the lives of the citizens of Georgia.

Dr. Jann Joseph, the President of
Jerrí Hewett Miller is the founder and principal of 





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Dionne Wright Poulton, Ph.D., is an HR and Leadership Consultant, Educator, Author, Speaker, and Owner of 

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