OneSpartanburg, Inc.'s Jay Jenkins joins Diversity Leaders Initiative
Thursday, January 18, 2024 3:00 pm
Forty leaders from across the Upstate have been selected to participate in the Riley Institute’s intensive 5-month Diversity Leaders Initiative (DLI) program. For over 20 years, DLI has brought together community stakeholders and equipped them with the skills and perspectives necessary to leverage diversity in their organizations in ways that drive social and economic progress in South Carolina.
Participants are selected following nomination by a DLI graduate and a thorough application and interview process. Each class includes leaders who represent the varied demographics in our state and who seek to institute diverse and inclusive practices within their communities and organizations.
Juan Johnson, the designer and facilitator of the program, has crafted a curriculum that includes interactive case studies, scenario analyses, and experiential learning tools. With five meetings over the course of five months, this program will explore modules related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Among the topics explored in these discussions are the differences between bias and discrimination, the role of context, differences in mental and physical abilities, generational diversity, and diversity frameworks.
The DLI program concludes with groups undertaking community action projects. With these capstone projects, this new class of DLI participants will identify challenges in their communities and will work together to address them. Many of our DLI graduates have developed projects that continue to produce tremendous good within their communities.
Dr. Don Gordon, executive director of the Riley Institute, remarks, “Today’s leaders are responsible for making positive contributions that benefit everyone, particularly the most marginalized among us. This program creates opportunities to tackle challenges faced by diverse segments of our community and introduce enduring solutions and systems-level change within organizations and businesses across South Carolina.”
Graduates of DLI become Riley Fellows and join a diverse community of changemakers in South Carolina.
Listed below are the participants of the spring 2024 Upstate DLI class.
Selena Anderson
Director, Human Resources
Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands
Greenville
Robyn Andrews
Access Services & Diversity Coordinator; Co Chair, President's Committee for Diversity
Furman University
Greenville
Adam Artigliere
Partner
Burr & Forman LLP
Greenville
Yobany Banks-McKay
Vice President of Corporate Engagement
United Way of Greenville County
Greenville
Andy Beasley
President and COO
Michelin Connected Fleet
Atlanta
Barrett Black
Financial Controlling Manager
BMW Manufacturing
Greer
Guy Boyle
Chief Executive Officer
Spartanburg Water
Spartanburg
Jeff Brown
President
Greenville Drive
Greenville
Anne Lee Buck
Coordinator of Community Collaboration
Greenville County Schools
Greenville
Tamika Cannon
Senior Staff Attorney
South Carolina Victim Assistance Network
Taylors
Philip Cody
Dean, Educational Opportunity Programs
Greenville Technical College
Greenville
Karras Cohen
Leadership and Transformation Specialist
BMW Manufacturing
Greer
Will Dillard
News Director
WYFF4
Greenville
Heath Dillard
President and CEO
VisitGreenvilleSC
Greenville
Polly Edwards-Padgett
Senior Director of Strategic Philanthropy
Spartanburg Regional Foundation
Spartanburg
Joseph Fields
Vice President of Equity
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County
Greenville
Kelly Fields
Vice President of Corporate and Business Services - Americas
Michelin North America
Greenville
Jennifer Fouse Sheorn
Pastor & Director
Triune Mercy Center
Greenville
Katie Grove
Attorney
McAngus Goudelock & Courie
Greenville
Warren Hamrick
Department Manager of Technical Planning Paint
BMW
Greer
Kathryn Harvey
Founder
Neue South
Spartanburg
Laura Hayes
Executive Assistant
National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA)
Columbia
Jay Jenkins
Director of Small and Minority Business Development
OneSpartanburg, Inc.
Spartanburg
Shontavia Johnson
Intellectual Property Counsel
Savannah River Nuclear Laboratory
Aiken
Mark Johnston
President and CEO
Community Journals
Greenville
Josh Kendrick
Partner
Kendrick & Leonard, PC
Greenville
Blair Landreneau
Development Partner
Michelin North America
Greenville
Dorian Lane
Student Life and Belonging Coordinator
Saint Joseph's Catholic School
Greenville
Kristin Manske
Market CEO
Greenwood Regional Rehabilitation Hospital
Greenwood
Monique McDaniels
Vice President of Community and Workforce Development
Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands SC
Greenville
Cortney Mehaffey
Production Control and Improvement Manager
BMW
Greer
Shivani Nadarajah
Senior HR Director
Cytiva - A Danaher Operating Company
Greenville
Buket Oztas
Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs
Furman University
Greenville
Elizabeth Palmore
Benefits Manager
BMW
Greer
Mike Panasko
Business Development Manager
City of Greenville
Greenville
Lauren Payne
Assistant Vice President, Career and Professional Development
Furman University
Greenville
Mike Sarvis
Market President
First National Bank (FNB Corporation)
Greenville
Fernanda Sieverling
Executive Director
European American Chamber of Commerce Carolinas
Duncan
Matt Staab
Associate General Counsel
Michelin North America
Greenville
Kaitlin Watts
Director, Center for Early Childhood Success
Spartanburg Academic Movement
Spartanburg
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About the Riley Institute at Furman University: Furman University’s Richard W. Riley Institute advances social and economic progress in South Carolina and beyond by building leadership for a diverse society, broadening student and community perspectives on critical issues, hosting expert speakers, supporting public education, and creating knowledge through community solutions-focused research. It is committed to nonpartisanship in all it does and to a rhetoric-free, facts-based approach to change.