A Symposium on Building Inclusive Organizations to feature Joe Gerstandt

EDITOR NOTE: Photo of speaker available upon request
The Ames Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City of Ames Human Relations Commission and Iowa State University Division of Diversity and Inclusion, are pleased to announce that Joe Gerstandt will be the keynote speaker for A Symposium on Building Inclusive Organizations on October 31. 
“Joe Gerstandt is a nationally-recognized speaker and author emphasizing organizational diversity and inclusion,” said Dan Culhane, President and CEO of the Ames Chamber of Commerce. “He is an outstanding choice to kick off our inaugural symposium by raising the awareness of bias in our daily lives and resetting the diversity and inclusion conversation.”
A Symposium on Building Inclusive Organizations was designed for leaders and influencers in Ames and Story County, particularly those who impact hiring and decision-making in the workplace and who impact organizational culture and environment. Attendees will learn practical strategies towards building more inclusive workplaces in Ames and Story County.
“There is tremendous energy in our community related to implementing new initiatives that include a broader distribution of people in the conversation on diversity and inclusion,” said Reginald Stewart, Ph.D., Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Iowa State University. “The symposium has been purposefully constructed to appeal to both new and experience leaders.”
In addition to the lead partners on this symposium (Ames Chamber of Commerce, City of Ames, and Iowa State University Division of Diversity and Inclusion) several other organizations have stepped forward to support this important event, including the NAACP, Ames Community School District, Iowa State University Alumni Association, Sigler Companies, First National Bank and Rippke Design.
Registration for this half-day symposium is $100 per person ($80 non-profit rate) and includes breakfast, lunch, keynote speaker, and breakout sessions. This event will be held Wednesday, October 31, 2018, from 7:30am-1:00pm at the Gateway Hotel & Conference Center (2100 Green Hills Drive, Ames).
To register or learn more, visit www.AmesChamber.com or call 515-232-2310.