Why Attend?
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Texas 2007 Conference Highlights
The 2007 Texas Conference brought participants top-notch keynote speakers, invaluable information and of course a GREAT TIME! To see some of the highlights, click here.
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Founder's Welcome
Welcome to the First Annual Louisiana Diversity & Leadership Conference. I am very excited about the opportunity we have in Louisiana to not only celebrate our differences but also bring attention to issues related to workplace diversity and equality. Our theme this year is "Deconstructing the Louisiana Glass Ceiling." Based on national averages, women in the workplace earn on average 77 cents for every dollar that a male co-worker earns for comparable work; in Louisiana, women earn 65 cents for every dollar as of 2011. This is evidence that the glass ceiling is still well in place in Louisiana, a situation the Louisiana Diversity Council is determined to rectify.
"Deconstructing the Louisiana Glass Ceiling" is both a business and moral imperative for our community. First, from a business perspective, when organizations are not inclusive and thus not making full use of their human capital the implications are detrimental: high turnover rates, low worker engagement and lower productivity among their employees. Furthermore, a work environment with artificial barriers has the potential to lead to a class action law suit. The "Equal Pay for Women Act," introduced by Rep. Barbara Norton of Louisiana, would make it legal for women workers to complain to their employers about unequal pay, and if no solution is reached the employee would have the right to file a class action law suit. Such a suit would impact both the bottom line and ultimately the corporate brand. Finally, all organizations have a responsibility to the community. A responsibility to create a work environment in which all individuals have an equal opportunity to develop and compete based on merit and not on one's gender.
To see change in Louisiana, it's going to take people coming together and speaking truth to power and thus challenging the current status quo of inequality. In addition, it's going to take determination, commitment, and organization. I implore you to get involved so that the Louisiana community can dismantle the artificial barriers in our workplaces that impede the progress of both women and people of color. Our state will not change without individuals who are willing to work together for change.
Thanks,
Dennis Kennedy
Founder & CEO,
National Diversity Council