The Diversity Advisory Council is made up of prominent leaders from local community and industry partners, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Lennox International, BB&T Bank, GXA Networks, The Gatson Group, HEB, AT&T, Ericsson, Nordstrom, and other Dallas-area businesses. In support of the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement and the University’s goals and strategic initiatives, the members of the Council provide guidance through financial support, awareness and advocacy, and expertise in diversity and inclusion.
The Diversity Advisory Council meets about six times a year to discuss diversity related trends and practices, and tackle such priorities as:
- The Support of students through scholarships, internships, and professional development workshops
- Contribution to Comet Giving Day and other university-related financial campaigns
- Participation in other ODCE and University-wide events
Current Council Members
Chris Bhatti
University of Texas at Dallas
Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations
Chris Bhatti is Assistant Dean for The Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas. Chris holds a Bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University a Master's from ... The University of Texas at Dallas, a Master's in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University and a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from Southern Methodist University.
Prior to SMU, Chris was a Science Instructor at The Hockaday School where he taught science and coached cross-country and track and field. Chris also built the robotics program which integrated a STEM curriculum for the middle school, and after his fourth year teaching, he received the Ellen Higginbotham Award for Teaching Excellence.
Prior to his current role, Chris was also the Director of External and Alumni Relations in the Office of the Dean at SMU's Simmons School of Education. Chris was a part of the Unbridled Campaign specific to the Simmons School that brought in the largest single gift in SMU's 100 year history.
Chris is extensively involved in his community. He is on the Board of Trustees for the Dallas Education Foundation, IGNITE, and The Dallas Assembly. He is currently on the TREC Advisory Board and the Leadership Dallas Program Committee. He served on the SMU Young Alumni Board and Advisory Board for the SMU Hegi Career Development Center. Chris is a Leadership Dallas Alum, member of the Dallas Assembly and a Presidential Leadership Scholar.
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Sonia Quirino Canales
H-E-B
Diversity and Inclusion Manager
Sonia Quirino Canales is the Diversity and Inclusion Manager for H-E-B where she develops, implements and manages the company’s diversity and inclusion programming and strategies that align with H-E-B’s business goals....She is responsible for ensuring workplace diversity and inclusion awareness and education across Texas and works collaboratively with the company’s corporate and regional diversity leadership councils to execute signature events and strategic initiatives. Additionally, she executes the department’s charitable giving and works to strengthen relationships with diversity advocacy groups and community-based organizations.
Quirino-Canales currently serves on the Texas Diversity Council’s Greater San Antonio Advisory Board, the UT Dallas Diversity Advisory Council and she is the Immediate Past Char of the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas-San Antonio Chapter. She was recently accepted into the Latina Leadership Institute of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She received a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Our Lady of the Lake University.
Quirino-Canales is married and has three children. In her spare time she enjoys singing and learning guitar.
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Helen Dorsey
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas(BCBSTX)
Community Outreach Specialist
At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Helen is responsible for employee engagement and volunteer initiatives for the state of Texas. Her professional background includes over 10 years of experience in both corporate and the non-profit sector. ...Helen is a leadership Dallas alumni and a native Texan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Houston and is a graduate of Boston College Carroll School of Management with a Certificate in Corporate Community Relations.
She has a broad base of experience that includes working for a Silicon Valley nonprofit start up, where she launched an innovative e-mentoring/tutoring program in North Texas Schools to prepare students for STEM careers. Her corporate experience includes the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group where she held progressive positions in Marketing, Corporate Communications and Human Resources. In her final role as Manager of Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) she was responsible for their national community outreach programs.
Helen has also worked as an independent consultant -providing marketing and public relations support for local and national clients including: DART, Dunkin Donuts, Macy's, NBA, NFL and Parkland Health Foundation.
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Vanessa Fernandes
Nordstrom
General Manager
Vanessa is a transformative retail sales leader. She leads Nordstrom store sales in the nations 5th largest market.Vanessa has been with Nordstrom for 19 years and her journey with the company is extensive - ...she started as a salesperson in Dallas, after various management roles she became a regional manager for lingerie, then moved along to manage multiple Nordstrom Rack stores starting in 2006 and opened Park Lane Rack in 2009. She then managed multiple full line stores – Orlando from 2011 to 2012, Austin Domain from 2012 to 2015 and currently manages Dallas NorthPark
Since the beginning, she has been a leader and an innovative team player who is constantly disrupting the norm. Her management roles have ranged from operations, public relations, and account sales. Vanessa is a fashion and beauty fanatic; she helps women be themselves. Her social media campaigns, #youbejustyou and #threewords, help her engage diverse communities. Through her time at Nordstrom, she has won multiple awards for leadership and sales.
Vanessa also serves on the National Board for NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness). After recently surviving a tragedy in her own family, she has made it her mission to start-up conversations about mental health and support, and is an active advocate of mental health in the workplace and in diverse communities. During the 2018-2019 board term, Vanessa served on the Development, Finance & Audit, and Planning Committees of NAMI. Because community engagement is a top priority for Vanessa, she is heavily involved in the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce (NDCC) and supports the community every chance she gets. She sits on the Membership Engagement Council and Marketing & Communication Committee at the NDCC.
United Way of Austin has also recognized Vanessa for Corporate Philanthropy while serving on the United Way Women’s Leadership Council and United Way Board in Austin Texas in 2014 – 2015. She was also a part of the Leadership Club for United Way of Florida.
Vanessa is an advocate for diversity, inclusion, engagement and work/life blend – she has spoken on these topics in various settings. Her most recent speaking engagements have included KERA 90.1’s Mental Health Listening Session, Depressed Cake Shop’s “Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace” with members of Real Housewives of Dallas at NorthPark Center in 2018, and the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce on Community and Customer Engagement. Vanessa has recently become a part of the Women of Mavs Empowering Network (W.O.M.E.N) inaugural Women’s Symposium along with other women leaders in Dallas.
Prior to moving to the United States 20 years ago, she was living in India, where she was born and raised. She is a graduate of Osmania University, based in India. She also studied Mass Communication, PR and Journalism at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. While in India, she started her career in Public Relations with Ogilvy & Mather representing IT companies such as Informix and SAP. Vanessa credits her success in business to working for the nation’s best retailer, Nordstrom.
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Felicia Johnson
The Gatson Group
Founder and Managing Director
Felicia Johnson is the Founder and Managing Director of The Gatson Group, a Diversity & Inclusion consulting firm specializing in translating diversity & inclusion strategic goals into practical results....
Most recently, Felicia served as the Global Manager for Diversity & Inclusion for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. In this role, she led the design and implementation of the global diversity strategy, supporting more than 60,000 employees across North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Prior to Goodyear, Felicia served as the Head of Diversity at Cabela’s Inc., where she served as a subject matter expert in the development, design and execution of diversity initiatives serving over 19,000 employees in the US and Canada.
Felicia also co-led global diversity and inclusion efforts at Nissan North America, where she served as the Assistant Secretary for the Global Inclusion Council. Felicia is a Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer with The John Maxwell Team, ranked as Inc. Magazine’s No. 1 leadership and management expert in the world.
Felicia holds an MBA from The University of Dallas, as well as a Certified Diversity Professional designation from The Institute for Diversity, where she also serves as a Certified Instructor.
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Dr. Alicia Makaye
GXA Network Solution
Vice President/Founder
Dr. Alicia Makaye (the "A" in GXA) is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of GXA Network Solutions, an IT Solutions provider that helps other businesses take command and control of their IT. ...Dr. Makaye is a U.S. Airforce Veteran and a graduate of U.T. Dallas with a Ph.D. in Public affairs. She is also an alumni of Goldman Sachs's 10,000 small businesses entrepreneurship program (cohort of 10). Dr. Makaye most recently served as a Tech Titans judge, helping to nominate some the best in the IT industry for 2018. She frequently speaks and participates in activities that foster youth development and encourage youth to consider a profession in Information Technology. Dr. Makaye's media appearances include appearing as a guest on the "Follow the Leader" podcast hosted by Chanel Christoff Davis and a featured article with her family in the July edition of Allen Neighbors Magazine.
Her company, GXA, has been in business for 14 years and employs 22 staff members. Since its inception, GXA has serviced over 300 small to medium sized businesses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area- with some of her recent and most notable clients being Covenant Church, Briggs Freeman, Integrity Transition Hospital, The Real Estate Council, and the Butler Burgher Group. GXA was recognized as the recipient of the Inc. 5000 Award, one of America's fastest growing companies in 2014, and is also a Microsoft Partner.
Locally, GXA has been involved in numerous events -from Adopting a Veteran Family to providing financial literacy workshops for the youth and backpack drives. Recently, GXA was recognized by Minnie's Food Pantry for successfully providing 75,000 to needy families. Internationally, GXA has been involved in initiatives in Mexico, South and East Africa, and continues to give back as the need arises. Recently GXA was the catalyst for collecting and donating over 100 computers to Imani Bridges to empower men and women in Nigeria. In January of 2018, GXA and select other businesses received the Texas Workforce Commission Skills Development Fund Grant, totaling $523,089. This grant provided local customized training opportunities for GXA employees to increase skill levels and wages within the Texas workforce.
When Dr. Makaye is not running GXA or volunteering, she loves supporting local artists, attending Dallas Mavericks Basketball games with her 10-year-old son, and traveling and jet skiing.
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Mei Miao
BB&T Bank
SVP/ Regional Multicultural Banking Officer
Born and raised in Taiwan, Mei earned her degree in Banking & Insurance in Taiwan and later graduated from University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in Accounting....She has spent several years in accounting at a local bank where major duties included balancing, analyzing the overall banking operations and reporting to the board of directors. She also spent several years in retail banking with sales & marketing as the primary focus. In this capacity, she enjoyed meeting business owners and assisting them with their business needs. As commercial lending/business development became a prominent focus in her career, she honed her consultative approaches to provide solutions to companies in small to mid-size market. Mei has immersed herself in the world of finance for over 23 years, and views banking as a tool to help provide solutions to people's financial issues.
Mei's current role is Regional Multicultural Banking Officer at BB&T. She is passionate about reaching out to communities to share knowledge and bring a bright future to people. Currently, she is a board member of Salvation Army Advisory Council-Plano, US Christian Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Chinese Community Center, Asian American Cancer Service Center, Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce, and UT Dallas Diversity Advisory Council.
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Laura Ramirez
Human Resources, Ericsson
Director, Diversity & Inclusion
Laura is responsible for Ericsson North America’s Diversity and Inclusion corporate strategy. Her efforts around D&I help to elevate employee engagement, employee experience, external brand, attracting diverse talent and retaining talent.... Since joining Ericsson, Laura has helped to launch four new ERGs and collaborates with external diverse organizations to create dynamic experiences for the company. Laura also manages Talent Management functions within Ericsson and co-created the first talent acceleration program.
Prior to joining Ericsson, Laura spent 17 years at AT&T global headquarters where she held numerous roles within various organizations at AT&T. Laura led the Women’s and Hispanic/Latino segments, and in this role, she created corporate strategies which influenced the company’s direction on efforts for both segments. She administered diversity metrics, corporate diversity awards, and reporting. She managed quarterly diversity scorecards as well as supported various D&I governance councils.
Laura has deep expertise in the telecommunications/technology industry and was featured in the D Magazine DCEO. In September 2016, Laura was included in the “Room at the Top” article in USA Today – Hispanic Living Magazine. In 2017, she was selected to participate in the first Dallas cohort for Mujeres de HACE Women’s Leadership Development 12-week program.
Laura gives back to her community. In addition to serving on the University of Texas at Dallas Diversity Advisory Council, she is a member of the Plano Culture and Inclusion Alliance. She also mentors several people. Laura resides in Dallas, TX and enjoys spending time with her kids, going to the movies, volunteering and going on family vacations.
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Drew Walls
Collins Aerospace
Pr. Supportability Engineer
Drew C. Walls is a Pr. Supportability Engineer at Collins Aerospace. Drew holds a Master's degree from the Air Force Institute in Avionics and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Programming from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC.... He also holds a Bachelor degree for Program Management from ITT Technical Institute.
Prior to his employment with Collins Aerospace, Drew was in the US Air Force for 27+ years and retired with the Enlisted Rank of E-8. Drew has seen duties in several states and countries while being in the US Air Force.
Drew is an active member of the UTD Military and Veteran Counsel, the UT Dallas Diversity Advisory Council, the President of Collins African American Profession Forum, and four other Employee Resource Groups.Drew enjoys spending his time with his kids and traveling.
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Kathy Weaver
Lennox International
Director, HR/Talent Acquisition
Kathy Weaver is a Global Human Resources Strategic Business Partner and Business Transformation Leader who helps companies implement strategic and innovative Human Resources solutions .... Her specialty is designing systems, solutions, and change management initiatives to align with an organization's strategic business plans and growth objectives.
Weaver is a certified senior professional human resources specialist (SPHR) with 10+ years of management experience and 18+ years in Organizational Development. Her project management and change management experience includes designing and improving processes, leading teams of direct and indirect reports toward goal accomplishment, and delivering quality work products amidst tight timelines and resource constraints.
Weaver has been recognized as an endorsed leader (Leaders and Executives Advocating Diversity). She has also been recognized by Fort Worth Business as a "40 Under 40" award recipient, and was honored with an award for "Outstanding Early Career Achievement" during the 50th anniversary celebration of the UTA College of Business.
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Mohammed Farshori
AT&T
Director – Community Engagement
Corporate Social Responsibility
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