RACIAL EQUITY PROGRAMS & RESOURCES

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The Leadership Center for Excellence (LCE) is committed to community-based leadership training, and we are on a journey of building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization and society where everyone belongs.

Please use this resources page to learn more about how we can all more effectively lead our communities by listening, learning, and acting. 

To help us learn more about racial equity programs across the Commonwealth of Virginia, please complete this form.

 

SHARE A RACIAL EQUITY PROGRAM

RACIAL EQUITY INITIATIVES

2022 Racial Equity Summit

Wednesday, December 7, 2022
8:45 - 10:45 a.m. ET
Virtual

Thank you to everyone who joined us on December 7, 2022, (see full agenda) for this free virtual summit to hear stories that illustrate racial equity programming at work and network with attendees.

Watch the 2022 Racial Equity Sumit

Watch the recording on YouTube

SPEAKERS

Danielle Fitz-Hugh

Danielle Fitz-Hugh

President and CEO
Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce

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Danielle Fitz-Hugh has served as president of the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce since 2017. Having held over the last 16-years positions as president at the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Vice President at the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce. Prior to the Chamber profession Danielle spent 13-years in the financial and hospitality industry in the Charlottesville, Va market. She is known for bringing synergy, energy and growth through her leadership at the helm of organizations. Danielle currently serves as a fellow for the US Chamber Business Leads Fellowship and is Chair, Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executive (VACCE) both of which work to improve the Chamber profession and communities in which they serve. She has been recognized as the 2020 Metropolitan Business League Trailblazer Partnership Award Nominee, 2018 Averett Alumnus Achievement Award Recipient, 2016 Chamber Executive of the Year by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce Executives, 2015 Delta Sigma Theta Petersburg Alumni Chapter, May Week Economic Development Honoree. Danielle is involved locally serving on the boards of Junior Achievement of Central Virginia, Richard Bland College of William & Mary Foundation and United Way of Greater Richmond-Petersburg. Danielle is a graduate of the US Chamber Institute of Organizational Management and received degrees from Averett University and Piedmont Virginia Community College. Danielle is passionate about youth development and spends time organizing, officiating, and coaching for the Chester Church Basketball League for 300 boys ages 7-17 each year teaching leadership, teambuilding and group think through sports. Danielle and her son, Alex also spend time volunteering with the Chesterfield Foodbank. She enjoys all trips that involves the beach with her family that includes her husband George, three children: Mercedes, Alexander and William, and grandson Damion.
Natalie Evans Harris

Natalie Evans Harris

Executive Director
Black Wealth Data Center

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Natalie Evans Harris is the executive director of the Black Wealth Data Center. Evans Harris brings nearly 20 years of experience advancing the public sector’s strategic use of data. She spent 16 years at the National Security Agency, where she led an analytics development center and was a senior policy advisor to the U.S. Chief Technology Officer in the Obama administration. Most recently, Evans Harris worked for the Biden administration as a Senior Advisor for Delivery for the Department of Commerce. She previously co-founded and served as the head of strategic initiatives of BrightHive, a data-sharing platform for users to easily and securely connect data.
Scott Nycum

Scott Nycum

Vice President, Inclusion, Diversity & Giving
General Dynamics Information Technology

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Scott Nycum is responsible for partnering with all parts of GDIT to advance toward the highest levels of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He and his team are the enablers of GDIT’s DEI strategy, working broadly across the company to build inclusive leaders and put diversity to work in teams; while aligning policies and systems to be equitable and fair, and holding the organization accountable through data and measurable business outcomes. Scott also oversees two foundational culture-sustaining programs that foster cultural awareness, allyship, volunteerism, and community impact. GDIT Cares mobilizes the time and talents of our employees to give back in communities nationwide. And nine Employee Resource Groups host multiple events every week that further inclusion, well-being, and connectivity across our global employee base of 28,000 team members. Over Scott’s fifteen-year tenure with GDIT, he held leadership positions in client-facing consulting and headquarters roles. His areas of expertise include post-M&A strategy and integration, organizational performance, leadership development, and executive coaching. Scott holds a B.S. in Biology from Penn State University. He is a certified executive coach and facilitator.
Monika Kalra Varma

Monika Kalra Varma

President and CEO
Board Source

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Monika Kalra Varma has dedicated her over twenty-year career to advancing human rights in the United States and abroad. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the SF Bay Area (LCCRSF), the oldest civil rights institution on the West Coast. Monika and her team partnered with BIPOC communities to advance racial, immigrant and economic rights. Key victories, included, the repeal of an unconstitutional loitering ordinance in Oakland, a federal court ruling protecting immigrant youth in California, a permanent injunction against inhumane conditions in U.S. Customs & Border Patrol detention facilities in Arizona, and legalization of public banking in California. She led an organizational transformation at every level – LCCRSF’s staff size nearly tripled, revenue doubled, and the organizational culture transformed to center staff well-being. As the Director of the Center for Human Rights at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights (RFK Center), Monika and her team partnered with social movement leaders around the world and in the United States. Their groundbreaking strategies and advocacy campaigns advanced movements to ensure a right to health in Haiti, end untouchability in India, rebuild the Gulf Coast after Katrina, and end sexual violence in Darfur. Monika also served as the Executive Director of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, the largest provider of pro bono legal services in the District of Columbia serving 20,000 individuals, nonprofit organizations and small businesses. In addition, Monika was one of four members of the D.C. Bar’s executive team, setting the strategic direction and policies for an organization of over 100,000 members. Monika began her legal career as an associate legal officer with the Office of the Prosecutor at the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Monika leads with love in everything she does and her leadership tools and strategies are rooted in this approach. Monika and her husband find their greatest joy in raising their thirteen-year-old daughter and 9-year-old twin boys.

2021 Virginia Statewide Summit on Racial Equity

We hosted a virtual Virginia Statewide Summit on Racial Equity on Tuesday, December 7 from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. ET (view agenda). The event celebrated and elevated racial equity work across the Commonwealth of Virginia. The summit was a unique opportunity to learn from leaders who are creatively inspiring their communities to listen, learn, and act. Together, we are striving to reach racial equity.

 

Watch the 2021 Virginia Statewide Summit on Racial Equity

Watch the recording on YouTube

2021 Racial Equity Listening Sessions

Sponsored by Amazon

In October 2021, we hosted four, separate, regional listening sessions across the Commonwealth of Virginia to discuss diversity, inclusion, and racial equity.

The listening sessions brought together elected officials, economic development and chamber leaders, statewide leadership programs, volunteer centers, and civic engagement leaders.

The regional session goals were to create a brave space for local leaders to hear about statewide programming while at the same time, listen to one another’s hopes, realities, and challenges around achieving racial equity in their local communities.

These events were by invitation only.

Janice Underwood

Special remarks were made by Dr. Janice Underwood, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia

SPONSOR

Thank you to our sponsor for supporting our racial equity initiatives.

Amazon

RESOURCES

ALL Alexandria-Achieving Racial and Social Equity

Learn more about ALL Alexandria’s Vision and Goals on achieving racial and social equity.

 

Brandeis University & [Health] Equity Strategies, LLC

Explore a resource guide for organizational assessment tools for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

 

National Urban League

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities.

Network2Work

Learn more about how Network2Work matches quality job-seekers with available jobs that pay a decent wage and lead to a career.

 

ONE Virginia

Learn more about the ONE Virginia Plan to position the state as a national leader in building a statewide strategy to advance DE&I.

 

Points of Light

Listen. Learn. Act to End Racism is a Points of Light initiative in partnership with Morehouse College that is designed to empower businesses, nonprofits, and individuals to use their influence to fight against systemic racism.

Realizing Arlington's Commitment to Equity

Learn more about Arlington County’s Vision, where an equitable Arlington is one where all are valued, educated, healthy, and safe regardless of race.

 

Richmond Racial Equity Essays

Explore the collection of 24 essays, 7 video interviews, and 8-episode podcast series focused on racial equity in Richmond. The goal of the Richmond Racial Equity Essays project is to explore what an equitable Richmond looks like, especially as it relates to racial equity and highlight the strategies that will help us get there.