The mission of St. Edward’s University focuses on providing students with a quality education that meets the students where they are and prepares them for a globally-diverse, technologically-adept, and culturally-responsive future. With over 13 years as an academic dean and decades in academia, Dr. Ballard understands higher education from both a theoretical and a practitioner focus. Her expertise connects the intersections of higher education, private industry, and non-profit sectors. Her knowledge and expertise encompass Community College, University-Based Programs, Adult Education, Experiential Learning, and Professional Development and Training. Glenda holds a doctorate from Virginia Tech University, and a bachelor and master’s degree from the Texas A&M University System. Awards include: Council of Deans of Education Leadership Award in recognition of her Outstanding Leadership, the Joyce Hardin Service Award from TACTE, Four States Living Magazine’s Distinguished Woman Nominee, Board Member of the Year for Bowie-Travis Literacy Council, and Administrator and Faculty Member of the Year at the Texas A&M University System. Glenda’s contributions in leadership include: Current President of the Texas Association of College of Teacher Education (statewide organization for education deans in the state), President-Elect of the Consortium of State Organizations for Texas Teacher Educators, Advisory Board Member of E-3 Alliance of Austin, and most recently, Leadership Austin Emerge Class of 2019.

Shelly is a proud, first-generation Jamaican American raised in the Bronx who has used her personal and professional background to help improve systems in the areas of mental health, education, leadership, training, diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she spent 15+ years in the child welfare, mental health, medical and military social work sectors, providing counseling, resources, and essential services to help clients navigate complex systems. Shelly’s skills extend beyond the field of social work. She currently works at the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) as the Program Manager of the Assessment Design and Evaluation (ADE) group. At HumRRO, she collaborates with other research scientists to develop high-stakes operational assessments for human capital management, hiring and promotion, credentialing, leadership evaluation and provide evidence-based solutions in educational, business, governmental, and military contexts.  She is a professor at Chamberlain University and Phoenix University schools of social work. She designs culturally competent courses that support the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) and National Association of Social Work (NASW) mission for diversity equity, inclusion, and respect for all people. She teaches advanced courses focused on therapeutic communication and international social work practice that embraces non-western customs and global awareness.  Shelly received a Bachelor of Social Work from Stony Brook University, a Masters of Social Work (Organizations & Communities concentration) from Fordham University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from Howard University. A life-long learner, she will complete a second master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Spring 2022.

Rita’s diverse background includes having served as Chief Diversity & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer for ADP. She developed ADP’s global diversity, inclusion, and corporate social responsibility strategy, including establishing metrics and integrating the company’s talent processes and policies with industry-leading diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. She repositioned employee resource groups as Business Resource Groups, growing membership by more than triple to over 12,000 associates, and establishing a clear linkage with the company’s human capital management strategy. Under her leadership, ADP achieved significant increases in women and minorities in executive leadership and a top 3 industry ranking for diversity. Rita led the realignment of ADP Foundation grants with the company’s corporate social responsibility priorities, resulting in a 300% increase in employee giving, and a 40% increase in scholarships and grants to diversity-focused institutions. Rita also developed the company’s sustainability program, including publishing the company’s first Corporate Social Responsibility Annual Report and improving the company’s rankings with sustainability rating agency such as CDP, ISS and MSCI. She also introduced a new global rewards and recognition platform that resulted in improved associate engagement and more than 90% of the employee population receiving regular peer recognition for their work. Prior to this role, Rita held senior leadership positions in marketing, strategy, and business development at ADP, Deutsche Bank, and Bankers Trust. Rita holds a master's degree from Harvard Business School and a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from St. John's University. Rita was named a Top Executive in Diversity by Black Enterprise® in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Kristin’s experience encompasses financial, strategic, and risk with global responsibilities for the past 18 years at Automatic Data Processing (ADP). In this role she oversees $2T of financial transactions, 700 international associates, $140M in expenses, and $100M in new client implementations annually. Her responsibilities extend beyond the global financial operations to include shared services for the compliance solutions division. This includes the client experience, implementation, partner alliance, and program management/lean six sigma operations across seven product lines. Beyond her corporate role, Kristin teaches leadership courses and devotes significant time to the development of leaders through formal mentoring and coaching engagements. Kristin holds a doctorate in organizational leadership and an MBA in finance from Pepperdine University. She also holds a Microsoft greenbelt and has received executive education: Women on Boards from Yale University and executive education: Digital Business Strategy: Harnessing our Digital Future from MIT.

With more than 25 years of values-based progressive global human resources experience, Patricia A. Lee (Patti) is President and Founder of P.A.L. Coaching & Consulting, where she is devoted to unleashing the potential of all, working with both organizations and individuals to ensure the fulfillment of personal and professional goals. Most recently, she served as executive vice president, global learning & development and chief social responsibility officer for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts where she was responsible for team member and franchisee learning, business transformation and events management as well as the evaluation and fulfillment of global talent management strategies. She worked closely with senior management to develop, deliver, and promote “next” practices, diversity and inclusion, leadership coaching, people development, training, and performance management while focusing on building an award-winning great culture. Ms. Lee has also been responsible for team member engagement, analytics, philanthropy, merger and right-sizing activities, sustainability, and succession planning, among many other initiatives focused on productivity and engagement.

A recognized expert, Patti has been a featured speaker in Hotel Management News (“View From the Top: 2020 Vision on Leadership”, 4/2020) and named one of the Most Influential Women of the Year, 2018 and 2019. She delivered the commencement address as the Keynote for Rutgers University, School of HR Management & Labor Relations, Piscataway, NJ celebrating the 25th graduating class in 2019. She has received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from JBWS, Exemplary Leadership from Morris County as well as the Most Distinguished Service Award from The Senate and General Assembly of NJ. Ms. Lee holds a Bachelor's degree in Classics from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. and a Master's degree in Human Resource Management and Labor Relations from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. She also received executive Master's degrees from Rutgers University and Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia, Pa.