Rutgers Club of NYC Presents a Virtual Panel Discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace
Join the Rutgers University Club of NYC for a virtual panel discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace.
Leaders from the public and private sector discuss their diverse roles within the field of DEI, their perspective on the evolution of DEI in the workplace, and their recommendations for building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture.
Panelist include:
Wenylla Reid, Moderator, Associate Director of Community Engagement, Rutgers University – Newark
Daniel Pierre, Panelist, Associate, Genova Burns, and member of the Labor Law and Cannabis Law Practice Groups
Jonathan Stoll, Panelist, Director of Career Education, Oregon State University, Co-Founder, Soul Force Education, and Podcast Co-Host, Soul Force One
Sharon Stroye, Panelist, Director of Public Engagement, School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University – Newark and Director, Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Center, Rutgers University – Newark
Aisha Thomas-Petit, Panelist, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, AMC Networks
Learn more about our panelists.
Daniel Pierre NLAW’15, Associate, Genova Burns, and member of the Labor Law and Cannabis Law Practice Groups
Pierre assists private and public employers in resolving complex matters concerning labor and employment law. He regularly negotiates collective bargaining agreements on behalf of the employer and advises clients on various issues involving disciplinary matters, accommodation requirements, and employee leaves of absence. Pierre also represents private employers in enforcement proceedings initiated by the New Jersey Department of Labor related to workers misclassification audits and alleged wage and hour violations.
Pierre also assists clients in the cannabis industry. He regularly reviews federal and state laws to ensure regulatory compliance for existing cannabis businesses and entrepreneurs seeking to enter the emerging industry. He has counseled clients on their licensing concerns and labeling requirements for cannabis products.
Previously, Pierre served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Office of the Attorney General of New Jersey in Trenton, where his duties included representing the New Jersey Department of Labor on various administrative and litigation related matters, prosecuting employers for wage and hour violations, and providing formal employment counseling for all state agencies. Prior to that, he clerked for the Honorable Susan L. Reisner, a Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey’s Appellate Division, and was selected to participate in a summer law intern program in the Civil Division-Commercial Litigation Branch of the United States Department of Justice in Washington, DC. He also worked as a summer associate at Genova Burns.
Pierre received his Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers Law School and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Seton Hall University. While in law school, he was the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Rutgers Race & the Law Review and Co-Captain of Phi Alpha Delta-Jackson Chapter Mock Trial Team.
Jonathan Stoll, Director of Career Education, Oregon State University, Co-Founder, Soul Force Education, and Podcast Co-Host, Soul Force One
Jonathan Stoll serves as director of career education at Oregon State University, transforming practices, processes and policies that improve success outcomes for students of color, students who are first generation and students with high financial need. Stoll also is the co-host of Soul Force Ones, a podcast interrogating professionalism and the workplace in a revolutionary way that explores the intersection of how Careers, Activism, Spirituality and Hip Hop (CASH), rules everything around us.
Within his 20 years as a trailblazer, thought leader, disruptor and “fixer” in higher education, Stoll has leveraged his multiracial and multi faith identities to deeply understand where individuals and organizations are coming from. He forges connections between people and resources. He has spearheaded organizational change and leadership development through an active resistance of the status quo, founding San Jose State University’s Cesar Chavez Community Action Center, transforming programming and equity, diversity and inclusion programming at Cal State East Bay, and designing an approach to community relations and neighborhood livability that facilitated collaborative partnerships to inspire Community Responsibility and Belonging and an improved relationship between Oregon State University and community stakeholders in Corvallis, OR.
Sharon Stroye GSN’06 RBS’16, Director of Public Engagement, School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University – Newark and Director, Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Center, Rutgers University – Newark. Sharon Stroye serves as Director of Public Engagement in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University – Newark. She also serves as the Director of the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Center (TRHT @ RU-N). Stroye has been a member of the Rutgers University – Newark community since 2001. Her previous roles included Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs (SPAA), Newark Academic Transition Program Director in School of Arts and Sciences (a special admission program for first year students) and Director for the Upward Bound Program. Sharon holds two Masters degrees in Business and Public Administration (MBA and MPA) including an undergraduate degree in Accounting.
Born and raised in the city of Newark, NJ has afforded her the expertise of creating inclusive community programming for the residents of the city. In the dual roles of Director, Sharon has the ability to cultivate a community engaged culture and inclusive environment through teaching, research and public service. Utilizing the enriched talent and knowledge of the faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners, she has engaged stakeholders in discussions and programming to create innovative solutions for the ever changing societal issues “in and of Newark”. Her focus on aligning strategic partnerships and developing strategic leaders has provided sustainable collaborations with individuals and community partners.
The TRHT Center @ RU-N is one of ten inaugural campus centers established by the Association of American Colleges and Universities to “prepare the next generation of leaders to dismantle the belief in a racial hierarchy of human value”. Stroye is a trained Racial Healing Circle Practitioner and has trained over 30 new racial healing circle practitioners in diverse sectors to incorporate healing into their everyday practices. Utilizing the racial healing (TRHT) framework, she has a led a team of racial healing practitioners to assist organizations in creating inclusive work environments, reviewing policies and procedures that may perpetuate institutional racism, and facilitate racial healing circles amongst staff members. Stroye has served on national panels, facilitated workshops, written articles about building relationships and changing narratives amongst people from diverse backgrounds. Under Stroye’s leadership, the TRHT Center @ Rutgers University – Newark is positioning itself to become a regional center for the northeast region.
Aisha Thomas-Petit RBS’07, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, AMC Networks
As AMC Networks’ first Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Aisha Thomas-Petit is charged with building on and advancing the company’s DEI goals and foundation. As a key member of the senior leadership team reporting directly to President & CEO, Josh Sapan, Thomas-Petit is responsible for setting the strategy, roadmap and measures of success to develop, bolster, and retain a diverse and inclusive community both within the company’s workforce, as well as in front of and behind the camera across AMC Networks’ portfolio of entertainment brands. Additionally, Thomas-Petit plays an integral role in advancing the company’s commitment to telling original stories that entertain with vivid characters, stories, and worlds that show the full spectrum of human experiences.
Before joining AMC Networks, Thomas-Petit served as Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Corporate Social Responsibility Officer at ADP. A seasoned DEI executive, she also held various leadership roles in Human Resources including Division Vice President of the company’s Major Accounts and Canada division during her seven years at ADP.
Previously, Thomas-Petit spent over seven years at Barclays Capital (including over two years at Lehman Brothers before it was purchased by Barclays), where she ultimately became the HR Director for Global Operations, driving people strategy for over 4000 employees globally, and partnering with the Global Head of Investment Bank Operations to drive talent and performance management, development and compensation. Prior to Barclays, Thomas-Petit spent eight years at JP Morgan Chase, where she held several roles including Vice President, HR for Shared Technology & Operations and Investment Bank Operations, leading people strategy for a newly merged global organization of 2400 employees. Thomas-Petit holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing and Business Strategy from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Syracuse University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She resides in New Jersey with her family.