Please note the times!
8:30 am - Announcements
8:45 am to 10:45 am - Panel Discussion
Panel Discussion Moderated by Dan Miller, IDEA Chair, AFP NWA
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Philanthropy: From Non-Profit Boards and Committees to Staffing to Donors
This session will feature a panel conversation on the importance of diversifying, including and equitably tackling the world of philanthropy beginning with the culture of leadership within the organization and strategic planning to accomplish goals.
Panelists for DEI Discussion
Dr. Marvin D. Carr is a director at the Walmart.org Center for Racial Equity where he leads the center’s philanthropic efforts focused on creating systems change in the nation’s criminal justice system. Before joining Walmart, he worked to advance federal funding and policy making efforts in educational research, community development, workforce development, and diversity and inclusion. He previously served as a policy advisor for STEM Education, Innovation, and Diversity in the White House during the Obama administration, leading efforts to expand access to high-quality education and job opportunities in science and technology.
He earned a Bachelor of Science and a doctorate degree in electrical engineering from Morgan State University and holds a Master of Science in systems engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He is a Bill and Melinda Gates fellow, a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and a fellow of The Funders Network PLACES Fellowship program.
Josh Frazier-Sparks is Director of Culture, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Walmart Inc. Raised in small town Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountain foothills, Josh earned his B.A. from Berea College, the South’s first interracial and co-educational institution. At Berea, Josh majored in biology and minored in business administration, thinking for sure he would become a public health professional. Upon graduation, however, Josh moved to New Mexico and taught middle school science on the Navajo Reservation with Teach For America (“TFA”). TFA is a non-profit organization with the mission of ensuring that every child, regardless of zip code, has access to an equitable education. After teaching for two years, Josh returned to his native Kentucky and launched Teach For America – Appalachia. After leading the program team, Josh was promoted to TFA-Appalachia’s Executive Director. Prior to his current role, Josh worked in Walmart.org leading the strategy and execution of the innovative learning models and inclusive communities portfolios. Josh has an M.Ed. in Organizational Leadership from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from the University of Illinois. Josh lives in Northwest Arkansas with his husband, Carl, and their mini-Aussie Doodle, Cooper.
Corey Gilmore Huffty is the Director of Development at TheatreSquared and the National Philanthropy Day Co-Chair for the AFP NWA chapter. Before joining TheatreSquared, she served as the Development Officer/Manager of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Auxiliary and as the Director of Annual Giving at Arkansas Hospice Foundation. Corey is passionate about philanthropy because it gives her the unique opportunity to listen and learn from people from all walks of life and connect them to a mission that transforms lives and has a lasting impact for generations. Corey received an MA in Public Administration and BA in Political Science and Mass Communications. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, theatre, live music, fashion, interior design, and spending time with her husband Evan and three-year-old son Bertram.
Emily Ironside is a model of collaboration, encouragement, mentorship and proficiency as the Head of Philanthropic Strategy at Crystal Bridges. While securing major gifts to support, expand and endow both Crystal Bridges and the Momentary, she has grown her team from three people to 14. Emily’s responsibilities are diverse, from strategic planning, research and writing to international donor travel and community outreach.
In 2013, she joined Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The fundraising field is traditionally not racially or ethnically diverse, so Ironside is striving to diversify staff, as the work should serve all communities.
Chris Seawood is the Corporate & Institutional Giving Manager at TheatreSquared. In his role he leads in establishing and managing all corporate and institutional giving programs and relationships. Prior to this role he served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Historic St. James Missionary Baptist Church for nine years. Chris also worked at Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated for nine years in various operational and supply chain management roles. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas holding a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Chris also serves as treasurer of the Northwest Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Council and Economic Development Committee chairman of the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the NAACP. He has been married for 22 years to his lovely wife Maranda, an educator, in the Fayetteville School District and is the father to three boys: Caleb, Micah and Joshua.