Virtual Event - Maxwell Conversation on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Alumni Panel Discussion

Join Maxwell Tuesday, June 30 at 2:00 p.m. ET for an alumni panel exploring issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Professor Gladys McCormick, Jay and Debe Moskowitz Endowed Chair in Mexico-U.S. Relations, Associate Professor of History, and Maxwell’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, will moderate the discussion. She will be joined by Maxwell alumni and Advisory Board members Nicole Collier, Wes Dias, Lisa Gordon, Travis Mason, and James Willie.

For questions or more information about this online event, please contact the Maxwell Alumni Office at alum@maxwell.syr.edu.

Participants will include:

Moderator

Gladys McCormick is Jay and Debe Moskowitz Endowed Chair in Mexico-U.S. Relations and Associate Professor of History at the Maxwell School. Professor McCormick is a longstanding advocate for Latinx issues and is one of the founders of Maxwell’s Faculty of Color group. She is also the School’s incoming Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Panel Participants

Nicole Collier ’00 MPA is the Director of Policy & Public Affairs for Nestlé, the world’s largest food & beverage company. She manages the Government Affairs team and plays a leadership role in the development of Nestlé’s positions on US public policy. She is also responsible for building relationships and engaging with NGOs and thought leaders on various topics, including sustainability. She serves on the board of The Recycling Partnership and Smithsonian Institute’s Anacostia Community Museum.

Wesley Dias ’74 BA (PSc) was co-founder and CEO/President of the Argosy Consulting Group, a multi-disciplinary consulting firm providing expert technical services and program support to public and private organizations in the areas of information technologies and management services. He received Syracuse University’s Orange Circle Award, recognizing extraordinary service and philanthropy, in 2009.

Lisa Y. Gordon, CPA, ’90 MPA is President and CEO of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, one of the top 10 Habitat for Humanity International affiliates in the United States. She is a recognized leader in transformational redevelopment efforts for quality affordable housing, creating community spaces and neighborhood revitalization. She was inducted as a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in 2016 and received the University’s Orange Circle Award in 2020.

Travis Mason ’06 BA (PSc) was most recently Vice President for Certification and Regulatory Affairs at Airbus. In this role, he oversaw the company’s new business and emerging technology investments in autonomous air taxis, unmanned aircraft, urban air mobility and more, working with governments and industry on the legal, regulatory and policy requirements to scale these technologies. He serves on the board of the Aspen Institute’s Vanguard Leadership.

James Willie ’98 MPA is Division of Grants Policy Branch Chief, Health Resources and Services Administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As Branch Chief, he manages the Policy and Special Initiatives branch for HRSA, the primary federal agency for improving access to health care in the country through the awarding of more than 10 billion dollars annually in grants and funding.