Kourtni M. Hatton

Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer & Vice President, Culture & Community Engagement United Way of Central Ohio

Kourtni Hatton joined United Way of Central Ohio in 2015. With a background in HR, she is a champion for workplace equity who leverages relationships to bridge gaps between employers and their staff to drive organizational results. In 2022 Kourtni was promoted to Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer/VP of Community Engagement at United Way. In this role, she is responsible for amplifying DEI initiatives and workplace culture efforts. Leading the effort to increase nonprofit board diversity in central Ohio, Kourtni directs funded partner board diversity strategies and oversees the Project Diversity Pride Leadership board develop- ment program. She also leads the effort for community engagement focused on an increased commitment to strengthening relationships with community partners, centering those led by and/or primarily serving people of color and diverse populations.

Kourtni has accomplished a great deal during her tenure at United Way, including creating and implementing a plan to improve the culture that successfully permeates throughout the organization. Tenets of the plan incorporate a commitment to equity, access and continuous improvement.

In the community, Kourtni has been a mentor for youth and HR profession-

Rachel Muredzwa

Director of Equity and Inclusion, College of Nursing, Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Ohio State University

Rachel Muredzwa is a strategic leader and experienced project manager with over 23 years of progressive experience in education across the lifespan, having worked with populations from kindergarten to PhD settings. Her professional background includes 13 years of service in higher education administration, where she has held critical roles at DePaul University, the University of Chicago, and The Ohio State University.

Muredzwa’s leadership experience spans across multiple areas, including Director Level leadership in student recruitment and retention, diversity, equity, and inclusion programming, and support service design. Currently, she serves as the leader of operations and programming at The Ohio State University’s College of Nursing, where she is dedicated to diversifying the nursing workforce, providing culturally competent skills training to nursing students and contributing to holistic admissions processes. Her leadership practice is characterized by a commitment to using culturally competent engagement to address diversities of race, ethnicity, language, immigrant status, mental and physical ability, religion, economic background, sexual orientation, gender identity and social capital. als. She is also a board member for Central Ohio Diversity Consortium, Equity Now Coalition, The Eldon & Elsie Ward YMCA and the African American Leadership Academy. She also serves on the Talent Advisory Council and the Culture Transformation Taskforce for United Way Worldwide. In 2022, Kourtni was recognized as a Columbus Business First 40 Under 40 honoree and a Columbus Urban League HerStory Mover and Shaker.

Muredzwa is a native of Ohio and was raised in Harare Zimbabwe. She holds a master’s degree in Social Work Administration from The Ohio State University’s College of Social Work. She is a member of the Columbus Advisory Board with the Ohio Diversity Council. She is also a certified hatha flow yoga instructor and urban farmer, reflecting her passion for holistic well-being.

Dr. Beverly Stallings-Johnson

Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

The Wendy’s Company

Beverly has served as Wendy’s Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer since March 2021, leading efforts to create an inclusive culture for the Company’s employees, franchisees, and suppliers. She is a transformational leader who understands how a diverse and inclusive culture can positively impact business results. Dr. Stallings-Johnson is also a passionate advocate for ensuring that people can feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. She previously led the City of Columbus’ Office of Diversity and Inclusion, where she helped to advance an equity agenda to impact disparities across the city’s nearly 1 million residents. She also held numerous roles of increasing responsibility at Xerox during her more than 25 years with the company, culminating in her role as Global Equal Employment Officer and Senior Executive, Diversity Inclusion and

Sherrice Sledge-Thomas

Vice President, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Columbus Chamber of

Commerce

As the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access (DEIA) at the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Sherrice Sledge-Thomas activates systemic change strategies for equity and inclusion in the business community.

Before joining the Chamber, Sherrice served as the Director of Change Management at NiSource, one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the United States. Sherrice spent 19 years at Nationwide, a Fortune 100 com- pany, holding leadership roles in Organization Effectiveness, Talent Management, and Leadership Development.

She serves as President of the Central Ohio Diversity Consortium, Secretary of the Community Shelter Board’s Board of Trustees, a Dress for Success Program Committee member, and the NAACP Housing Committee Secretary.

Sherrice holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus in Organizational Leadership and Management from Franklin University and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus in Women’s Studies from The Ohio State University. She cooks with her family and practices yoga in her free time.

Equity. Dr. Stallings-Johnson holds a PhD in Management and Organizational Effectiveness, a master’s in management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Communications. She is a member of the Ohio Diversity Council.