Juhanna Rogers, Ph.D., is a scholarartist and is the creator of Behind the Woman, a WCNY television production that shares personal stories from diverse women leaders to empower other woman to pursue their goals and dreams. She has traveled and lived in Spain, England and Costa Rica while pursuing her graduate education. She currently lives in Syracuse and is the mother of a fifteen yearold son, Nile. She is Center State CEO’s first vice president of racial equality and social impact.
Striving for Greater Diversity CenterState CEO first VP of racial equality and social impact discusses her new role By Lou Sorendo
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uhanna Rogers, Ph.D., was recently named vice president of racial equity and social impact, leading the newly formed racial equity and social impact portfolio at CenterState CEO. The 38-year-old Newark, New Jersey, native and Syracuse resident earned degrees at Penn State Altoona (2004) and Indiana University (2007, 2016). The mother of a son, 15-year-old Nile, she enjoys acting, writing, directing and creating experiences with friends. Recently, she addressed the importance of her new role in the midst of national racial unrest. Q.: What motivated you to join forces with CenterState CEO? A.: Obviously over the last several months, we’ve seen the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor and the way this has really challenged 30
us as a business community and overall community in terms of thinking about the role that racism plays in our lives in a much more critical way. Prior to this point, I came in as part of CenterState CEO’s economic inclusion team, working with the community on issues regarding workforce and entrepreneurship. [CenterState CEO President] Rob Simpson has continually had conversations about our business leaders thinking more inclusively about how this could be a community where all people profit. When I came to CenterState CEO, I was excited about the way the staff was thinking very intentionally and strategically around issues of inclusion and access to opportunity. I do this work outside of promoting my own brand as a facilitator, motivational speaker and performer. OSWEGO COUNTY BUSINESS
When I came to Rob and Dominic Robinson [vice president of economic inclusion, Work Train director], I said, “I know I can do more.” We talked about opportunities to really engage the business community. I think I can be helpful and intentional in helping this organization work for economic inclusion in a more strategic way. Oftentimes you come into an organization as a woman of color and have to make a case. You have to push and you’re being questioned. At CenterState CEO, they asked, “How can we help you do this?” That spoke volumes about the way in which CenterState CEO is an organization that is thinking more forwardly. It doesn’t have all the answers, and asked if I could help find them. They asked if I could work with business leadership in a very real way; OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2020
