Panelist Biographies

Panelists

Panel will be led by Dr. William A. Smith.

Billy Palmer

Billy Palmer is a Lead Host and Associate Producer of RadioActive, an award-winning public affairs show. Billy amplifies the stories of grassroots organizers and community builders for a changed future through his work on RadioActive and as a community leader. For more than 15 years, he has been a community organizer and advocate for youth empowerment, civil rights, neighborhood reinvestment, and advocacy for survivors of DV and SA. He is a member of the YouthWorks Steering Committee at NeighborWorks SLC where he also sits on the board of directors as the outgoing president.

Dr. LaShawn Williams

Dr. LaShawn C Williams, LCSW is an Assistant Professor in the Social Work program at Utah Valley University. Her research is centered on race, parenting, and faith from the lens of Relational Cultural Theory. She is frequently requested to speak on issues of anti-racism and religion and has co-founded multiple professional and cultural spaces working to uplift and nurturing Black communities such as The Black Clinicians and The Black LDS Legacy group. She owns Relational Spaces in Orem, Utah where she works as a therapist, educator, and consultant to create change across differences where connection matters most.

Dr. Tamara N. Stevenson

Dr. Tamara N. Stevenson is Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at Westminster College. In this role, she provides direct oversight of DEI and leadership toward strengthening and sustaining diversity, equity, and inclusion in the college’s operational infrastructure, inclusive of its policies, practices, and procedures. She most recently served as an associate professor in the College’s Communication Program. Dr. Stevenson’s research explores the internal and external communicative practices of educational institutions as organizational sites of power through a critical race lens.