DEI Champion Finalist
Manager of Digital Media
Loebsack & Brownlee, PLLC

During the year of 2020, I assisted in the organization and execution of the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association, DEI Task Force, which later in 2021 became a committee where I was elected as Chair. During my time as Chair of the GCAA DEI Committee, we created a resource page for GCAA members, an annual award to promote ongoing DEI practices amongst employers. I crafted and instructed a DEI course through the GCAAs annual Leadership Lyceum and first ever panel discussion with on-site teams to educate the Associations' members about the complexity of race, gender identity, how On-site teams are in the execution of their DEI strategies and how to create a DEI strategy from the ground up with the Executive Director of the City of Charlotte, where I assist in the strategic programming of their DEI initiatives. I also created the first DEI Scholarship through the approval of the GCAA Education Foundation to encourage marginalized communities to receive their CAM, CALP, or CAMT for free.

From 2021 and beyond, I have served throughout the Carolinas and Georgia as a speaker, and developer. I lead our DEI Education Subcommittee for the Triangle Apartment Association as Chair of the subcommittee. During my tenure, we created educational development programs and resources for their members, which will be executed in 2023. I also assisted in the development of the TAA DEI Task Force, where my forward-thinking assisted in ensuring the first African-American Woman, the first Black Female President of TAA, was highlighted at a local and state level after her induction in the Apartment Association of North Carolina Hall of Fame throughout all media outlets. At TAA, I assisted the Chair and Co-Chair in creating their first-ever Company and Individual DEI Champion Award, where I was a recipient earlier this year.

I also served on the AANC, Apartment Association of North Carolina DEI task force, where I worked with the then Chair and Staff Liaison in their proposal to become a Committee where we were officialized in 2021. Since then, through my involvement, we created the first DEI scholarship, where we send recipients to our annual conference. They are mentored throughout the remainder of the year to encourage collaboration, scholarship, and community. I was recently elected as Chair for 2023.

In the year 2022, I served on the NAA DEI Committee under the leadership of Marci French (she/her/hers), and during that time, I served as a speaker during the DEI Webinar Series, where I also served as project lead. I was a judge of the 20 in their 20's scholarship program; I created a marketing strategy and assisted in the execution of their annual DEI Awareness Week, where I helped select speakers and outline. etc. I encouraged our committee to gather data for our local affiliates to use. We had Swift Bunny collect data and information to help save local affiliates thousands of dollars in data accumulation.

I taught DEI courses at the Atlanta Apartment Association, Upper State Apartment Association, National Apartment Association and the Greater Charlotte Apartment Association. I was also nominated for Instructor of the Year at the 2022, GCAA BRAVO Awards.

Starting the year of 2020, the GCAA united in celebration the LGBTQ+ community in the "Multifamily Pride Month" Campaign.

The first-ever openly LGBTQ+ recipient of the inaugural GCAA DEI Scholarship.

L&B Days' where there is Firm wide -shutdown at Loebsack & Brownlee,PLLC that does not interfere with PTO in observation of DEI holiday's like Juneteenth, Hanukkah, Indigenous Peoples Day etc.

Assisted in the execution of our Wellness Program, which provides free gym membership, access to mental health program, and RTO (request time off) that employees may use as a "mental health day."

Worked in tandem with the Director of Operations to execute the "FinFit" program where L&B employees can receive financial literacy and same-day loans for monetary equity.

Connected with Charlotte Mecklenburg County to provide internships to underprivileged youth through the MYEP (Mayor's Youth Employment Program)

Did a webinar with Managing Principal, Chris Loebsack to discuss Algorithmic Bias and how third-party screening companies can impact underrepresented groups.

Educated the multifamily industry about how the LGBTQ+ Community struggles with securing housing through a webinar with Equality NC. A non-profit that advocates for the LGBTQ+ community.

Created a scholarship through the AANC where four recipients were able to attend the AANC Education & Legislative Conference for the first time.

Created a scholarship for the GCAA for marginalized groups to get their designation without financial burden.