Featured Speakers

Dr. Damon A. Williams is a visionary and inspirational leader, and one of the nation’s recognized experts in strategic diversity leadership, youth development, corporate responsibility, and organizational change. For four years, he led a $250 million social impact portfolio for the world’s largest youth development company, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, representing the interests of nearly 4 milliom diverse youth and teens as Senior Vice President for Programs and Chief Education Officer. One of the original architects of the Inclusive Excellence concept in American higher education, he is author of the best-selling Strategic Diversity Leadership and co-author of the Chief Diversity Officer and he is a global thought leader who has worked with more than 1,000 colleges and universities, Fortune 100 companies, foundations, and government agencies, as keynote speaker, strategist, educator, and social impact leader. As the University of Michigan celebrates her 200-year anniversary, he was recently awarded the Bicentennial Leadership Award, a one-time honor given to 20 trailblazing alumni who exemplify the best of the academic and leadership values of the University's 200,000 living alumni. He is currently chief catalyst for the Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership & Social Innovation and a Senior Scholar and Innovation Fellow at the Wisconsin Equity, and Inclusion (Wei) Laboratory of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he previously served as Associate Vice Chancellor and inaugural Chief Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement Officer. Dr. Williams received his PhD from the University of Michigan Center for the Study of Higher and Post-Secondary Education (CSHPE) in Organizational Behavior and Management, and his MS and BS degrees from Miami University in Educational Leadership and Sociology and Black World Studies, respectively. For more information, please visit www.drdamonawilliams.com.

Rachel Minahan joined the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in June 2018, where she leads the Association’s advocacy and policy portfolio. In this role, she works closely with Members of Congress, the Administration, national coalitions, and AACN member institutions to advance health and health care through a nursing lens. She also serves as Executive Director of the Nursing Community Coalition, a 64-member organization representing a broad spectrum of nursing education, practice, research, and regulation.

Prior to AACN, Rachel spent more than a decade in government relations and policy, including eight years as a Legislative Director and Senior Legislative Assistant at Polsinelli and Wheat Government Relations. She began her career on Capitol Hill and as a field organizer in Iowa, experiences that grounded her deep commitment to public service and advocacy.

Rachel earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Interdisciplinary Studies in Communication, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government from American University, and a Master of Arts in Global Security Studies from Johns Hopkins University. She has also served as an assistant adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s School of Nursing and Health Studies, where she taught courses on the foundations of health systems and policy.

Josh Adams is AACN's Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs. Josh is a policy and research professional with extensive experience in advocacy, regulatory affairs, and strategic communications. He specializes in translating complex policy and research issues into clear, actionable insights that inform decision-making and drive organizational impact. With a background spanning nonprofit, association, and corporate sectors, Josh has led initiatives to advance policy priorities, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and develop evidence-based strategies that connect research to real-world outcomes.

Paulette Granberry Russell, JD, is president and CEO of the National Association of Diversity Officers and Higher Education (NADOHE), a membership organization designed for senior diversity officers and diversity professionals nationally and internationally. A leading voice on issues related to diversity efforts in higher education, she has been a zealous advocate in defending NADOHE’s efforts and broader coalition efforts in response to state and federal challenges to diversity and equity in postsecondary education. Granberry Russell retired in August 2020 as Senior Advisor to the President for Diversity, Emeritus, at Michigan State University (MSU), after more than 20 years advising on diversity and inclusion efforts at the institution. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from MSU and Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School and is a licensed attorney in the state of Michigan.