Contact: Michael Simkins, CEO
michael@spokesfornonprofits.org
805-547-2244

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spokes Offers Interactive New Workshop, Creating and Retaining an Inclusive Board Environment

Panelist-led training to guide attendees in fostering a board culture supportive of diversity

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (May 1, 2024) — Spokes, an organization providing resources to support and empower the nonprofit community, will offer an interactive new workshop opportunity, Creating and Retaining an Inclusive Board Environment, for organizations interested in diversifying their board of directors. 

The class will be held May 30, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at People’s Self-Help Housing, located at 1060 Kendall Road in San Luis Obispo. Advance registration is required.

Designed for board presidents and chairs, members of governance or nomination committees, and other board leaders, Creating and Retaining an Inclusive Board Environment will educate attendees on how to foster an inclusive board culture that supports and retains diverse board members. Topics will include increasing awareness of implicit bias, learning how to identify microaggressions and strategies for interrupting bias.

The workshop, facilitated by Cal Poly Dean of Students Joy Pedersen, PhD, will feature presentations from a diverse panel of community leaders and experienced board members, small group "conversation cafes," and self-reflective moments. 

“An organization interested in diversifying its board of directors is tasked not only with recruiting a candidate that’s a good fit, but also providing a supportive and inclusive board culture that ensures members of diverse backgrounds want to stay,” said Michael Simkins, chief executive officer of Spokes. “We are excited to help facilitate this listening and learning process in our community.”

About the Facilitator and Panelists

Joy Pedersen, PhD: Joy is Dean of Students at Cal Poly and a founding member of the Asian Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association (APIFSA), the Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT), and the Peace Ambassador program at Cal Poly. She has more than twenty years of experience in higher education and the nonprofit sector and currently serves on the boards of Diversity Coalition SLO County and Transitions-Mental Health Association.

Claude Swain: Claude is an agent at California Meridian Insurance Services who specializes in commercial and business accounts. He is a graduate of the Diversity Coalition of SLO County’s BIPOC Board Leadership Training and currently serves on the boards of the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center and the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce.

Charlene Rosales: Charlene is Interim Director of Governmental Affairs at the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Community Board of French Hospital Medical Center, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Central Coast California, the Rotary Club of SLO Daybreak, and SESLOC Credit Union.

Ke-Ping Tsao, M.D.: Ping is a retired physician who has extensive experience in our local nonprofit community. Currently, he is president of the board of directors of the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden and also serves on the Community Board of French Hospital Medical Center.

Organizations interested in diversifying their board are also encouraged to learn more about the Diversity Coalition of San Luis Obispo County’s Nonprofit Board Matching and Placement Services program at https://bit.ly/nonprofitboardmatching. Enrollees will receive a 50 percent discount code on the registration fees for this workshop. 

Cost is $20 for Spokes members ($10 for each additional attendee from member organization) and $40 for nonmembers. For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/InclusiveBoard

About Spokes:

Since 1996, Spokes has helped nonprofits to achieve their goals through support and expert resources. Spokes supports the nonprofit community through consulting services, online resources, roundtables, workshops and other events. Spokes is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, EIN 77-0457478. 

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