DEI Alliance

Better Together, Better with YOU

DEI Alliance

The DEI Alliance is a monthly open forum meeting space (typically the third Thursday of the month) for all interested staff and interns where attendees discuss a dialogue topic (often related to the DEI Calendar or current events) and build a DEI learning community with one another.

Past and present co-chairs:

• Anne-Marie Hong, Administration
• Terri Spicer, Employment Services
• Sonia Valenzuela, Family Support Services
• YuFang Chien, Learning Links
• Brittany Ho, Learning Links
• Matt Gonzalez, Independent Living Skills
• Sarah Verity, Administration
• Vivian Galdamez, Family Support Services
• Emaluisa Katoa, Children’s Therapy Services
• Lauren Sullivan, Administration
• Jake Dunbar, Independent Living Skills
• Kirsten Jensen, Camp Via West
• Iris Wen, Family Support Services
• Dario Bernard, Administration
• Keana Aguila Labra, Employment Services

Co-chairs are nominated full-time staff members responsible for supporting content creation and facilitation for each DEI Alliance meeting in partnership with the Chief Operating Officer, HR Director and DEI and Culture Manager. Co-chairs commit to serve for a 6-month term with an opportunity for renewal.

DEI Alliance sub-groups: are monthly or quarterly groups open to all staff and interns that work on niche DEI projects and deliverables. Currently there are 3 sub-groups:

• ERG Leaders Cohort (space for all current, active ERG leaders to share ideas and discuss challenges, meets quarterly)
• DEI Communications (responsible for facilitating internal DEI communications-related projects, like the staff newsletter, DEI Statement, DEI Charter and DEI website, meets quarterly)

Topics to share:

• Heritage months
• Inclusive language
• Intentional inclusion
• Invisible disabilities
• Autism acceptance
• DEI strategic plan
• DEI crisis communications
• Activists
• Lunar new year
• Pan-ethnicity
• Teacher appreciation
• Juneteenth
• Belonging
• Disability Pride Month
• Pronouns
• Access needs
• Participant self-advocacy
• Microaggressions
• LGBTQ+
• COVID-19
• Self-care
• Anti-Blackness
• National disability employee awareness month
• Indigeneity
• Nutrition
• Holiday boundaries