Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole to Visit Westmoreland County for "Diversity, Equity, Accessibility + Inclusion Matters"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: 
Claire Ertl
Director of Marketing & Public Relations
724.837.1500 x128
certl@thewestmoreland.org
Kaitlyn Zurcher
Manager of Communications
724.837.1500 x133
kzurcher@thewestmoreland.org
GREENSBURG, Pennsylvania (March 16, 2018) – The Westmoreland Museum of American Art and the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition will host a day of conversation and advocacy for community leaders and influencers  with Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole on Thursday, May 24, 2018.
An expert in matters of diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion, Dr. Cole is a sought after speaker whose engagements have inspired many. The May 24 event will begin with a breakfast and keynote address from Dr. Cole called “Diversity, Equity, Accessibility + Inclusion Matters” at the Museum from 7:30-9:30am, which is open to the public. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or by phone at 1.888.71TICKETS.
Following the breakfast and keynote address, Dr. Cole will meet with Westmoreland County business leaders, cultural institutions, non-profit sector leaders and students to discuss tactics for raising awareness and increasing advocacy related to diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion.
Ahead of her visit, Dr. Cole said, “I very much look forward to engaging in discussions with Westmoreland Museum colleagues, friends of the museum and the broader Westmoreland community.”
Dr. Cole is a Principal Consultant with Cook Ross, Inc., a consulting firm that provides solutions to organizations in the areas of diversity, inclusion, cultural competency, leadership development and organizational change management. Before assuming this role, she served for eight years as the Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art.
With a Ph.D. in anthropology and a specialization in African Studies from Northwestern University, Dr. Cole held teaching and administrative positions at several colleges and universities before serving as the president of both of the historically Black colleges for women in the United States—Spelman College and Bennett College—a distinction she alone holds.
“We are honored to be the catalyst to bring a speaker of Dr. Cole’s caliber to the Greensburg area,” Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO Judith H. O’Toole said. “I have heard her speak on many occasions and have been inspired each time. Her message is aspirational, her manner of speaking is captivating and her wisdom shines through it all.”
“We hope Dr. Cole’s message, for the purpose of mutual understanding, will help open a dialogue that brings people together who may represent different points of view,” Director of the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition Carlotta Paige said. “Dr. Cole’s message begins the Westmoreland Diversity Coalition’s efforts to raise the awareness of the importance of diversity, difference, inclusion and all the related issues. Our communities must begin to understand the imperative to accepting diversity in all its forms as an asset and not a threat.”