KEYNOTE: JEMELE HILL
Emmy Award-Winning Journalist; Host, Jemele Hill is Unbothered
An Emmy Award winning journalist, Jemele Hill is the Co-founder of Lodge Freeway Media and a contributing writer for The Atlantic.
On October 25, 2022, Henry Holt and Company published Hill’s memoir, UPHILL: A Memoir. In this character-rich, unapologetically provocative memoir, Hill reveals her tumultuous childhood, complicated family dynamics, and her life-saving journey into journalism.
In April of 2019, Hill debuted Jemele Hill is Unbothered on Spotify. The two-time Webby award-winning podcast features in-depth, thought-provoking conversation with some of the biggest newsmakers across entertainment, culture, music and politics. Hill also explores topical and controversial issues with humorous, candid commentary. In 2022, Jemele Hill is Unbothered, won two NAACP Awards for Outstanding Podcast in the Arts and Entertainment and Society and Culture categories. Previous Unbothered guests include, Vice President Kamala Harris, Ava DuVernay, Common, Ice Cube, Spike Lee, Gabrielle Union, Chelsea Clinton, Dan Rather, Stephen Colbert, Issa Rae, Taraji P. Henson, and Soledad O’Brien.
Unbothered was not Hill’s only contribution in the podcast arena. On April 15, 2020, Hill along with Van Lathan launched the podcast, The Wire: Way Down in the Hole. The podcast breaks down every episode on the HBO classic series. The hosts recap each show, break down signature moments, scenes, and characters.
In addition to breaking new ground as a podcaster, Hill also continued her celebrated television broadcasting career. In 2020, Hill and her longtime friend, former ESPN anchor Cari Champion, launched a weekly, late-night show on Vice Network called Cari & Jemele: Won’t Stick to Sports. The show covered politics, sports, news, current events, and pop culture.
Hill is also stretching her muscles behind the camera. She is executive producer of former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick’s documentary, which will air on ESPN and is directed by legendary filmmaker Spike Lee. She also is currently developing a comedy series with acclaimed actress Gabrielle Union.
Hill’s 20-plus year journalism career has included stops at the biggest sports media network and several reputable newspapers. She originally joined ESPN in 2006 as a national columnist for espn.com. Her profile gradually rose as she began to make appearances on television, including SportsCenter, First Take, Around the Horn, The Sports Reporters and Outside the Lines. She also spent a season as a sideline reporter for ESPN college football games.
Her foray into daily television began in 2013, when her and co-host Michael Smith began the daily, sports discussion show, His & Hers, which sprang from their popular podcast of the same name. In February 2017, Hill and Smith co-anchored the 6 p.m., SportsCenter, which debuted as a more personality-driven approach to the traditional SportsCenter. After her stint as SportsCenter host, Hill was a senior columnist for The Undefeated, ESPN’s sub-site that focuses on the intersection of sports, race, culture and politics. She eventually left ESPN in September 2018 and then a month later, she began writing about those same intersections for the highly-acclaimed socio-political magazine, The Atlantic.
Before joining ESPN, Hill was a sports columnist for the Orlando Sentinel from 2005–06 – the lone African American female sports columnist at a daily newspaper in North America. From 1999-2005, she served as a
sportswriter with the Detroit Free Press covering Michigan State football and basketball. Hill began her professional career in 1997 as a general assignment sportswriter for the Raleigh News & Observer.
In August 2018, the National Association of Black Journalist awarded Hill with Journalist of the Year Award. In July 2016, Hill participated in Emmy Award winning
The President and the People: A National Conversation – a one-hour town hall with President Barack Obama on race relations, justice, policing and equality.
A native of Detroit, Hill graduated from Michigan State University in 1997 with a degree in journalism. In November of 2019, Hill married Ian Wallace.
TAMMY BELTON-DAVIS
Named a Women of Influence by the Milwaukee Business Journal, Tammy is an award-winning PR and equity strategist serving as founder and president of Athena Communications. Athena is a brand management and government affairs firm specializing in strategic communications, equity and inclusion practices, and media engagement, with client partners engaged in transformational and systems change work.
Tammy serves as an adjunct professor in the Diederich College of Communications at Marquette University where she teaches corporate writing. From June 2020 through January 2022, Tammy was the first appointed chief diversity officer with Milwaukee Repertory Theater, the largest regional theater in Wisconsin. As an accelerant for equity and inclusion, she worked directly with executive leadership, board of trustees, staff and community to develop, implement and measure ED&I goals for the theater and serve as an internal coach on inclusiveness and diversity issues.
Most recently, Tammy was named a 2023 Notable BIPOC Executive honoree by the Biz Times. In 2021 she was a part of the inaugural class of most Notable Alumni, a recognition for distinguished alumni recognized by the Biz Times and was most recently the recipient of the inaugural Governor's Tourism Award for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion. The award recognizes demonstrated leadership in raising awareness, or facilitating change, to build a more inclusive and welcoming environment for visitors to Wisconsin.
Prior to launching Athena in 2009, Tammy held senior level positions in city government and community-based organizations and served as staff assistant with the Milwaukee County Board and Milwaukee Common Council. Tammy is an active member of the greater Milwaukee community, with board leadership on the boards of Alverno College, Milwaukee Rep and the Professional Dimensions Charitable Fund Board. She enjoys membership in TEMPO Milwaukee, Professional Dimensions, Public Relations Society of America – Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter, Institute for Women’s Leadership at Marquette University and the MRA CDO Roundtable.
A proud graduate of Alverno College, Tammy enjoys reading, national politics, and being a wife and mother and proudly serves as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
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STEPHANIE SUTTON
Brookfield native Stephanie Sutton returned to Wisconsin to join WISN 12 News as a sports reporter in April 2003.
Stephanie covered the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball teams in back-to-back Final Four runs in 2014 and 2015. She was at Miller Park when the Milwaukee Brewers clinched their first division title in 29 years, and has followed both of the Brewers playoff runs in 2008 and 2011. She's traveled with the Super Bowl XLV Champion Green Bay Packers to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House, and has interviewed sports celebs that include Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Braun, Tiger Woods and John McEnroe.
She says she also really enjoyed her time as an entertainment reporter in Hollywood in the spring of 2012 covering Packers wide receiver Donald Driver's run to the Mirror Ball Trophy on "Dancing With The Stars." And for the past three years, she’s had the pleasure of hosting the "Donald Driver Driven to Achieve" TV specials.
Stephanie came from KNTV, the NBC affiliate in San Francisco, where she worked as a sports anchor and reporter, covering major sporting events like the World Series from Anaheim, and Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego.
Stephanie's other career highlights include working as a producer with ABC Sports in New York. She also served as a sports anchor/reporter at WAPT-TV, a Hearst-Argyle station, and WJTV, both in Jackson, Miss.
Stephanie is an award-winning journalist who has been honored three times by the Associated Press for "Best Sports Story" (in Wisconsin in 2007 and 2011 and in Mississippi). She also won the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Award for "Best Sports Reporting" in a major market in 2005 and has been honored by the Milwaukee Press Club.
A graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she credits her love for sports to her athletic background. In 1987, Stephanie and her sister were Wisconsin State High School Doubles Champions in tennis.
Stephanie and her husband, Brian, are the proud parents of Kate, Will and Holly.
And no, Stephanie is not related to former WISN 12 sports anchor Tom Sutton!
Contact Stephanie at sasutton@hearst.com.
Twitter: @Steph_Sutton
PANELISTS AND MODERATORS
ANGELA PITTMAN TAYLOR
Taylor, currently serving as the Director of Corporate Communications, joined Baird in 1998 as an intern through Inroads, a leader in advancing diverse youth in corporate America. She joined Baird’s Public Relations team in 1999 and grew to become Public Relations Manager in 2020, with direct responsibility for leading the PR team and its efforts to build awareness of Baird and its businesses across its global footprint. She also leads Baird's Chicago-area brand strategy and co-leads the firm's Inclusion & Diversity marketing strategy. Taylor is a member of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation Board of Directors; founding Chair of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Alumni of Color Network Board of Directors; and Secretary of Sisters With Stock Investment Club (SWSIC), a women's investment club focused on promoting financial literacy and independence in the Black community.
Taylor has received several awards recognizing her work and advocacy for others, including a 2018 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Distinguished Alumni Award, a 2013 Milwaukee Times Black Excellence Award and Baird's 2013 G. Frederick Kasten Supporting Cast Award for outstanding client service. She also was named a 2011 "Woman of Influence" in the "Behind the Scenes" category by Milwaukee Business Journal. Taylor graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Communications-Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and received her M.A. in Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she has served as an adjunct instructor.
I've had the honor to work with Angela for more than 20 years and have always been impressed with her commitment to developing associates and her inspirational leadership. In addition to her day job, she lends her talents to Baird's I&D initiatives, mentors many associates and gives back to the community. She exemplifies the best of Baird.
Mary Ellen Stanek, Co-Chief Investment Officer of Baird Advisors and President of the Baird Funds
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BEVERLY TAYLOR
Beverly Taylor is a prober, listener and talker utilizing those skills in an extensive career in broadcast journalism, mediation and video production. She has many titles: audiobook narrator, podcaster, voiceover talent, moderator, TV interviewer, video storytelling producer and mediator.
Beverly is the host of “The 411 Live” podcast which can be found on most podcast platforms and YouTube. It originally focused on bringing awareness to the horrific problem of sex trafficking. Since Season 3, subject matters have expanded, highlighting a variety of people and subject matters impacting the community.
Her moderating and interviewing duties have included the 2022 Milwaukee Mayoral Debate on Spectrum One, the panel forum called, “Suppressed by Design or Voter Protection?” and an enjoyable one-on-one with Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Adrian Griffin.
Being part of the solution is what drives Beverly in mediation. She delights in helping people see beyond the conflict to workable, satisfying resolutions that preserve relationships.
As an audiobook narrator, Beverly has chosen to narrate books written by Christian authors. Books she has narrated can be found on Audible, including “Creating Unity: The Guide to Leading a Marriage Support Group” by Angela and Chris Yousey, “Questions You Need to Ask Before Marriage” by Lucy Jones and “Depression in the Bible: The Biblical Strategies, Lessons and Spiritual Warfare Revealed” by Henry Bechtold, just to name a few.
During Beverly’s broadcasting career she worked as an anchor/reporter at television stations in Jackson, TN; Huntsville, AL and Milwaukee, WI where she spent 21 years at WITI (Fox6 News) and received several EMMY nominations. The Tennessee native received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and her master’s degree in Dispute Resolution from Marquette University in Milwaukee.
Putting God first is a constant aim for Beverly. She is a member of New Testament Church of Milwaukee. Connect with Beverly through iambeverlytaylor.com.
special guest: eric L. conley
Executive Vice President, Froedtert Health
President, Froedtert Hospital
Eric L. Conley is president of Froedtert Hospital and executive vice president of Froedtert Health. He is responsible for the overall functions of the hospital. Eric leads the execution of performance goals with respect to strategic priorities and plans in the areas of service, quality, staff development, growth and finance; coordinating operational performance among system entities with oversight of ambulatory services in partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Eric joined the health system in July 2018 as senior vice president and chief operating officer for Froedtert Hospital. He was named hospital president and executive vice president of the health system in 2020.
In addition to Eric’s leadership responsibilities, he serves on the board of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Vivent Health, The Leverage Network, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the National Association of Health Service Executives (NAHSE). He is also a member of NAHSE.
Prior to joining Froedtert Health, Eric served as vice president of service lines and surgical services for KentuckyOne Health, and as vice president of operations for Northwestern Memorial Hospital, an 854 bed academic medical center and primary teaching hospital for Northwestern University in Chicago.
panelists
BREAKOUT #1: ADVOCACY THROUGH ALLYSHIP
DINO ANTONOPOULOS
Attorney Dino Antonopoulos is the founder of Antonopoulos Legal Group LLC (“ALG”). From the beginning of his legal career, Dino formed meaningful relationships and friendships with clients. It’s those relationships and the bond he has with his clients that motivated Dino to start ALG. Dino wanted to create a firm culture focused on these types of relationships between attorneys and clients. Honesty, hard work, loyalty, and a commitment to fight for clients are the main principles Dino built the firm on. His mom taught him the value of these principles as a kid working in their family restaurant business. To appreciate how a business operates and how important every individual is to the success of a business, Dino worked in all facets of the restaurant operations including cleaning tables, washing dishes, scrubbing floors, and serving customers. Dino eventually managed multiple restaurants as a high schooler and into college.
Almost 20 years into his legal profession, Dino has developed a reputation for excellent communication, client advocacy, and favorable results. Dino is fortunate that he had the opportunity to gain invaluable courtroom experience early in his legal career representing closely held businesses and financial institutions in complex commercial litigation, including litigating seven figure jury trials. The courtroom experience along with the types of clients Dino represents naturally gravitated Dino into the transactional world. Dino took the experience of identifying as well as attacking issues in complex commercial litigation and applying those lessons to business, real estate, and financing transactions such as the preparation of governing documents for companies and asset purchase agreements relating to acquiring companies. Dino represents financial institutions and various closely held companies including manufacturers, distributors, retailers, developers, builders, contractors, real estate brokerage firms, and service providers. The key to the selection of clients is identifying clients who share the same principles and values of ALG. As outside general counsel to closely held companies, Dino takes on an in-depth advisory and consulting role focusing on complex issues and developing strategic as well as practical solutions.
GINNY FINN
Creative social sector executive and "recovering" attorney committed to rethinking and relaunching the relationship between community and business. Extensive experience in philanthropy, management consulting (restructuring, board development, strategic communications) with primary emphasis on healthcare, arts, and education. Plus plenty of tax-exempt law. Past life as stage manager prepared me for anything and passion for scuba diving brings me joy.
NINA JOHNSON
Nina V. A. Johnson joined U.S. Bank in April 2019 as the senior vice president of consumer and business banking in southeast Wisconsin. She has been charged with building centrality, maximizing a digital banking platform and creating opportunities that result in positive synergies.
Based in Milwaukee, Johnson oversees a team of more than 450 and the operation of 62 branches across the region.
Johnson has served on more than 40 nonprofit boards and committees and consortiums, including the Froedtert Hospital Board, SecureFutures Advisory Board, Wisconsin Banker’s Association’s DEI Advisory Board, ACTS Housing Advisory, The Salvation Army, UWM Graduate School, Children’s Hospital Anti-Bullying Advisory, MATC “Promise” Cabinet, Dominion Bible College and the YWCA Southeast Wisconsin.
She also served on a handful of national committees that supported the modernization of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), including the American Bankers Association (ABA) collaborative white paper on the “Modernization of the CRA,” submitted to the U.S. Treasury in 2017.
Johnson also is the founder of “Circles,” a relationship-building platform giving employees a safe space to discuss sensitive topics through a business development lens. Her first book, “Recession…I’m Not Participating,” was published in 2013.
RENE JOVEL
Jovel is the deputy general counsel and director of legal operations for Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin. He's been with the Milwaukee-based nonprofit organization for five years, having been promoted to his latest role at the beginning of 2022.
The mission of Goodwill Industries, to provide training, employment and supportive services for disadvantaged people or people with disabilities, attracted Jovel to the role. He previously worked in politics for Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin and wanted to change careers but still maintain a profession in the legal field. He started as a staff attorney.
In his role, Jovel has oversight over Goodwill Industries' budget as well as the organization of the legal department, which consists of four members including Jovel — the general counsel, paralegal specialist and legal administrator. Jovel also manages the request for proposal process of selecting outside counsel.
"I think the most important one for me is I now have two direct reports," Jovel said. "I really like that, trying to figure out how I can also help not only support them in their professional lives but also seeing other ways that I can help them grow and succeed."
Though difficult to pinpoint a specific project he is most proud of so far in his career with Goodwill Industries, he said one has been navigating the great challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic and another being selling the organization's Greendale headquarters and moving to Milwaukee.
"That entire process was complicated as well from the legal side, not necessarily the sale, but figuring out how we were going to take all of those employees and join the new work-life balance that I think a lot of companies are trying to juggle with whether people would go hybrid, whether they would go remote," Jovel said. "I’d say the last three years was something I was not prepared for."
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BREAKOUT #2: THE MISCONCEPTION OF SELF ADVOCACY
LASHONDA HILL
LaShonda Hill is a senior director of HR Data Quality and Analytics for ABM Industries.
LaShonda has over 20 years of experience in global HR operations, employee engagement, systems analysis, internal communications, training and diversity, equity and inclusion. LaShonda was previously the vice president of Human Resources for Colectivo Coffee and served in various roles at Rockwell Automation. She was vice president of the African-American Professional Network (AAPN) at Rockwell. In her career, she has also spent time at Fiserv and GE Healthcare.
LaShonda holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast and electronic communications from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and is certified by the HR Certification Institute as a Global Professional of Human Resources (GPHR).
LaShonda is wife of Chris and mom of Jordan and Kennedy. She enjoys traveling, playing recreational football and is a “recovering” studio session singer.
ASHLEY JORDAN
Ashley S. Jordan is Artistic Associate for Black Arts MKE responsible for production leadership, line producer, program and institutional collaborator and the organization's artistic ambassador.
She prides herself on creating art that will evoke thoughts and actions in the mind, body, and spirit. She is vibrantly vested in producing and creating a space for artists of color to not only perform, but attend and experience a presence of opportunity. She values the work and ongoing tradition Black Arts MKE is building and continuing to set the tone for creative greatness.
Ashley served as a Lead In-House Program Coordinator at PEARLS for Teen Girls. She had the joy of being a Lead Teaching Artist and Recruitment Coordinator for Milwaukee Repertory Theater for the August Wilson Monologue Competition now known as Next Narrative Monologue Competition. It has also been her mission to provide health and wellness as an entrepreneur with her beverage company Soulful Juice. She considers herself an advocate for equality and justice working with Leaders Igniting Transformation and African American Roundtable. She was also the Co-founder of Lights! Camera! Soul! where she produced and acted in The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe while bridging the gap with the theater community at Alverno College and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Ashley holds an Associate Degree from Milwaukee Area Technical College in Marketing Management and a B.A. in Leadership from Alverno College. She is a proud alum and owes all of her gratitude to the fine women and aunts in her life. She continues to create and promote theater to bring a powerful change and impactful conversations to the MKE community.
In her spare time she loves juicing, reading, thrifting and visiting local/black and brown owned businesses! She is grateful for her upbringing and excited for this chapter!
SAMANTHA MALDONADO
Samantha Maldonado, a Milwaukee native, is focused on community growth, building relational bridges, and fostering a shared sense of purpose. She is an agile organizational leader with proven success in creating and executing a vision to sustain a strong culture focused on transformational change, innovation, and measurable and scalable business results. She has held positions with Northwestern Mutual, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and currently Kohl’s as a senior leader in diversity & inclusion. Samantha has a proven track record of demonstrating a growth mindset with all levels of leadership across the organization to lead, direct, negotiate, and influence long-range goals, continuous improvement, and interpret business strategy into actionable plans. She is passionate about creating an environment that fosters equity and inclusion to bring out the best in teams and colleagues. With more than eight years of experience in D&I, Samantha is regarded as a leader in D&I and is a sought-after consultant, presenter, and facilitator. She is an accomplished speaker both locally and nationally. Beyond her experience in the for-profit and non-profit sectors, Samantha has been—and continues to be committed and involved in the community through the various board leadership positions.
advocacy in action
JAMAR JACKSON
Jamar Jackson-Wilson, CEO of Legend 83 productions and creator of the battle scar kids and battle scar kids foundation. Legend 83 is a dynamic and innovative art studio that encompasses a multitude of creative disciplines including music production, art and animation as well as sound design. Jamar's innate talents in drawing and music, nurtured since childhood, led him to pursue a formal education in music business at Columbia College Chicago. At the core of legend 83 is the battle scar kids and battle scar kids foundation. The animated project and foundation aims to empower those who have suffered from unimaginable loss to unlimited potential! Legend 83 Productions has a profound commitment to crafting content that leaves a lasting impact on culture.
DR. STACIA THOMPSON
Dr. Stacia Thompson is the Executive Director of the Sherman Phoenix Foundation. Dr. Thompson is responsible for managing daily operations while building community relationships that support the core areas of the foundation. Dr. Thompson is known for being a change agent in developing economic empowerment and workforce strategies. With deep expertise in community development, program development, entrepreneurial services and economic development, she is also an expert speaker and facilitator for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.