2025 Nov 12 / DEI Panel / Celebrating Diversity during the Holidays

2025 Nov 12 / DEI Panel / Celebrating Diversity during the Holidays

Akron, OH

2025 - November 12 - DEI Panel / "Celebrating Diversity During The Holidays" (BREAKFAST MEETING)

Akron Area SHRM is inviting you to the next DEI session, “Celebrating Diversity during the Holidays." The panel session will be a BREAKFAST MEETING, facilitated by Evelyn S Williams, PhD, MEd, CA. and features guest panelists Sam Chestnut, Head of School, The Lippman School and Lieutenant Sarah Shendy, Case Western Reserve University Police Department

Agenda:
7:30am - Registration Opens
8:00am - Networking & Breakfast
8:20am - Announcements
8:30am - Presentations Begin

Price: $30 Members, $40 Non-Members, $15 Students, $15 Members-in-transition

Session Description: Join us on our quest for diversity and inclusion as we move into a time of sharing and caring during the winter holiday season. This session will include a broad stroke overview on the topic of diversity over the holidays with an emphasis on the Jewish and Muslim holidays and traditions, presented by our guest panelists. We will be joined by Sam Chestnut of The Lippman School and advocate for the Jewish community. Along with Lieutenant Sarah Shendy of Case Western Reserve University Police Department and advocate for women and the Muslim community. Bring your questions and leave the session with a richer understanding of diversity over the holiday season. Along with three practical takeaways to boost equity and inclusion in your workplace.

Speaker Bios: Dr Evelyn Williams, recently joined Global Ties Akron as Executive Director. She has a rich history of leadership experience with an emphasis on director and management roles in both the private and public sectors, managed community collaboration efforts, and oversight of cross-cultural and intergenerational projects on a local and international level. After founding and directing a local grassroot nonprofit that served youth and their families, locally and internationally, she obtained a Doctor of Public Health from Walden University and a Master of Education in Health Education and Promotion from Kent State University. Evelyn is credentialed at the Intermediate level with the National Advocate Credentialing Program and excelled as Director of Educational Services with the Victim Assistance Program, Summit County. She currently serves on the board of ATHENA Akron and the Society of Human Resources & Management of Akron, as DEI co-chair. She is a lifetime member of the Akron area, wife, and mother of nine. In her down time, she enjoys the outdoors and traveling.

Sarah Shendy is a police lieutenant with 17 years of law enforcement experience. She made history by being the first known Arab American Muslim female police lieutenant in the State of Ohio. Shendy was a Law Enforcement Training Officer with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for four years. In 2014, she was one of sixteen members selected by AG Mike DeWine to serve on a panel evaluating the training, certification, and advancement of law enforcement officers in the State of Ohio. Shendy earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice. In September of 2019, she participated in the ceremonial pitch at the Guardian’s game after being nominated as a Hometown Hero. A trailblazer, In June of 2020, she was appointed by Governor DeWine to be the inaugural Director of the Office of Law Enforcement Recruitment. Shendy has been featured with the Kent State University Magazine and twice featured with Police1.com. In December of 2021, she was named Top Cop by Summit County Prosecutor’s Office. She was also published in Police1’s 22 on 2022: A Police Leadership Playbook. In July 2022, Shendy was the recipient of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 40 Under 40 Award. Globally, she was the only Arab American female amongst the forty award recipients. To document her unique journey in law enforcement, in 2023, Shendy was inducted into the National Arab American Museum. In March of 2024, she was announced as an award recipient for the Arab America 40 Under 40.

This year Sam Chestnut begins his 15th year as Head of The Lippman School, a multicultural Jewish Day School. Over this time the school has developed significant local, national, and international partnerships that have helped establish The Lippman School as an educational leader using Jewish values as a foundation for cross-cultural learning experiences.

In 2022 Sam assumed the additional role as the inaugural Chief Program Officer for JewishAkron to help our community develop meaningful programing in the Jewish community and with the many non-Jewish constituents they serve. In this role he works closely with all Jewish agencies in Akron including all three synagogues.

Sam is also founder and President of The Lodge Approach an educational non-profit that provides student and adult learning experiences with the Northern Cheyenne Nation.

Akron has been Sam’s home since graduating from Keyon College, B.A. History, and later the University of Akron, M.A. Education. He and his wife Jennifer raised their three children in Akron and they both attended The Lippman School and Firestone CLC.