Melissa Harris-Perry Program : simplebooklet.com

P H R C . P A . G O VWOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH MELISSA HARRIS-PERRYMaya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University, Professor & Writer Along with Dorian Warren, she is co-host of the podcast System Check, with The Nation. For nearly two decades, Harris-Perry has contributed to American public life through her distinct combination of scholarly analysis and grounded wisdom applied to analysis of race, gender, politics, and power. She served asEditor-at-Large for ZORA.com, a medium publication for women of color, and for Elle.com. Her writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar and many other print and digital venues. She was among the initial cohort of writers for TheRoot.com and authored highly regarded columns for Essence and The Nation. She hosted the award-winning television show “Melissa Harris-Perry” from 2012-2016 on weekend mornings on MSNBC and in 2016, won the Hillman Prize for broadcast journalism. Committed to diversifying American journalism and mentoring emerging public voices, Professor Harris-Perry has developed and implemented innovative mentoring efforts including the Elle.com scholars program centering the stories of women and girls of color and BLACK ON CAMPUS, a national student journalism program in partnership with The Nation. She is the author of the award-winning Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought, and Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America. Harris-Perry received her B.A. degree in English from Wake Forest University and her Ph.D. degree in political science from Duke University. She also studied theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Harris-Perry previously served on the faculty of the University of Chicago, Princeton University, and Tulane University. She serves on several boards and award committees and is a trustee of both The Century Foundation and The Next 100. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and business partner, James Perry. James and Melissa tackle a number of projects together including the Perry Political Partnership, Anna’s Park Homestead, and rearing two very fulfilling daughters. Professor Melissa Harris-Perry is the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair at Wake Forest University where she teaches courses on American politics and elections at the intersections of race, place, and gender. Professor Harris-Perry is the Founder and President of the Anna Julia Cooper Center, an independent organization with a mission to advance justice and alleviate harm for women and girls of color in American higher education.

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P H R C . P A . G O VWOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH PAMELA GUNTER-SMITH, PH.D. President, York College of Pennsylvania Currently, she is president of the William Townsend Porter Foundation, serves on the Central Region Board of Directors of WellSpan, the York County Industrial Development Authority, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania Board (AICUP) and the Board of Directors of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). She is a member of the Better York Executive Committee, and the Pennsylvania State Board of Education. Gunter-Smith holds a B.S. in Biology from Spelman College and a Ph.D. in Physiology from Emory University. She conducted postdoctoral studies at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She has published in the areas of gastrointestinal physiology and membrane ion transport and is the recipient of grants to support science education and her research. During her tenure at York College, Gunter-Smith has advanced programs that serve the greater York community and provide high impact engagement and learning for the College’s students. She is married to J. Lawrence (J.L.) Smith, a native of St. Louis, Missouri. J.L. retired in 2015 as a systems administrator for I.B.M. The Smiths are parents of two sons, Lealand of Nashville, Tenn., and Philip of Baltimore, MD. Pamela Gunter-Smith began serving as president of York College on July 1, 2013. She previously served as Drew University’s provost and academic vice president and as the Porter Professor of Physiology at Spelman College. Gunter-Smith has also held academic appointments at the George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (Bethesda, Maryland). For 12 years before joining Spelman, Gunter-Smith was a research scientist and science administrator at the ArmedForces Radiobiology Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

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P H R C . P A . G O VWOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH C. KIM BRACEYCEO, YWCA York directed the development of regulations, policies, and standards involving 2,560 local governments across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Native to York, Bracey committed herself to service to her country by joining the United States Air Forces. After a decade of service with distinction, she returned to her hometown to serve as the Program Manager of the Crispus Attucks YouthBuild program, and later as the President of the South George Street Community Partnership. Bracey’s deep commitment to enhancing the quality of life and economic opportunities for everyone has been demonstrated in her current and past roles, including the eight years she served as the mayor for the City of York. As the City’s chief elected officer, Bracey led a renaissance in financial stability, economic and community revitalization, and governmental reforms, while overseeing a workforce of approximately 400 employees and a $98 million budget. In 2017, she received the prestigious Athena Award bestowed upon female leaders around the globe, after being selected by past honorees. In 2021, Bracey co-chaired the 100th United Way of York County Campaign and helped to raise $5.6 million. Bracey earned her education through York City Schools, attending Bloomsburg University, the United States Air Force Community College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama and Drexel University in Philadelphia PA. She is a recipient of an Honorary Doctorate degree of Humane Letters from York College of PA, along with numerous certificate programs, and coursework all enhancing her career as a government official and a non-profit leader. C. Kim Bracey serves as the CEO for the YWCA York, a long-standing non- profit organization dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. Bracey is an accomplished leader and a dedicated community organizer for more than 25 years with a successful diverse career. She can often be found with her sleeves rolled up lending a helping hand. Prior to joining the team at YWCA York, Bracey was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to serve as the Executive Director of theGovernor’s Center for Local Government Services, where she created and

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P H R C . P A . G O VWOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH CHAD DION LASSITER, MSW PHRC Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter is a National Expert in the field of American Race Relations. Mr. Lassiter has worked on race, peace, and poverty-related issues in The United States of America, Africa, Canada, Haiti, Israel, and Norway, and is called upon frequently by media outlets to provide commentary on race relations and potential solutions. He is the current Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, where over his four years in this position, he has continued to push the Commonwealth forward in the spaces of DEI Training, Unconscious Bias Training, Anti-Racism Training and has developed and launched a ‘No Hate in Our State Townhall’ to address the surge of White Nationalism in Pennsylvania, a ‘Social Justice Lecture Series’ providing an outlet for the communities in the State to discuss imperative issues and serves as a Racial Reduction Response team for those communities impacted by hatred. He oversees a staff of 87 with three Regional Offices that comprise the 67 Counties in Pennsylvania and manages an annual budget of $11 million dollars. He has also developed programs under his appointment, such as a ‘Global Social Justice Initiative,’ ‘Black and Jewish Beloved Community Dialogue,’ and the ‘College Race Dialogue Initiative.’ Lassiter received his Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Social Work, where he was the A. Phillip Randolph Award winner in 2001 and was the recipient of the prestigious University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Involvement Award in 2008. Lassiter is a co-founder and current president of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice’s Black Men at Penn, the first Ivy League Black male group of social workers. Since 2003 this transcendent group has sought to recruit Black males into the profession, as well as, provide Anti-Racism and violence prevention training to urban and suburban schools around the country and diversity and inclusion training for corporate entities and penal systems. Lassiter has been recognized by the Philadelphia Tribune as “The Most Influential African American Leader from 2010-2022,” as “Who’s Who among African-Americans" 17th edition in 2004 with such notables as Colin Powell and Michael Jordan. On November 18th, 2019, Lassiter was inducted into the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice Alumni Hall of Fame. On October 26, 2021, Mr. Lassiter was chosen as National Association of Social Workers, Pennsylvania Chapter Social Worker of the Year for 2021. Lassiter has also been recognized by City & State’s 2022 Pennsylvania Fifty Over 50; City & State’s 2022 Pennsylvania Impact 50 and City and State’s Pennsylvania Power of Diversity: Black 100.

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P H R C . P A . G O VWOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH M. JOEL BOLSTEIN, ESQ PHRC ChairM. Joel Bolstein was appointed to serve as Interim Chair of the PHRC on April 18, 2016, and named Chair in October 2018. Bolstein is currently a partner in the law firm of Fox Rothschild, LLP, where his practice consists of environmental law and governmental affairs. His environmental practice focuses on brownfields redevelopment and the reuse of old industrial sites. Bolstein assists developers, including homebuilders, with environmental-related construction issues, including permit procurement, erosion and sedimentation controls, and environmental assessments and remediation.He also advises clients on permit and enforcement actions and regulatory compliance. He also represents buyers, sellers, lenders, and public entities in corporate and real estate transactions. Bolstein's government affairs practice focuses on obtaining legislative, regulatory, and administrative solutions for clients at all levels of government. He has assisted clients on matters involving legislation, permits, enforcement actions, contracting, and procurement challenges. Bolstein served three terms on the U.S. EPA's National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy & Technology. From January 1995 to July 1997, he was Deputy Secretary for Special Projects at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. He was involved in a wide variety of areas, including permit and enforcement decisions and the development of policies and regulatory initiatives. He served as a trouble-shooter between the Department of Environmental Protection and the regulated community and worked on projects involving the reuse of industrial sites and the promotion of economic development. As Deputy Secretary, he managed the implementation of Pennsylvania's Land Recycling Act (Act 2 of 1995) and helped write the regulations for the land-recycling program. He also represented the commonwealth in the Republican Governors Association Task Force on CERCLA reform. Bolstein is a former member of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Standing Committee on Environmental Law. He is also a past officer in the ABA's Section on Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law (now SEER), and currently serves as vice-chair of the Committee on Innovation, Management Systems and Trading and the Committee on Science & Technology. He is listed as one of the top environmental lawyers in Pennsylvania in the Chambers Guide USA, Best Lawyers, and PA Super Lawyers. In 1995, he received the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Award for Excellence. In 1999, he was presented with the Excellence in Environmental Achievement Award from Bethlehem Steel Company for his work on the Bethlehem Works Project, the largest brownfield site in the country. In January 1999, Governor Ridge appointed Bolstein to a five-year term on Pennsylvania's Human Relations Commission, which is responsible for developing state policy and regulations and adjudicating claims alleging discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, and educational opportunities. He was reappointed by Governor Rendell in 2005 and 2010.

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P H R C . P A . G O VWOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH DESIREÉ CHANG PHRC Director of Education Desireé Chang serves as the Director of Education for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Chang has been with the PHRC for three years. Prior to becoming the Director of Education, she worked as a Civil Rights Mediator with the Mediation Division. During her tenure at the PHRC, Chang has received the Director of Excellence Award (2020) and PHRC Social Justice Team Award (2021). She is a graduate of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Institute (2021) and has been recognized for her participation on several committees and community social justice collaborative efforts. Chang's educational acquisitions include an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice, summa cum laude, obtained from HACC Lancaster, as well as, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Legal Studies from Drexel University, both magna cum laude. She is a member of several academic honor societies. Prior to the PHRC, Chang worked as an adult Probation and Parole Officer with a specialized caseload of individuals with developmental and mental health disabilities. In addition, she has a background in substance abuse counseling. She has served as a facilitator for trauma informed responses and has been a certified trainer in Motivational Interviewing and Moral Reconation Therapy. She enjoys public speaking and volunteering at women’s shelters. Much of Chang's professional career has been in roles that include assistance for, or advocating of, special interest groups. Her passions are married at the PHRC with the ability to educate Pennsylvanians and actively work towards eradicating discrimination both inside and outside of the Commonwealth.

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P H R C . P A . G O VThankThankThankyou!you!you!Upcoming EventsM A R C H 1 61 P MLunch & Learn: Nicole TylerVirtualM A R C H 2 21 P MLunch & Learn: Suzanne V. EstrellaVirtualM A R C H 2 91 2 P MFair Housing Trainings: Domestic Violence & Fair Housing VirtualLunch & Learn: Rev. Carla ChristopherVirtualM A R C H 2 91 P MHousing Equality ConferenceWeitzman National Jewish American MuseumJ U N E 2 1S CA N FO R M OR E IN F O R MA TI ON A B OU T UP C O M IN G PH R C EV EN TSO R FO LL O W US O N S O C IA L ME D I A@PAHUMANRELATIONS@PENNSYLVANIA HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION@PA_HUMRELCOMM@PAHUMANRELATIONSCOMMISSION

Melissa Harris-Perry Program