BSC Representatives Participate in Small Communities, Big Solutions Conference
Dr. Michelle Taylor and Mr. Scott Pitt were key contributors to a diversity workforce panel discussion during the annual “Small Communities, Big Solutions Conference,” sponsored by the Alliance for Economic Development of Southern West Virginia.
For the second consecutive year, Dr. Taylor (Department Chair & Associate Professor of Business at BSC’s W. Paul Cole, Jr. School of Business) moderated the panel discussion and Pitt (Educational Outreach Counselor/BSC Academic Success Center, BSC Safe Zone Initiatives Director and LGBTQ advocate) was a featured panelist. Dr. Taylor has been the BSC operations council member for the Alliance since its inception and has been on the planning committee for the Small Communities, Big Solutions conference for three years.
“Our panel focused on diversity in the workforce, why it was vital, and discussed diversity initiatives that can be implemented at various businesses and institutions of higher education,” Taylor said. Janelle Coleman, President/AEP Foundation and Vice president/Community Engagement, Diversity, and Inclusion/American Electric Power, was the keynote speaker on this day of the conference. Dr. Taylor built her panelist discussion around the topics introduced by Ms. Coleman.
West Virginia US Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito, along with West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner were Day 1 presenters at the conference.
The Alliance, a collaboration among the 10 public colleges and universities in southern West Virginia, was established to foster an environment for economic growth in the region.