BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//SER National - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:SER National X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://ser-national.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for SER National REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20200308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20201101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20210314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20211107T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20220313T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20221106T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20230312T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20231105T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20240310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20241103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20250309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20251102T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20260308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20261101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20270314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20271107T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20190310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20191103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20200308T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20201101T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20210314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20211107T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260521T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260521T140000 DTSTAMP:20260525T222343 CREATED:20260203T014058Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260225T031533Z UID:113784-1779361200-1779372000@ser-national.org SUMMARY:2026 SER STEM Day DESCRIPTION:CLICK TO REGISTER NOW URL:https://ser-national.org/event/2026-ser-stem-day/ LOCATION:Online – WebEx\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Annual Conference ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ser-national.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/SER-Stem-2026_675.png ORGANIZER;CN="SER National":MAILTO:events@ser-national.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210521T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210521T150000 DTSTAMP:20260525T222343 CREATED:20210224T020654Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210521T152259Z UID:62520-1621594800-1621609200@ser-national.org SUMMARY:Community Day DESCRIPTION:Community Day will be held on May 21\, 2021 from 11:00am – 3:00pm CT over Webex.\n  \nThis year’s Community Day will include inspiring and educational speakers! \nSER National looks forward to welcoming partners from all across the country to this important gathering. \n \n Click Here to Register!\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Agenda\n \n \n \n \n \n   \n\n\n\n \nFriday – May 21\, 2021\n\n\n11:00 AM CT\nSTEM PresentationDr. Alicia Abella\, Google\n\n\n12:00 PM CT\nMotivational SpeakerJosé Hernández\, Astronaut (retired)\n\n\n1:00 PM CT\nSTEM PresentationDr. Calvin Mackie\, CEO/Founder of STEM NOLA\n\n\n2:00 PM CT\nSTEM Activity and CompetitionSTEM NOLA Staff\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speakers\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Alicia AbellaManaging Director\, Telecom\, Media & Entertainment Industry Solutions\,Google \n\n\nDr. Alicia Abella is the Managing Director\, Telecom\, Media & Entertainment (TME) Industry Solutions\, for Google Cloud leading the North America and Latin America regions. She has responsibility for building the go-to-market approach for TME\, partnering with the Product\, Engineering\, and Sales teams to deliver end-to-end solutions for Telecom customers. Prior to joining Google Cloud\, Dr. Abella was VP of the Integrated Systems Engineering and Realization organization of AT&T Labs driving the company’s network infrastructure deployments\, SDN\, Edge\, and 5G programs. In her 25 year tenure with AT&T she also led multiple highly technical organizations specializing in cloud computing\, software-defined networking\, human-computer interaction\, mobile services\, big data analytics\, and Internet of Things. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n José HernándezAstronaut (Retired) \nJosé M. Hernández is the first migrant farmworker to become a NASA astronaut. Born into a migrant farm working family from Mexico\, José wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Hispanic-American\, Franklin Chang-Diaz\, had been selected for the Astronaut Corps. \nHernandez attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton\, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering. He was then awarded a full scholarship to the graduate program at the University of California in Santa Barbara\, where he continued his engineering studies. In 1987\, he accepted a full-time job with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. While at Lawrence Livermore\, Hernandez worked on signal and image processing applications in radar imaging\, computed tomography\, and acoustic imaging. Later in his career\, Hernandez worked on developing quantitative x-ray film imaging analysis techniques for the x-ray laser program. Hernandez applied these techniques in the medical physics arena and co-developed the first full-field digital mammography imaging system. This system has proven useful for detecting breast cancer at an earlier stage than present film/screen mammography techniques. He has also worked in the international arena where he represented Lawrence Livermore and the U.S. Department of Energy on Russian nuclear non-proliferation issues. \nAfter several applications to the astronaut program\, José was selected as part of the 19th class of U.S. Astronauts in 2004. On August 28\, 2009\, José was assigned to the STSe128 Space Shuttle Discovery mission as the flight engineer. He realized his dream of reaching for the stars came true as he blasted off into space on a 14 day mission to the International Space Station. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Calvin MackieCEO\,STEM NOLA \nDr. Calvin Mackie is an award-winning mentor\, inventor\, author\, former engineering professor\, internationally renowned speaker and successful entrepreneur. He is the founder of STEM NOLA\, a non-profit organization founded to expose\, inspire and engage communities about the opportunities in STEM. \nDr. Mackie struggled with his grades in high school and had to take remedial classes at Morehouse College prior to pursuing his bachelor’s degree. After completing those classes\, he graduated from Morehouse College in 1990 and was simultaneously awarded a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. After that\, he earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 1996 from Georgia Tech. \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sponsors URL:https://ser-national.org/event/communityday2021/ LOCATION:Online – WebEx\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Day ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ser-national.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CommunityDay2021_Banner.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210521T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210521T150000 DTSTAMP:20260525T222343 CREATED:20210224T020654Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210224T020654Z UID:110471-1621594800-1621609200@ser-national.org SUMMARY:Community Day DESCRIPTION:Community Day will be held on May 21\, 2021 from 11:00am – 3:00pm CT over Webex.\n  \nThis year’s Community Day will include inspiring and educational speakers! \nSER National looks forward to welcoming partners from all across the country to this important gathering. \n \n Click Here to Register!\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Agenda\n \n \n \n \n \n   \n\n\n\n \nFriday – May 21\, 2021\n\n\n11:00 AM CT\nSTEM PresentationDr. Alicia Abella\, Google\n\n\n12:00 PM CT\nMotivational SpeakerJosé Hernández\, Astronaut (retired)\n\n\n1:00 PM CT\nSTEM PresentationDr. Calvin Mackie\, CEO/Founder of STEM NOLA\n\n\n2:00 PM CT\nSTEM Activity and CompetitionSTEM NOLA Staff\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speakers\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Alicia AbellaManaging Director\, Telecom\, Media & Entertainment Industry Solutions\,Google \n\n\nDr. Alicia Abella is the Managing Director\, Telecom\, Media & Entertainment (TME) Industry Solutions\, for Google Cloud leading the North America and Latin America regions. She has responsibility for building the go-to-market approach for TME\, partnering with the Product\, Engineering\, and Sales teams to deliver end-to-end solutions for Telecom customers. Prior to joining Google Cloud\, Dr. Abella was VP of the Integrated Systems Engineering and Realization organization of AT&T Labs driving the company’s network infrastructure deployments\, SDN\, Edge\, and 5G programs. In her 25 year tenure with AT&T she also led multiple highly technical organizations specializing in cloud computing\, software-defined networking\, human-computer interaction\, mobile services\, big data analytics\, and Internet of Things. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n José HernándezAstronaut (Retired) \nJosé M. Hernández is the first migrant farmworker to become a NASA astronaut. Born into a migrant farm working family from Mexico\, José wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Hispanic-American\, Franklin Chang-Diaz\, had been selected for the Astronaut Corps. \nHernandez attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton\, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering. He was then awarded a full scholarship to the graduate program at the University of California in Santa Barbara\, where he continued his engineering studies. In 1987\, he accepted a full-time job with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. While at Lawrence Livermore\, Hernandez worked on signal and image processing applications in radar imaging\, computed tomography\, and acoustic imaging. Later in his career\, Hernandez worked on developing quantitative x-ray film imaging analysis techniques for the x-ray laser program. Hernandez applied these techniques in the medical physics arena and co-developed the first full-field digital mammography imaging system. This system has proven useful for detecting breast cancer at an earlier stage than present film/screen mammography techniques. He has also worked in the international arena where he represented Lawrence Livermore and the U.S. Department of Energy on Russian nuclear non-proliferation issues. \nAfter several applications to the astronaut program\, José was selected as part of the 19th class of U.S. Astronauts in 2004. On August 28\, 2009\, José was assigned to the STSe128 Space Shuttle Discovery mission as the flight engineer. He realized his dream of reaching for the stars came true as he blasted off into space on a 14 day mission to the International Space Station. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Calvin MackieCEO\,STEM NOLA \nDr. Calvin Mackie is an award-winning mentor\, inventor\, author\, former engineering professor\, internationally renowned speaker and successful entrepreneur. He is the founder of STEM NOLA\, a non-profit organization founded to expose\, inspire and engage communities about the opportunities in STEM. \nDr. Mackie struggled with his grades in high school and had to take remedial classes at Morehouse College prior to pursuing his bachelor’s degree. After completing those classes\, he graduated from Morehouse College in 1990 and was simultaneously awarded a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. After that\, he earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 1996 from Georgia Tech. \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sponsors URL:https://ser-national.org/event/communityday2021-2/ LOCATION:Online – WebEx\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Community Day ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ser-national.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CommunityDay2021_Banner.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210520T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210520T150000 DTSTAMP:20260525T222343 CREATED:20210226T031533Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210519T144616Z UID:62746-1621508400-1621522800@ser-national.org SUMMARY:57th SER National Annual Conference DESCRIPTION:The 57th SER National Annual Conference will be held on May 20th over Webex.\nThis year’s conference will include inspiring speakers and entrepreneurship workshops.\n\nSER National looks forward to welcoming partners from all across the country to this important gathering. \n \n Click Here to Register\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Agenda\n \n \n \n \n \n   \n\n\n\n \nThursday – May 20\, 2021\n \n\n\n11:00 AM CT  \n\nOpening / Welcome Remarks \nIgnacio SalazarPresident and CEO\, SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc. \nA Conversation about Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion \nDr. Merary SimeonVice President\, Diversity\, Equity & Inclusion\, PepsiCo \nIgnacio SalazarPresident and CEO\, SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc. \n\n \n\n\n12:00 PM CT\n\nMotivational Speaker \nMaria Marín \n\n \n\n\n1:00 PM CT\n\nA Conversation about Women and Empowerment \nAnna Escobedo Cabral42nd Treasurer of the United States \nIgnacio SalazarPresident and CEO\, SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc. \n\n \n\n\n2:00 PM CT\n\nEntrepreneurship: Government Programs to Start or Grow a Business \nNancy AlvarezUS Small Business Administration \n\n \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speakers\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ignacio SalazarPresident and CEO\, SER \nIgnacio Salazar serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc.\, a national network of employment and training providers comprised of affiliates in 24 States\, Puerto Rico\, and the District of Columbia\, providing services to more than one million people annually. Unanimously selected by the SER National Board of Directors to lead the organization in 2001\, Mr. Salazar is committed to SER’s mission of transforming lives through employment\, education\, and empowerment. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Merary SimeonVice President\, Diversity Equity & Inclusion\, PepsiCo \nDr. Merary Simeon is a proven and celebrated human resources executive who is community-minded and people-invested. She is a wife\, mother\, co-founder of Color Forward podcast\, author\, board member\, and kingdom work advocate. Dr. Simeon’s diverse experiences have equipped her with a deep understanding of the needs and opportunities critical to leaders at all levels. Her leadership expertise includes Talent Management\, Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion\, Leadership Consulting\, Culture Change\, Executive Coaching\, and Public Speaking. \nDr. Simeon holds a doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University and a master’s degree in Human Resources from Fordham University. She is a native of Puerto Rico and currently resides in Frisco\, Texas\, with her family. She credits her success to Jesus Christ. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength\,” Philippians 4:13. \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Maria Marín \nPeople en Espanol magazine selected Maria Marin as one of the 25 most powerful Latina women in 2012. Maria Marin is the leading motivational icon among Hispanics worldwide. Her message of motivation\, personal growth and success reaches millions through her newspaper columns\, best-selling books\, international seminars and radio show. As a “life coach” she now reaches thousands of listeners with her national syndicated radio show\, “El Show de Maria” on Univision Radio Network. The program covers relationships\, family and personal growth topics. She has been dedicated to empowering “Latinos” for over ten years. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Anna Escobedo CabralSenior Advisor\, External Relations Department\, Inter-American Development Bank \nAnna Escobedo Cabral currently serves as a Senior Advisor in the External Relations Department of the Inter-American Development Bank.  Prior to joining the bank\, Ms. Cabral served as the 42nd Treasurer of the United States.  She became the highest-ranking Latina in the George W. Bush Administration. \nFrom 1993 to 1999\, Ms. Cabral served as Deputy Staff Director for the United States Senate Judiciary Committee under Chairman Orrin G. Hatch.  The Committee’s jurisdiction ranges from oversight of the Department of Justice and our nation’s criminal and drug enforcement laws to approving federal judicial nominations\, and it includes review of immigration\, antitrust\, patents and trademark\, and technology-related legislation. \nIn addition\, Ms. Cabral simultaneously served as Executive Director of the U.S. Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs\, during which she managed a task force of 25 senators dedicated to ensuring that the concerns and needs of the Hispanic community were addressed by Congress through legislation. \nFrom 1999 to 2003\, Ms. Cabral served as President and CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility\, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington\, DC\, which partners with Fortune 500 companies to increase Hispanic representation in employment\, procurement\, philanthropy and governance.  Under her leadership\, the organization published a best practices series\, and instituted a partnership with Harvard Business School to provide executive training programs in Corporate Governance Best Practices to community leaders. \nIn 2003\, Ms. Cabral was named as Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Latino Initiatives\, where she led a pan-institutional effort to improve Latino representation in exhibits\, and public programming among the Institution’s 19 museums\, five research centers\, and the National Zoo. \nIn 2002\, she was appointed to the Council on the 21st Century Workplace\, providing guidance to the White House and the Department of Labor on work-related issues. That same year\, she was named to a two-year term on the Diversity Council of the Premier Automotive Group\, an outreach effort of the Ford Motor Company. She has also served on the boards of the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum\, a historic center commemorating women’s suffrage\, Martha’s Table\, a nonprofit that provides assistance to families in need\, the American Red Cross\, Naturebridge\, a nonprofit dedicated to environmental education\, and the foundation board of Providence Hospital\, which provides quality healthcare to the Washington\, DC community.  Currently\, she serves on the Diversity Advisory Group for Comcast/NBC Universal/Telemundo\, and as a Member of the Board of Directors for Navient\, the nation’s leading loan management\, servicing and asset recovery company. \nA California native\, today\, Ms. Cabral resides with her husband\, Victor\, in Arlington\, VA.  They have four adult children and are blessed with five grandchildren.  Ms. Cabral received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California\, Davis\, a Master’s degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in international trade and finance from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University\, and a Law Degree from George Mason University. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Nancy N. AlvarezSupervisor\, 8(a) Business Development Program\, Women Business Representative\,Dallas Fort Worth District Office\, U.S. Small Business Administration \nSince 2011\, Nancy N. Alvarez has served as the Head of the 8(a) Business Development Program and the Women Business Representative for the U.S. Small Business Administration\, Dallas/Fort Worth District Office.  She is instrumental in providing leadership\, management\, and oversight to optimize the deployment of SBA’s Federal Contracting programs to the small business communities within a 72-county geographical area in North Texas in Spanish and English. \nShe is a champion for women and disadvantage businesses in the federal marketplace; playing an important role in increasing participation of small businesses in Federal Contracting Programs and advocating strongly for the inclusion and participation of small businesses in government procurement. \nNancy graduated from Jacksonville University with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude). She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.  She served on the Board of the City of Jacksonville\, the Mayor’s Hispanic American Advisory Board\, the Mayor’s Small & Emerging Business Advisory Council\, and as an advisory board member in the Beaver Street Enterprise Center\, City of Jacksonville’s first business incubator. \nNancy is currently an advisory board member of the Dallas/Fort Worth Federal Agency Small Business Advocacy Council (FASBAC)\, a small business professional’s forum where federal agencies share\, gather\, and create ideas that promote small businesses’ interest and participation in the federal marketplace. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sponsors\nA special thank you to our sponsors. URL:https://ser-national.org/event/57th-serconference/ LOCATION:Online – WebEx\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Annual Conference ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ser-national.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/SERNational_Sponsors_conference2021v2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20210520T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20210520T150000 DTSTAMP:20260525T222344 CREATED:20210226T031533Z LAST-MODIFIED:20210226T031533Z UID:110474-1621508400-1621522800@ser-national.org SUMMARY:57th SER National Annual Conference DESCRIPTION:The 57th SER National Annual Conference will be held on May 20th over Webex.\nThis year’s conference will include inspiring speakers and entrepreneurship workshops.\n\nSER National looks forward to welcoming partners from all across the country to this important gathering. \n \n Click Here to Register\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Agenda\n \n \n \n \n \n   \n\n\n\n \nThursday – May 20\, 2021\n \n\n\n11:00 AM CT  \n\nOpening / Welcome Remarks \nIgnacio SalazarPresident and CEO\, SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc. \nA Conversation about Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion \nDr. Merary SimeonVice President\, Diversity\, Equity & Inclusion\, PepsiCo \nIgnacio SalazarPresident and CEO\, SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc. \n\n \n\n\n12:00 PM CT\n\nMotivational Speaker \nMaria Marín \n\n \n\n\n1:00 PM CT\n\nA Conversation about Women and Empowerment \nAnna Escobedo Cabral42nd Treasurer of the United States \nIgnacio SalazarPresident and CEO\, SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc. \n\n \n\n\n2:00 PM CT\n\nEntrepreneurship: Government Programs to Start or Grow a Business \nNancy AlvarezUS Small Business Administration \n\n \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speakers\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Ignacio SalazarPresident and CEO\, SER \nIgnacio Salazar serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc.\, a national network of employment and training providers comprised of affiliates in 24 States\, Puerto Rico\, and the District of Columbia\, providing services to more than one million people annually. Unanimously selected by the SER National Board of Directors to lead the organization in 2001\, Mr. Salazar is committed to SER’s mission of transforming lives through employment\, education\, and empowerment. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Merary SimeonVice President\, Diversity Equity & Inclusion\, PepsiCo \nDr. Merary Simeon is a proven and celebrated human resources executive who is community-minded and people-invested. She is a wife\, mother\, co-founder of Color Forward podcast\, author\, board member\, and kingdom work advocate. Dr. Simeon’s diverse experiences have equipped her with a deep understanding of the needs and opportunities critical to leaders at all levels. Her leadership expertise includes Talent Management\, Diversity\, Equity and Inclusion\, Leadership Consulting\, Culture Change\, Executive Coaching\, and Public Speaking. \nDr. Simeon holds a doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University and a master’s degree in Human Resources from Fordham University. She is a native of Puerto Rico and currently resides in Frisco\, Texas\, with her family. She credits her success to Jesus Christ. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength\,” Philippians 4:13. \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Maria Marín \nPeople en Espanol magazine selected Maria Marin as one of the 25 most powerful Latina women in 2012. Maria Marin is the leading motivational icon among Hispanics worldwide. Her message of motivation\, personal growth and success reaches millions through her newspaper columns\, best-selling books\, international seminars and radio show. As a “life coach” she now reaches thousands of listeners with her national syndicated radio show\, “El Show de Maria” on Univision Radio Network. The program covers relationships\, family and personal growth topics. She has been dedicated to empowering “Latinos” for over ten years. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Anna Escobedo CabralSenior Advisor\, External Relations Department\, Inter-American Development Bank \nAnna Escobedo Cabral currently serves as a Senior Advisor in the External Relations Department of the Inter-American Development Bank.  Prior to joining the bank\, Ms. Cabral served as the 42nd Treasurer of the United States.  She became the highest-ranking Latina in the George W. Bush Administration. \nFrom 1993 to 1999\, Ms. Cabral served as Deputy Staff Director for the United States Senate Judiciary Committee under Chairman Orrin G. Hatch.  The Committee’s jurisdiction ranges from oversight of the Department of Justice and our nation’s criminal and drug enforcement laws to approving federal judicial nominations\, and it includes review of immigration\, antitrust\, patents and trademark\, and technology-related legislation. \nIn addition\, Ms. Cabral simultaneously served as Executive Director of the U.S. Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs\, during which she managed a task force of 25 senators dedicated to ensuring that the concerns and needs of the Hispanic community were addressed by Congress through legislation. \nFrom 1999 to 2003\, Ms. Cabral served as President and CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility\, a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington\, DC\, which partners with Fortune 500 companies to increase Hispanic representation in employment\, procurement\, philanthropy and governance.  Under her leadership\, the organization published a best practices series\, and instituted a partnership with Harvard Business School to provide executive training programs in Corporate Governance Best Practices to community leaders. \nIn 2003\, Ms. Cabral was named as Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Latino Initiatives\, where she led a pan-institutional effort to improve Latino representation in exhibits\, and public programming among the Institution’s 19 museums\, five research centers\, and the National Zoo. \nIn 2002\, she was appointed to the Council on the 21st Century Workplace\, providing guidance to the White House and the Department of Labor on work-related issues. That same year\, she was named to a two-year term on the Diversity Council of the Premier Automotive Group\, an outreach effort of the Ford Motor Company. She has also served on the boards of the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum\, a historic center commemorating women’s suffrage\, Martha’s Table\, a nonprofit that provides assistance to families in need\, the American Red Cross\, Naturebridge\, a nonprofit dedicated to environmental education\, and the foundation board of Providence Hospital\, which provides quality healthcare to the Washington\, DC community.  Currently\, she serves on the Diversity Advisory Group for Comcast/NBC Universal/Telemundo\, and as a Member of the Board of Directors for Navient\, the nation’s leading loan management\, servicing and asset recovery company. \nA California native\, today\, Ms. Cabral resides with her husband\, Victor\, in Arlington\, VA.  They have four adult children and are blessed with five grandchildren.  Ms. Cabral received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California\, Davis\, a Master’s degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in international trade and finance from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University\, and a Law Degree from George Mason University. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Nancy N. AlvarezSupervisor\, 8(a) Business Development Program\, Women Business Representative\,Dallas Fort Worth District Office\, U.S. Small Business Administration \nSince 2011\, Nancy N. Alvarez has served as the Head of the 8(a) Business Development Program and the Women Business Representative for the U.S. Small Business Administration\, Dallas/Fort Worth District Office.  She is instrumental in providing leadership\, management\, and oversight to optimize the deployment of SBA’s Federal Contracting programs to the small business communities within a 72-county geographical area in North Texas in Spanish and English. \nShe is a champion for women and disadvantage businesses in the federal marketplace; playing an important role in increasing participation of small businesses in Federal Contracting Programs and advocating strongly for the inclusion and participation of small businesses in government procurement. \nNancy graduated from Jacksonville University with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration (Magna Cum Laude). She is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.  She served on the Board of the City of Jacksonville\, the Mayor’s Hispanic American Advisory Board\, the Mayor’s Small & Emerging Business Advisory Council\, and as an advisory board member in the Beaver Street Enterprise Center\, City of Jacksonville’s first business incubator. \nNancy is currently an advisory board member of the Dallas/Fort Worth Federal Agency Small Business Advocacy Council (FASBAC)\, a small business professional’s forum where federal agencies share\, gather\, and create ideas that promote small businesses’ interest and participation in the federal marketplace. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sponsors\nA special thank you to our sponsors. URL:https://ser-national.org/event/57th-serconference-2/ LOCATION:Online – WebEx\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Annual Conference ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ser-national.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/SERNational_Sponsors_conference2021v2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20201118T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20201119T150000 DTSTAMP:20260525T222344 CREATED:20200103T001330Z LAST-MODIFIED:20201121T025920Z UID:25601-1605697200-1605798000@ser-national.org SUMMARY:56th SER National Annual Conference DESCRIPTION:The 56th SER National Annual Conference will be held on November 18th and 19th on Webex. This year’s conference\, entitled “Partnerships for Progress in an Era of Innovation” will include inspiring speakers\, educational workshops and training. \nAlso\, as a part of the 2020 Annual Conference\, SER National will be hosting Women’s Entrepreneurship workshops\, which will focus on a wide-range of subjects vital to successful entrepreneurship\, including financial literacy\, business plans\, social media\, marketing\, loans\, and taxes. \nSER National looks forward to welcoming partners from all across the country to this important gathering. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Conference Registration\nClick on the “Attendee Registration” buttons to register for each day. \n \n \n \n \n \n   \n\n\n\nWednesday – November 18\, 2020\n \nAttendee Registration\n\n\n11:00 AM – 12:45 PM\nDr. Dan Arvizu – Chancellor NMSUIgnacio Salazar – SER CEOJosé Hernández – Astronaut (ret)\n \n\n\n1:30 PM – 2:30 PM\nTarsha Polk – Director of the LiftFund DFW Women’s Business Center\n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\nThursday – November 19\, 2020\n \nAttendee Registration\n\n\n11:00 AM – 12:45 PM\nWilliam Clay Ford Jr. – Executive Chairman of Ford Motor CompanyIgnacio Salazar – SER CEOJohn “Danny” Olivas Ph.D.\, P.E. – Astronaut (ret)\n \n\n\n1:30 PM – 2:30 PM\nMerary Simeon – PepsiCo\, Vice President of Diversity & Engagement\n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sponsorship Registration\n \n Conference Agenda\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Download Sponsorship Brochure\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Download SER America Magazine Specs\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speakers\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday\, November 18\, 2020 & Thursday\, November 19\, 2020\nIgnacio SalazarSER\, President and CEO \nIgnacio Salazar serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc.\, a national network of employment and training providers comprised of affiliates in 24 States\, Puerto Rico\, and the District of Columbia\, providing services to more than one million people annually. Unanimously selected by the SER National Board of Directors to lead the organization in 2001\, Mr. Salazar is committed to SER’s mission of transforming lives through employment\, education\, and empowerment. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday\, November 18\, 2020\nDr. Dan ArvizuNew Mexico State University System\, Chancellor \nDr. Dan Arvizu became Chancellor and the 28th Chief Executive of the New Mexico State University System (NMSU) on June 1\, 2018.  NMSU is New Mexico’s land-grant institution founded in 1888 and is presently one of the nation’s foremost Hispanic-serving universities. NMSU is a NASA Space Grant College and is home to the very first Honors College in New Mexico. Dr. Arvizu is the second alumnus and first Hispanic to be hired as the NMSU System Chancellor and Chief Executive. Chancellor Arvizu has set a new vision and strategic direction for the NMSU system that focused on student success and upward mobility\, elevating research and creativity\, and amplifying outreach and economic development. He previously served in various roles at Emerson Collective including Chief Technology Officer\, STEM Evangelist\, and Senior Advisor. He also currently serves as a Venture Partner for Sustainability for Ridge-Lane Partners\, Ltd. and as a Precourt Institute Energy Scholar at Stanford University. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday\, November 18\, 2020\nJosé HernándezAstronaut (Ret.) \nJosé M. Hernández is the first migrant farmworker to become a NASA astronaut. Born into a migrant farm working family from Mexico\, José wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Hispanic-American\, Franklin Chang-Diaz\, had been selected for the Astronaut Corps. \nHernandez attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton\, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering. He was then awarded a full scholarship to the graduate program at the University of California in Santa Barbara\, where he continued his engineering studies. In 1987\, he accepted a full-time job with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. While at Lawrence Livermore\, Hernandez worked on signal and image processing applications in radar imaging\, computed tomography\, and acoustic imaging. Later in his career\, Hernandez worked on developing quantitative x-ray film imaging analysis techniques for the x-ray laser program. Hernandez applied these techniques in the medical physics arena and co-developed the first full-field digital mammography imaging system. This system has proven useful for detecting breast cancer at an earlier stage than present film/screen mammography techniques. He has also worked in the international arena where he represented Lawrence Livermore and the U.S. Department of Energy on Russian nuclear non-proliferation issues. \nAfter several applications to the astronaut program\, José was selected as part of the 19th class of U.S. Astronauts in 2004. On August 28\, 2009\, José was assigned to the STSe128 Space Shuttle Discovery mission as the flight engineer. He realized his dream of reaching for the stars came true as he blasted off into space on a 14 day mission to the International Space Station. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday\, November 18\, 2020\nTarsha PolkLiftFund Dallas Fort Worth Women’s Business Center\, Director \nTarsha Polk is an experienced professional with over 20 years of combined marketing\, sales\, corporate training and entrepreneurial expertise. As an entrepreneur\, author\, business coach and international speaker\, she is passionate about empowering others to succeed in business and life. \nTarsha currently serves as the Director of the LiftFund Dallas Fort Worth Women’s Business Center. As director\, Tarsha provides support and guidance to entrepreneurs seeking to start or grow their businesses\, and connect them to additional business and financial resources in their community. \nTarsha is an engage member of the local business community and has received numerous awards including 40 Under 40 in Collin County\, Business of the Year from the Collin County Black Chamber of Commerce\, Women in the Media Award and the Leadership Award from National Association of Women Business Owners. She is the immediate past-president of NAWBO’s Dallas chapter\, and currently serves on the Dallas Independent School District’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise Advisory Committee. Tarsha lists winning a contract with the National Football League for Super Bowl XLV as her biggest career defining moment to date. \nIn her free time\, she volunteers with organizations helping high school students and military veterans learn about entrepreneurship. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Thursday\, November 19\, 2020\nWilliam Clay Ford\, Jr.Executive Chairman of the Board\, Ford Motor Company \nAs Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company\, William Clay Ford Jr. is leading the company that put the world on wheels into the 21st century. He joined the Board of Directors in 1988 and has been its chairman since January 1999. \nPrior to joining the Board of Directors in 1988\, he held positions in manufacturing\, sales\, marketing\, product development and finance. In 1999\, he became Chairman of the Board of Directors\, and served as chief executive officer from 2001 – 2006. During his tenure as CEO he took the company from a $5.5 billion loss to three straight years of profitability. He also played a critical role in stewarding the company through the 2008-2009 economic crisis and to its resurgence as a market leader.  \nIn 2000\, under Bill’s leadership\, Ford published its first corporate citizenship report outlining the economic\, environmental and social impact of company products and operations around the world. In 2004\, he led Ford Motor Company’s efforts to redevelop the Ford Rouge Center\, the world’s largest brownfield reclamation project\, and transformed it into a model of lean\, flexible and environmentally-responsible manufacturing\, saving millions of dollars in energy and other costs. Bill championed the Ford Escape Hybrid\, the world’s first hybrid-electric sport utility vehicle\, and has led efforts advance Ford’s investments in connected\, electrified and autonomous vehicles. In 2018\, he championed the acquisition of Michigan Central Station which will be the centerpiece of a new mobility innovation district in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood. \nUnder his leadership the company’s philanthropic arm\, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services\, focused its efforts on helping communities\, supporting education and improving safety through driving skills training. In 2005 he launched the Ford Volunteer Corps to enhance the efforts of employee volunteers serving communities around the world. In its first ten years\, Ford 30\,000 volunteers worked on more than 9\,000 projects in 40 countries. \nBill’s charitable\, volunteer and business efforts are highlighted by his commitment to the city of Detroit. As Vice Chairman of the Detroit Lions football team\, he led efforts to build a new\, environmentally friendly stadium in Detroit – Ford Field. He is a member of various non-profit and for-profit boards including Business Leaders for Michigan and The Henry Ford\, a national landmark and American history museum in Dearborn\, Michigan. He also is a founding partner of Fontinalis Partners\, LLC\, a Michigan-based investment firm that acts as a strategic operating partner to transportation infrastructure technology companies. \nBill holds a Master of Science degree in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Thursday\, November 19\, 2020\nMerary SimeonPepsiCo\, Vice President of Diversity & Engagement \nMerary Simeon is a wife\, mother\, business owner\, board member\, ministry volunteer\, and proven Human Resources Executive with more than 20 years of experience. While working for various Fortune 100 companies in both North America and Latin America\, she’s become an expert in Diversity & Inclusion\, Talent Management\, Leadership Consulting\, Culture Change\, Executive Coaching\, and Public Speaking. Her diverse experiences have equipped her with a deep understanding of the needs and opportunities critical to leaders and associates alike at all levels. \nMerary is currently pursuing her doctorate in strategic leadership at Regent University. Merary has a master’s degree in Human Resources from Fordham University and a bachelor’s degree from the College of Saint Elizabeth. She is a certified Hogan Assessment Coach. She also serves on the Women’s Food Service Forum board of the directors and the advisory board of Back on My Feet. \nShe is a native of Puerto Rico and currently resides in Plano\, Texas\, with her family. She credits her success to Jesus Christ. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength\,” Philippians 4:13. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Thursday\, November 19\, 2020\nJohn “Danny” OlivasAstronaut\, Ph.D.\, P.E. (Ret.) \nDr. Olivas\, a Mission Specialist for NASA for 12 years\, worked on technical projects on land\, under the ocean and in space. He was a crew member on two space shuttle missions\, logging more than 650 hours\, 440 earth orbits and 11 million miles in space and participating in five spacewalks totaling 34 hours. In space\, he installed critical components into the International Space Station. He also accomplished the first ever spacewalk to repair the shuttle while in orbit\, when damaged heat shielding posed a potentially disastrous threat to the shuttle and its crew. \nMy goal is to bring Mission Assurance “down to earth” to become a process terrestrial companies understand and implement. Most product defects and process failures are the result of error occurring within the larger system in which these products and processes operate. By applying the rigorous approach used in the manned space flight\, the “Lessons Learned In Space” provide proof that implementation of a Mission Assurance approach is an effective method to assess and mitigate risk. The approach is comprehensive\, yet simple enough\, to successfully be deployed in virtually any terrestrial environment; from the medical industry to oil and gas production. Training employees to Think Like an Astronaut™ impacts the bottom line and has proven performance in providing a substantial return on investment. \nCurrently\, Dr. Olivas is the president and driving force behind OMS117\,™ a team of veteran scientists\, engineers and business people who use Lessons Learned In Space™ to prevent or mitigate catastrophic engineering failures of critical systems and processes that could undermine a mission’s success\, injure people\, or squander assets. Dr. Olivas holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and materials science from Rice University. URL:https://ser-national.org/event/ser-national-annual-conference-2020/ LOCATION:Online – WebEx\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Annual Conference ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ser-national.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ConferenceBanner_Website6.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20201118T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20201119T150000 DTSTAMP:20260525T222345 CREATED:20200103T001330Z LAST-MODIFIED:20200103T001330Z UID:110448-1605697200-1605798000@ser-national.org SUMMARY:56th SER National Annual Conference DESCRIPTION:The 56th SER National Annual Conference will be held on November 18th and 19th on Webex. This year’s conference\, entitled “Partnerships for Progress in an Era of Innovation” will include inspiring speakers\, educational workshops and training. \nAlso\, as a part of the 2020 Annual Conference\, SER National will be hosting Women’s Entrepreneurship workshops\, which will focus on a wide-range of subjects vital to successful entrepreneurship\, including financial literacy\, business plans\, social media\, marketing\, loans\, and taxes. \nSER National looks forward to welcoming partners from all across the country to this important gathering. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Conference Registration\nClick on the “Attendee Registration” buttons to register for each day. \n \n \n \n \n \n   \n\n\n\nWednesday – November 18\, 2020\n \nAttendee Registration\n\n\n11:00 AM – 12:45 PM\nDr. Dan Arvizu – Chancellor NMSUIgnacio Salazar – SER CEOJosé Hernández – Astronaut (ret)\n \n\n\n1:30 PM – 2:30 PM\nTarsha Polk – Director of the LiftFund DFW Women’s Business Center\n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\nThursday – November 19\, 2020\n \nAttendee Registration\n\n\n11:00 AM – 12:45 PM\nWilliam Clay Ford Jr. – Executive Chairman of Ford Motor CompanyIgnacio Salazar – SER CEOJohn “Danny” Olivas Ph.D.\, P.E. – Astronaut (ret)\n \n\n\n1:30 PM – 2:30 PM\nMerary Simeon – PepsiCo\, Vice President of Diversity & Engagement\n \n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sponsorship Registration\n \n Conference Agenda\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Download Sponsorship Brochure\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Download SER America Magazine Specs\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Speakers\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday\, November 18\, 2020 & Thursday\, November 19\, 2020\nIgnacio SalazarSER\, President and CEO \nIgnacio Salazar serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of SER Jobs for Progress National\, Inc.\, a national network of employment and training providers comprised of affiliates in 24 States\, Puerto Rico\, and the District of Columbia\, providing services to more than one million people annually. Unanimously selected by the SER National Board of Directors to lead the organization in 2001\, Mr. Salazar is committed to SER’s mission of transforming lives through employment\, education\, and empowerment. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday\, November 18\, 2020\nDr. Dan ArvizuNew Mexico State University System\, Chancellor \nDr. Dan Arvizu became Chancellor and the 28th Chief Executive of the New Mexico State University System (NMSU) on June 1\, 2018.  NMSU is New Mexico’s land-grant institution founded in 1888 and is presently one of the nation’s foremost Hispanic-serving universities. NMSU is a NASA Space Grant College and is home to the very first Honors College in New Mexico. Dr. Arvizu is the second alumnus and first Hispanic to be hired as the NMSU System Chancellor and Chief Executive. Chancellor Arvizu has set a new vision and strategic direction for the NMSU system that focused on student success and upward mobility\, elevating research and creativity\, and amplifying outreach and economic development. He previously served in various roles at Emerson Collective including Chief Technology Officer\, STEM Evangelist\, and Senior Advisor. He also currently serves as a Venture Partner for Sustainability for Ridge-Lane Partners\, Ltd. and as a Precourt Institute Energy Scholar at Stanford University. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday\, November 18\, 2020\nJosé HernándezAstronaut (Ret.) \nJosé M. Hernández is the first migrant farmworker to become a NASA astronaut. Born into a migrant farm working family from Mexico\, José wanted to fly in space ever since he heard that the first Hispanic-American\, Franklin Chang-Diaz\, had been selected for the Astronaut Corps. \nHernandez attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton\, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering. He was then awarded a full scholarship to the graduate program at the University of California in Santa Barbara\, where he continued his engineering studies. In 1987\, he accepted a full-time job with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. While at Lawrence Livermore\, Hernandez worked on signal and image processing applications in radar imaging\, computed tomography\, and acoustic imaging. Later in his career\, Hernandez worked on developing quantitative x-ray film imaging analysis techniques for the x-ray laser program. Hernandez applied these techniques in the medical physics arena and co-developed the first full-field digital mammography imaging system. This system has proven useful for detecting breast cancer at an earlier stage than present film/screen mammography techniques. He has also worked in the international arena where he represented Lawrence Livermore and the U.S. Department of Energy on Russian nuclear non-proliferation issues. \nAfter several applications to the astronaut program\, José was selected as part of the 19th class of U.S. Astronauts in 2004. On August 28\, 2009\, José was assigned to the STSe128 Space Shuttle Discovery mission as the flight engineer. He realized his dream of reaching for the stars came true as he blasted off into space on a 14 day mission to the International Space Station. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Wednesday\, November 18\, 2020\nTarsha PolkLiftFund Dallas Fort Worth Women’s Business Center\, Director \nTarsha Polk is an experienced professional with over 20 years of combined marketing\, sales\, corporate training and entrepreneurial expertise. As an entrepreneur\, author\, business coach and international speaker\, she is passionate about empowering others to succeed in business and life. \nTarsha currently serves as the Director of the LiftFund Dallas Fort Worth Women’s Business Center. As director\, Tarsha provides support and guidance to entrepreneurs seeking to start or grow their businesses\, and connect them to additional business and financial resources in their community. \nTarsha is an engage member of the local business community and has received numerous awards including 40 Under 40 in Collin County\, Business of the Year from the Collin County Black Chamber of Commerce\, Women in the Media Award and the Leadership Award from National Association of Women Business Owners. She is the immediate past-president of NAWBO’s Dallas chapter\, and currently serves on the Dallas Independent School District’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise Advisory Committee. Tarsha lists winning a contract with the National Football League for Super Bowl XLV as her biggest career defining moment to date. \nIn her free time\, she volunteers with organizations helping high school students and military veterans learn about entrepreneurship. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Thursday\, November 19\, 2020\nWilliam Clay Ford\, Jr.Executive Chairman of the Board\, Ford Motor Company \nAs Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company\, William Clay Ford Jr. is leading the company that put the world on wheels into the 21st century. He joined the Board of Directors in 1988 and has been its chairman since January 1999. \nPrior to joining the Board of Directors in 1988\, he held positions in manufacturing\, sales\, marketing\, product development and finance. In 1999\, he became Chairman of the Board of Directors\, and served as chief executive officer from 2001 – 2006. During his tenure as CEO he took the company from a $5.5 billion loss to three straight years of profitability. He also played a critical role in stewarding the company through the 2008-2009 economic crisis and to its resurgence as a market leader.  \nIn 2000\, under Bill’s leadership\, Ford published its first corporate citizenship report outlining the economic\, environmental and social impact of company products and operations around the world. In 2004\, he led Ford Motor Company’s efforts to redevelop the Ford Rouge Center\, the world’s largest brownfield reclamation project\, and transformed it into a model of lean\, flexible and environmentally-responsible manufacturing\, saving millions of dollars in energy and other costs. Bill championed the Ford Escape Hybrid\, the world’s first hybrid-electric sport utility vehicle\, and has led efforts advance Ford’s investments in connected\, electrified and autonomous vehicles. In 2018\, he championed the acquisition of Michigan Central Station which will be the centerpiece of a new mobility innovation district in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood. \nUnder his leadership the company’s philanthropic arm\, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services\, focused its efforts on helping communities\, supporting education and improving safety through driving skills training. In 2005 he launched the Ford Volunteer Corps to enhance the efforts of employee volunteers serving communities around the world. In its first ten years\, Ford 30\,000 volunteers worked on more than 9\,000 projects in 40 countries. \nBill’s charitable\, volunteer and business efforts are highlighted by his commitment to the city of Detroit. As Vice Chairman of the Detroit Lions football team\, he led efforts to build a new\, environmentally friendly stadium in Detroit – Ford Field. He is a member of various non-profit and for-profit boards including Business Leaders for Michigan and The Henry Ford\, a national landmark and American history museum in Dearborn\, Michigan. He also is a founding partner of Fontinalis Partners\, LLC\, a Michigan-based investment firm that acts as a strategic operating partner to transportation infrastructure technology companies. \nBill holds a Master of Science degree in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Thursday\, November 19\, 2020\nMerary SimeonPepsiCo\, Vice President of Diversity & Engagement \nMerary Simeon is a wife\, mother\, business owner\, board member\, ministry volunteer\, and proven Human Resources Executive with more than 20 years of experience. While working for various Fortune 100 companies in both North America and Latin America\, she’s become an expert in Diversity & Inclusion\, Talent Management\, Leadership Consulting\, Culture Change\, Executive Coaching\, and Public Speaking. Her diverse experiences have equipped her with a deep understanding of the needs and opportunities critical to leaders and associates alike at all levels. \nMerary is currently pursuing her doctorate in strategic leadership at Regent University. Merary has a master’s degree in Human Resources from Fordham University and a bachelor’s degree from the College of Saint Elizabeth. She is a certified Hogan Assessment Coach. She also serves on the Women’s Food Service Forum board of the directors and the advisory board of Back on My Feet. \nShe is a native of Puerto Rico and currently resides in Plano\, Texas\, with her family. She credits her success to Jesus Christ. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength\,” Philippians 4:13. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Thursday\, November 19\, 2020\nJohn “Danny” OlivasAstronaut\, Ph.D.\, P.E. (Ret.) \nDr. Olivas\, a Mission Specialist for NASA for 12 years\, worked on technical projects on land\, under the ocean and in space. He was a crew member on two space shuttle missions\, logging more than 650 hours\, 440 earth orbits and 11 million miles in space and participating in five spacewalks totaling 34 hours. In space\, he installed critical components into the International Space Station. He also accomplished the first ever spacewalk to repair the shuttle while in orbit\, when damaged heat shielding posed a potentially disastrous threat to the shuttle and its crew. \nMy goal is to bring Mission Assurance “down to earth” to become a process terrestrial companies understand and implement. Most product defects and process failures are the result of error occurring within the larger system in which these products and processes operate. By applying the rigorous approach used in the manned space flight\, the “Lessons Learned In Space” provide proof that implementation of a Mission Assurance approach is an effective method to assess and mitigate risk. The approach is comprehensive\, yet simple enough\, to successfully be deployed in virtually any terrestrial environment; from the medical industry to oil and gas production. Training employees to Think Like an Astronaut™ impacts the bottom line and has proven performance in providing a substantial return on investment. \nCurrently\, Dr. Olivas is the president and driving force behind OMS117\,™ a team of veteran scientists\, engineers and business people who use Lessons Learned In Space™ to prevent or mitigate catastrophic engineering failures of critical systems and processes that could undermine a mission’s success\, injure people\, or squander assets. Dr. Olivas holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and materials science from Rice University. URL:https://ser-national.org/event/ser-national-annual-conference-2020-2/ LOCATION:Online – WebEx\, TX\, United States CATEGORIES:Annual Conference ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ser-national.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/ConferenceBanner_Website6.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR