NORDP 2019 Annual Research Development Conference

Tuesday • 11am - 12pm

Diversity, Inclusion and You: Advancing Diversity and Inclusion within NORDP and the Communities We Serve

Jackie Cranford, Principal, Cranford Advisory Services

At the crossroads between faculty and administration, between internal communities and external, lie Research Development professionals with unparalleled opportunities to promote diversity and inclusion as drivers of cultural change. Taking advantage of these opportunities requires RD professionals to 1) increase their own awareness and education around diversity, inclusion and cultural competence, 2) raise awareness among others, and 3) be intentional in their efforts to promote great diversity and inclusion.

This plenary session will focus on key considerations for your on-going work as individuals, as well as members of NORDP who work in a wide range of institutions, to enhance diversity and inclusion through cultural competence. We will discuss barriers to greater diversity and inclusion as well as skills for recognizing and tearing down those barriers. Please come to this session ready to engage, reflect and consider diversity and inclusion within NORDP, in your respective institutions, and the communities in which you operate.

Jackie Cranford is the principal of Cranford Advisory Services LLC, a consultancy focused on effective talent management. With approximately 20 years of experience successfully designing and implementing talent management strategies, Ms. Cranford is a trusted adviser, strategic planner, and dynamic trainer with a passion for advancing diversity and inclusion.

Prior to establishing Cranford Advisory Services, Ms. Cranford directed talent management initiatives for over 14 years in three American Lawyer 100 law firms. Jackie is a guest lecturer with Georgetown University’s Center for Continuing and Professional Education Department and a Trusted Advisor to the Professional Development Consortium. She has held leadership positions with such organizations as NALP and the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals, of which she was a founding member. Jackie graduated from Oral Roberts University and the University of Virginia School of Law.