OVERCOMING UNCONSCIOUS BIAS IN RECRUITING AND RETENTION
Moderator:
Marina Hill, Business Development Manager (SMPS Sacramento President) | Miyamoto International
Marina Hill is the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Sacramento Chapter President for 2022-2023. She leads a chapter with a 7-member board and over 40 committee volunteers. SMPS provides robust programming, education, and networking opportunities for its members in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Marina has been an active SMPS member since 2014 and has served as the chair of the accommodations committee, the chair of the communications committee, a 2-year term as director-at-large and one year as President-Elect. She is a Senior Associate of Business Development at Miyamoto International and has over a decade of AEC industry experience.
Marina Hill is the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Sacramento Chapter President for 2022-2023. She leads a chapter with a 7-member board and over 40 committee volunteers. SMPS provides robust programming, education, and networking opportunities for its members in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Marina has been an active SMPS member since 2014 and has served as the chair of the accommodations committee, the chair of the communications committee, a 2-year term as director-at-large and one year as President-Elect. She is a Senior Associate of Business Development at Miyamoto International and has over a decade of AEC industry experience.
Panelists:
Maisha Christian, Professional Development and Career Coach | Beauty & the Boss
Maisha Christian is the owner and head coach at Beauty & the Boss, a professional development and career coaching service that helps women strategically position themselves for promotion or career growth. Prior to starting Beauty & the Boss, Maisha spent 15+ years in the A/E/C industry as a professional services marketer, Director and member of an executive leadership team. She is a member of the National Speakers Association-Arizona and SMPS where she serves on the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force; and the current Mentorship Director for WTS’ Metro Phoenix Chapter. Maisha has a passion for people, a mind for business, and a gift to teach and she’s excited to be here with us today.
Maisha Christian is the owner and head coach at Beauty & the Boss, a professional development and career coaching service that helps women strategically position themselves for promotion or career growth. Prior to starting Beauty & the Boss, Maisha spent 15+ years in the A/E/C industry as a professional services marketer, Director and member of an executive leadership team. She is a member of the National Speakers Association-Arizona and SMPS where she serves on the Diversity & Inclusion Task Force; and the current Mentorship Director for WTS’ Metro Phoenix Chapter. Maisha has a passion for people, a mind for business, and a gift to teach and she’s excited to be here with us today.
Kellie Schneider, Associate Principal, Director of Human Resources | Lionakis
Kellie Schneider, SHRM-SCP, is a human resources executive with over 20 years of experience in a variety of industries. She is currently the Director of Human Resources for Sacramento-based A/E/C firm Lionakis, where she also serves as director of the firm’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Kellie’s passion is making a difference in the lives of those whom she serves. Kellie recently wrote and presented a dissertation on the impacts of ‘The Great Resignation’ for the business program at William Jessup University, focused on increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in the workforce in response to the increasing labor shortage. When not helping to resolve questionable decisions made by the people she serves, Kellie enjoys cooking and spending time at any beach with sand.
Kellie Schneider, SHRM-SCP, is a human resources executive with over 20 years of experience in a variety of industries. She is currently the Director of Human Resources for Sacramento-based A/E/C firm Lionakis, where she also serves as director of the firm’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Kellie’s passion is making a difference in the lives of those whom she serves. Kellie recently wrote and presented a dissertation on the impacts of ‘The Great Resignation’ for the business program at William Jessup University, focused on increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in the workforce in response to the increasing labor shortage. When not helping to resolve questionable decisions made by the people she serves, Kellie enjoys cooking and spending time at any beach with sand.
Arun Kaiwar, Architect, Sacramento Office Leader | SmithGroup
Arun Kaiwar leads SmithGroup’s Sacramento office overseeing strategies, pursuits, and projects. Arun’s 25-year professional career as an Architect has been built on the core belief that design excellence is truly achieved by democratizing the design process, and making it inclusive of diverse people, disciplines, and perspectives. As a Design Manager, he believes that with a strong collaborative team culture built on a foundation of trust, individuals put group objectives above self and together achieve higher objectives. Arun’s exceptional ability to build collaborative teams, combined with his passion for sustainable design, have enabled him to lead large, complex high-performance projects throughout the country that have received numerous industry awards.
Arun Kaiwar leads SmithGroup’s Sacramento office overseeing strategies, pursuits, and projects. Arun’s 25-year professional career as an Architect has been built on the core belief that design excellence is truly achieved by democratizing the design process, and making it inclusive of diverse people, disciplines, and perspectives. As a Design Manager, he believes that with a strong collaborative team culture built on a foundation of trust, individuals put group objectives above self and together achieve higher objectives. Arun’s exceptional ability to build collaborative teams, combined with his passion for sustainable design, have enabled him to lead large, complex high-performance projects throughout the country that have received numerous industry awards.