Workshop Descriptions & Speaker Bios
Soroptimist Leadership Round Table
June 22 & 23, 2023 | 6 - 9 p.m. EDT
Workshop Descriptions
Evolving into an Assured and Self-Aware Leader
Facilitators: Tiffany Tolbert and Shirley Anne Smith
Overview
Identify and define your personal leadership journey, learn techniques to lead from their authentic leadership personality and be challenged to lead outward by looking deep within.
In this session participants will:
- Gain clarity on their leadership style and how it affects their work/teams
- Learn how to execute their leadership skills to build consensus with their teams/groups and lead with conviction to achieve organizational goals
- Identify techniques to remain a self aware leader
How Agility and Adaptability Allow You to Remain Relevant
Facilitators: Tonya M. Brown, M.Ed., M.S. and Danielle L. Archambault, Ed.D.
Overview
If you’re working in this ever-changing environment, you must seek ways to make the best out of each opportunity as it emerges. When it comes to the future of the global workforce, nobody knows with certainty what new industries will emerge and what skills will be in high demand. However, what we do know is that the future will be different, and the pace of change will be faster.
Agility is the ability of an organization to renew itself, adapt, pivot, and succeed in a rapidly changing, ambiguous, turbulent environment. The agility challenge is to recognize what is ahead for both individuals and the organizations and to embrace the fluidity of the new environment.
Adaptability can also help people deal with certain work situations. The more you can adapt to changing circumstances, the more successful you will be when new challenges emerge. Being adaptable also showcases the ability to be a more productive, resourceful, determined and analytical leader.
In this session participants will:
- Learn to scan the environment for high-stakes situational challenges
- Learn four keys to improving adaptability and how to highlight your skills
- Put into practice the principle of “deliberate calm” as a solution to the adaptability paradox
- Understand the importance of embracing technology as a key to increasing agility and adaptability
Leading Through Conflict
Facilitators: Francine Edwards, Ph.D. and Danielle L. Archambault Ed.D.
Overview
Dealing with conflict is important for every organization no matter what the size. If it is left unchecked or not resolved it can lead to lost production, absences, attrition, and even lawsuits. Everyone has experienced the stress that comes from having unresolved conflicts within the organization. Conflicts that are ignored or resolved poorly do not go away, they cause people to feel resentful and to avoid each other.
A significant part of effective leadership is caring for and supporting one another, even when there is conflict or a difference of opinion. Strong leaders do not view conflict as good or bad, rather as a necessity that helps to build meaningful relationships, creates space for dialogue and transparency and inspires collaboration. How a leader guides a team through a conflict resolution process will determine whether it is productive or devastating. The right leader can lead through conflict and create positive opportunities for organizational members.
In this session participants will:
- Understand the power of words and how to use them to your advantage
- Increase confidence and assertiveness in dealing with difficult behaviors
- Learn to transform differences into opportunities
- Be introduced to the “Agreement Frame” tool
- Learn how to lead teams through productive conflict engagement
SIA Table Talk: Your Next Best Step!
Facilitators: Tiffany Tolbert and Shirley Anne Smith
Overview
Putting it all together into a leadership development plan so attendees can ensure their preparedness and future success.
Soroptimist Leadership Fellows Program
June 24, 2023 | 1 - 4 p.m. EDT
Workshop Descriptions
The Art of Cultivating High-Performing Teams
Facilitators: Francine Edwards, Ph.D. and Nirmaljit K. Rathee, Ph.D.
Overview
Cultivating a high performing team is crucial for the success of any organization. The pandemic has shifted the mindset about teams, and it has also changed the way we lead. A high performing team is one that can work together effectively, accomplish their goals efficiently, and consistently achieve success. What sets high-performing teams apart? Strong leadership? Skilled team members? Shared goals? Each of these things is important but one of the main drivers of team performance is directly related to the number of women on the team.
Those leading in a global environment know that re-envisioning what high-performing teams look like and seeking ways to invite equitable and inclusive engagement with stakeholders is key. In this session experts provide a road map for fostering team unity, improving performance, and cultivating high-performing teams.
In this session participants will learn:
- The seven characteristic of high performing teams
- The importance gender and diversity as they relate to high-performing teams
- How to leverage the collective intelligence of a team
- How to foster an environment of continuous learning
Persuasive Communication: How Engagement Can Elevate Buy-In
Facilitator: Tonya M. Brown, M.Ed., M.S. and Danielle L. Archambault Ed.D.
Overview
Creating a work environment that includes persuasive communication positively impacts attitudes, motivation, behavior, and engagement. The pandemic has changed work environments that now include a large virtual base. Therefore, leaders and organizations must work strategically and creatively to ensure the work environment includes engagement and buy-in. Innovative leaders understand the connection between buy-in and overall success.
Participants will learn:
- The six elements of employee engagement
- Strategies to create buy-in the workplace and amongst teams
- How to use persuasive communication to influence engagement
- How to create a culture infused with motivation and positivity
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff - Focusing on Big Picture and Remaining Strategic
Facilitators: Tiffany Tolbert and Shirley Anne Smith
Overview
This interactive workshop will help leaders identify core distractions and learn techniques to minimize the disruptions they cause.
Participants will learn:
- Tips and strategies to remain focused on big picture goals
- How to manage time effectively to avoid distractions that can negatively impact their work and goals
- How to identify common distractions and how to prioritize them in ways to build and grow their teams.
- Strategies to help them reinforce organizational goals
Speaker Bios
Danielle L. Archambault, Ed.D.
Danielle L. Archambault, Ed.D., has over 12 years of professional higher education experience. She also holds certifications in effective college instruction, mental health first aid, suicide prevention, and higher education customer service. Her areas of research include: student success and retention; justice, diversity, equity and inclusion; modification of support structures to close achievement gaps; and teaching composition. She earned a bachelor’s and master’s in English and a doctoral degree in higher education.
Danielle will facilitate the following workshops:
Leadership Round Table
How Agility and Adaptability Allow You to Remain Relevant
Co-facilitator: Tonya M. Brown, M.Ed., M.S.
Leadership Round Table
Leading Through Conflict
Co-facilitator: Francine Edwards, Ph.D
Soroptimist Leadership Fellows Program
Persuasive Communication: How Engagement Can Elevate Buy-In
Co-facilitator: Tonya M. Brown, M.Ed., M.S.
Tonya M. Brown, M.Ed., M.S.
Tonya M. Brown, M.Ed., M.S. is an associate professor of psychology at Baltimore City Community College, where she has been a faculty member since 2003. In addition, she is an adjunct professor of psychology at Southern New Hampshire, and in 2017 was awarded the College of Online and Continuing Education (COCE) Award for outstanding instruction in social science.
Teaching for over 20 years influenced Tonya to become a speaker and writer. As the founder and CEO of Professor Brown, LLC, Tonya has developed workshops, conferences, and keynotes on various topics including education and leadership. She is also author of There is Nothing You Can’t Do Freewriting Journal.
Tonya earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Maryland, College Park; a Master of Education from George Washington University and a Master of Science in psychology from the University of Phoenix.
Tonya will facilitate the following workshops:
Leadership Round Table
How Agility and Adaptability Allow You to Remain Relevant
Co-facilitator: Danielle L. Archambault, Ed.D.
Soroptimist Leadership Fellows Program
Persuasive Communication: How Engagement Can Elevate Buy-In
Co-facilitator: Danielle L. Archambault, Ed.D.
Francine Edwards, Ph.D.
Francine Edwards, Ph.D. currently serves as deputy chief administrative officer at Delaware State University. With over 20 years of experience in organizational development, she performs needs assessments to assist with the development of training policies and programs, helps organizations to pivot, engage in ideation, and leverage performance and efficiency.
Fran has over a dozen leadership, organizational development and scholarly publications and has presented research for AEJMC, The National Communications Association, and the International Organization of Social Science and Behavioral Research.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications from James Madison University, a master’s in strategic communications from Bowie State University and a doctorate in organizational communications from Howard University and has been certified by the Harvard Women in Leadership Certificate Program. She also holds a certificate in Women in Educational Leadership from Harvard University and is a member of the Rutgers Aspiring Presidential Leadership Program (Third Cohort).
Francine will facilitate the following workshops:
Leadership Round Table
Leading Through Conflict
Co-facilitator: Danielle L. Archambault, Ed.D.
Soroptimist Leadership Fellows Program
The Art of Cultivating High Performing Teams
Co-facilitator: Nirmaljit Rathee, Ph.D
Nirmaljit Rathee, Ph.D.
Nirmaljit Rathee, Ph.D. currently serves as professor of education and director of education graduate programs at Delaware State University. Performing dual roles, she has guided nearly one hundred students through their doctoral research and has led an exponential growth in graduate student enrollment and success in the education graduate programs in the United States, Jamaica and China.
She holds senior positions on the editorial boards of numerous reputed international journals and has reviewed more than 57 research articles. Nirmaljit has received a 10-year Meritorious Service Award, Outstanding Faculty Award, Professional Development Award, and Merit Award, all from Delaware State University. She has also received the prestigious Global Teacher Role Model Award and a Letter of Commendation from the Finance Minister of State, Government of India for being a teacher of excellence and distinguished sports promoter.
In a career filled with highlights, she is most proud of serving as a keynote speaker on several occasions and leading many educational initiatives for several universities and conferences worldwide. She was also invited as a Distinguished Educator to the solidarity force administration program organized by the International Olympic Committee.
Nirmaljit will facilitate the following workshops:
Soroptimist Leadership Fellows Program
The Art of Cultivating High Performing Teams
Co-facilitator: Francine Edwards, Ph.D
Shirley Anne Smith
Shirley Anne Smith serves as executive director of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation, Inc. (AFRF), a nonprofit organization solely dedicated to community centered public safety and fundraising in support of the 1,100 women and men of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD). As the first executive director of AFRF, Shirley Anne brings prudent leadership, fundraising acumen, civic engagement, diversity and inclusion, and nonprofit management experience to her daily responsibilities. She leads a 20-member board of directors, as well as a 15-member young executives committee.
Shirley Anne was recently featured on the cover of Simply Buckhead Magazine and named a “Rising Star” by the editorial board. She has “40 under 40” designations from Georgia State University in 2022, Atlanta Business Chronicle in 2021 and Georgia Trend Magazine in 2020, as well as being named one of the “50 Most Influential Hispanics” selected by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Shirley Anne graduated with a master’s in public administration from Nova Southeastern University in Florida and a dual undergraduate degree program in journalism and sociology from Georgia State University. Last year she attended the Atlanta Regional Commission’s invitation-only Regional Leadership Institute (RLI).
Shirley Anne will facilitate the following workshops:
Leadership Round Table
Evolving into an Assured and Self-Aware Leader
Co-facilitator: Tiffany Tolbert
Leadership Round Table
SIA Table Talk: Your Next Best Step! Putting it All Together into a Leadership
Development Plan so Attendees Can Ensure Their Preparedness
Co-facilitator:Tiffany Tolbert
Soroptimist Leadership Fellows Program
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Focusing on Big Picture and Remaining Strategic
Co-facilitator: Tiffany Tolbert
Tiffany Tolbert
As the executive director of a 25-year-old nonprofit organization, Tiffany Tolbert is known as an influencer, change maker, collaborator and for her compassion. She has over 15 years of experience in the Atlanta nonprofit community. Her leadership style challenges the norm and focuses on identifying and developing the leaders within her teams. Her leadership has also helped organizations grow and further their impact in the greater Atlanta community.
As an avid reader, Tiffany's vision is to ensure that every child becomes literate and develops a love for reading. She made her mark in Atlanta through her career with Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and volunteerism with the Ryan Cameron Foundation, United Way of Greater Atlanta and Junior League of Atlanta.
Tiffany holds a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University and a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University.
Tiffany will facilitate the following workshops:
Leadership Round Table
Evolving into an Assured and Self-Aware Leader
Co-facilitator: Shirley Anne Smith
Leadership Round Table
SIA Table Talk: Your Next Best Step! Putting it All Together into a Leadership
Development Plan so Attendees Can Ensure Their Preparedness
Co-facilitator: Shirley Anne Smith
Soroptimist Leadership Fellows Program
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: Focusing on Big Picture and Remaining Strategic
Co-facilitator: Shirley Anne Smith