Moderators
Cadet, MD
Jean Lud Cadet, M.D. graduated from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1979. He did residency training in Psychiatry at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University and in Neurology at the Department of Neurology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. He came to NIDA, IRP in 1992 where he is presently the Chief of the Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch and the Associate Director for Diversity and Outreach. Dr. Cadet has co-authored papers on the molecular neurobiology of neurodegeneration. Presently, his laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms of stimulant-induced changes in the expression of genes and proteins in specific neuronal cells. Dr. Cadet also studies the molecular basis for METH preconditioning-induced neuroprotection. A more recent focus is on preconditioning-induced epigenetic changes in the dorsal and ventral striatum of rats. Dr. has served on Editorial Board of Synapse, is presently on the Editorial Board of Neurotoxicity Research and of the Journal of Addictive Diseases. He has reviewed scientific articles for many Journals including Journal of Neuroscience, Biological Psychiatry, Brain, Molecular Psychiatry, Archive of General Psychiatry, and Nature Biotechnology, among others. He has served on the program committee of the National Hispanic Science Network and he is now a member of the Program Committee for the Society for Biological Psychiatry. Given Dr. Cadet’s extensive experience, he is very qualified to participate on the SFN program or publication committees. Giving his diverse background, Dr. Cadet would be a great asset to these committees because he could bring novel ideas for discussion. Dr. Cadet has agreed enthusiastically to have his name submitted for consideration by the SFN hierarchy.
Hights
Kanetra Hights, also known as Kiki, is a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Professional who partners with CEO’s, Executives, Learning and Development professionals and nonprofits to advise and create strategic plans, training programs, policies, and procedures centered around implementing and strengthening DEI in the workplace. Kanetra currently serves as the Manager of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Engagement for Goodwill Central Texas. She has spent over 10 years in the field of implementing DEI programs in organizations with over 10,000 employees and is an advocate to driving success, engaging employees and creating a profitable diversity return on investment. Kanetra is experienced with managing large Diversity & Inclusion Councils and Business Resource Groups. Kanetra has written training courses on the topics of Generational Differences in the Workplace, Unconscious Biases, Differences that Make a Difference in the Workplace, and Creating an Inclusive Environment. She has also written articles and done extensive research on the effect of Millennials in the Workplace. Kanetra holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Media, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and an Advance Teaching Degree for Secondary Education from Texas Lutheran University. She has certifications in Corporate Training, Adobe Connect e-Learning Platforms and is a Certified Diversity Professional. Kanetra is heavily engaged with the community by leading and supporting nonprofit organizations such as the National Diversity Council, Lupus Foundation of America, Martin Luther King Jr. Association of New Braunfels, and the Dress for Success Organization. Kanetra is an avid reader and loves books. You can find her in bookstores for hours. She also enjoys writing, going on hikes, playing fantasy football and playing Just Dance. Most of all she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Speedlin Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Dr. Stacy Speedlin is a Licensed Professional Counselor- Supervisor (LPC-S) and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) in the state of Texas. Her professional identity surrounds her deep values of giving others a seat at the table and advocating for the underserved. She exemplifies the core value of equity, diversity, and inclusive practices through her teaching, research, and scholarly activities. As a queer feminist scholar, she believes in using her voice to challenge and deconstruct systemic barriers existing within the heteronormative and cisgender society. Dr. Speedlin proudly served as the conference chair for the Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC) annual conference. Presently, she is the Professional Trustee of Membership for the Society of Affectional, Intersexual, and Gender Expansion (SAIGE – Formerly ALGBTIC) Association. She also serves on the Advisory Council for the National Board of Credentialing Counselors (NBCC) Minority Fellowship Program for Addiction Counselors. Additionally, she is a member of the Texas Council of Family Violence (TCFV) Public Policy Committee. Her research interests include: transgender issues in counseling, substance use disorders, mental health disparities, and queer feminist issues. Dr. Speedlin is an Assistant Professor in Practice at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and a counselor at Creekview Counseling. She is a nationally recognized speaker; having given multiple talks and workshops on the topics of mentorship, LGBTQ+ Ally-Development, Cultural Responsiveness, and Addressing Counseling and Educational Needs for the Transgender, Gender Fluid, and Non-Binary Community. Additionally, she has published several peer-reviewed manuscripts on LGBTQ+ issues, mentorship, and grief.
Parker, MS, LSSBB
V. P. Parker, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) with Arkansas Children's, is filled with energy, laughter and direction any time he is a moderator, keynote, presenter, facilitator or advisor. He is sure to move the conversation to another level. For 30 years, Mr. Parker has been in the trenches as a DEI practitioner, trainer and consultant with fortune 500 companies across the nation. Most of that time has been as an Organizational Development consultant/business owner and the role of Master Trainer/Facilitator with Korn Ferry working with clients such as Proctor & Gamble, Caesar’s Entertainment, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Energizer to name a few. With a Master’s degree in Strategic Leadership, he consistently urges leaders and professionals to “raise the bar” on what Inclusive Leadership looks like and feels like. As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and instructor/practitioner of the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence methodology, he is no stranger to the nature of high-performance cultures and high reliability organizations. Recognized by the National Diversity Council as a Certified Diversity Professional, V.P. asserts that moving the needle on DEI is an art and a science. The art of vision, strategy and leadership has to be coupled with the science and pragmatism of systematic, effective processes, analytics, attainable milestones and structured accountability. DEI and Inclusive Leadership success is an incremental journey measured in increased cultural humility (identity work), building relationships and trust across diversity dimensions, improving the lives of team members, caregivers and patients, addressing the practices, beliefs and biases that impede team members’ maximum contribution and a patient’s full access to quality healthcare (now) and meaningful healthcare outcomes (future). While participants consistently share he is passionate and enthusiastic about leadership development and team member engagement, they are equally consistent in sharing “his use of humor engages the audience” and “his ability to make the content relevant to leaders is a skill.” He readily admits he is still on his journey toward increased self-awareness and Brene Brown’s definition of “Daring Leadership”. Because a leader’s own self-awareness is one of the first steps toward personal and professional development, V.P. often shares this quote: “The truest form of reflection…never involves a mirror.”