Tri-State Organization Committee

UPSTATE NEW YORK

NEW YORK CITY
Eunice Williams
Onondaga Community CollegeEunice Williams is the Interim Vice President for Diversity Services/Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) at Onondaga Community College. As the CDO, she is primarily responsible for providing leadership and support for the College’s Diversity Council, working with college groups and college administrators in the formulation or review of programs and policies pertaining to the needs of diverse and underrepresented populations, and advising college constituencies on multicultural/diversity issues, trends and program activities. She further serves as an adjunct instructor in the General Studies department at the College. She is the Vice President of YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County Board of Directors, member of the Cultural Resource Council’s Board of Directors and a member of the Interreligious Food Consortium Board. She is a commissioner of the Onondaga County/Syracuse Commission on Human Rights and an Institutional Representative for the ACE/Office of Women for Higher Education New York State Network. Ms. Williams received her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from the State University of New York/University at Buffalo and her Master’s of Science in Counseling Education at Syracuse University. Over the course of her twenty-year career in academia, she has written a number of approved grant proposals and presented a series of lectures and workshops on diversity related issues throughout the United States. 

Allen Harrison
Hamilton College

Allen Harrison, Jr. is the Associate Dean of Students for Diversity and Accessibility at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. His primary responsibilities include providing leadership for the development of multicultural programs; advocating for students from diverse racial, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and abilities; coordinating individualized accommodations and support services for students with documented disabilities; and serving as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) consultant for the College. Prior to Hamilton, Mr. Harrison served as Director of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program at William Paterson University of New Jersey, where he administered and oversaw a state-funded academic support services programs for approximately 500-economically and educationally disadvantaged students. At Wesleyan University, in Middletown, CT he was an Assistant Director/Pre-Law Advisor and preceding that appointment, he managed federal- and state-funded academic and student support services and scholarship initiatives in his role as Coordinator of Special Programs at the State University of New York (SUNY) Institute of Technology in Utica, NY. Additionally, Mr. Harrison supervised crew teams and staff as Team Leader with the AmeriCorps Program at the Oneida Indian Nation and as Residence Hall Director at both SUNY College at Brockport and Utica College, all located in Upstate New York. Currently, he is pursuing a doctor of education degree from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Mr. Harrison has an MBA in Technology Management and an MS in Business Management from SUNY Institute of Technology, and a BA in Communication from Curry College in Milton, MA.

Chevanne DeVaney
Keuka College

Chevanne DeVaney is the Director of Multicultural Affairs at Keuka College in Keuka Park, New York. Her responsibilities in this position include conducting workshops and classroom and community presentations; developing multicultural programs; serving as an advocate for students of color and international students; and advising the Colleges multicultural clubs and social justice organizations. In addition to this, she is the Chair of the College’s Diversity Taskforce and is responsible for providing leadership in advancing the College’s diversity initiatives. She also serves as advisor to the Vice-President for Student Development and the Senior Administrative Team on matters that deal with developing and implementing programs and services that help to recruit and retain students, faculty and staff from underrepresented groups.

Chevanne is currently the Co-Chair of the Intercollegiate Diversity Agora - a network for diversity professionals and those working on diversity issues in higher education. She is also a founding member and Vice President of the Afro-Latino Alumni Association of Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a member of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee in Geneva, New York.

Before joining Keuka College, she held various positions in the Office of Institutional Advancement at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where she also later worked in the area of Student Affairs as Assistant Director of Intercultural Affairs and Advisor to International Students.

She received her B.A. in English from William Smith College in 1995, and her M.Ed. in Higher Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2010.

Gaynelle Wethers Gaynelle D. Wethers
Nazareth College

Gaynelle D. Wethers, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, received her BS degree from Xavier University, New Orleans, Louisiana, and MS degree in Elementary Education from Nazareth College. She holds a New York State Certification in Public Administration from the University of Rochester and attended St. Bernard’s Institute.

Presently she is the Director of Multicultural Affairs at Nazareth College. Gaynelle is formerly the Pastoral Associate of Immaculate Conception Church; was Principal of St. Monica School and a teacher in the Rush-Henrietta School District and the Roman Catholic Diocese. She has received formal Mediation Training and Training in HIV Infection and AIDS. She is also a field reader for the U.S. Department of Education.

Her community service includes Co-Chair for Public Policy for the United Neighborhood Centers of America and the Alliance for Families and Children; Jordan Health Center Board; League of Women Voters Budget Chair, and Rochester Women’s Network Vice President for Special Events.

She is the recipient of numerous awards and recognition.

 Chaundra Daniels
Hofstra UniversityA seasoned professional with a diverse background in the non-profit and corporate sectors, Chaundra joined the Hofstra University Career Center in August 2008. She serves as the career center’s undergraduate liaison to the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, and facilitates workshops that include but are not limited to career exploration, globalization, cultural diversity, and work culture. Also serving as the diversity contact for the Career Center, Chaundra works with a team of counseling professionals on developing a comprehensive diversity initiative to include programming for minority, LGBT, and students with disabilities.Chaudra’s primary diversity initiative is assisting students with disabilities. In 2009, she initiated the collaboration with Hofstra University’s Services for Students with Disabilities office working mainly to assist students with strategies on disclosure. Chaundra developed ”EMPLOYABILITY”, a workshop that focuses on students’ abilities and identifying strategies to market transferrable skills to employers. The workshop brings students together with service providers such as the SSD office, faculty from the Rehabilitation Department, local state rehabilitation agency representatives, and employers. This collaborative effort allowed the Career Center to be chosen to participate in a national grant program with Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD). COSD is a unique and dynamic national professional association comprised of more than 600 colleges and universities and over 500 major national employers. 

As a career counselor, Chaundra has a passion for motivating students. She is committed to ensuring the development and success of all students that she engages. An enthusiastic and resourceful communicator, she is dedicated to helping all students fulfill their current objectives and strategize future goals. She is also an advocate for student accountability, and empowers students to utilize all resources available to them at Hofsta and in their community. Often sought out to facilitate presentations, Chaundra has an effective communication style that engages and motivates her audience. A comedian at heart with a candid sense of humor, Chaundra has performed at fundraisers for a community-mentoring program which provides scholarships and laptops to college-bound youth in the community.

A graduate of Temple University, Chaundra holds a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, and will receiver her Master’s of Education in Rehabilitation Counseling in the fall of 2010. Dedicated to personal growth, professional development and networking, Chaundra is a member of EACE (Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers), NCRE (National Council on Rehabilitation Education) and NRA (National Rehabilitation Association) where she has presented on Collaborative Work Initiatives for colleagues and educators in her field.

Vernette Garcon
CBIZ, Inc.

Dedicated and results-driven HR professional within the professional services industry. Background and expertise encompasses employee relations; performance management; training/development; change management; and compensation/benefits.

Vernette’s greatest strength is her interpersonal skills; her social communication and interactions with others of all races, ethnicities and nationalities. She embraces diversity. She sees it as an essential component of the workplace because the world itself is made up of people from all different backgrounds. Every person of race, nationality, and ethnicity brings a unique talent to the workplace that can foster corporate growth. Furthermore, diversity inclusion initiatives enable organizations to mitigate legal risk by ensuring the hiring, training/development, pay equity and promotion of all employees through broad based and consistent HR policies and practices.

Vernette enjoys professional networking and sharing best practices. In her spare time, Vernette enjoys cooking and watching cooking shows.

Vernette graduated with a Master of Science Degree in Human Resources from New School University in New York City. She is certified as a professional in human resources by the Society of Human Resources. She also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Berkeley College in New York City.