Workshop Speakers

Kelly Brown

Kelly Brown is Executive Director of the D5 Coalition, a five-year effort to increase philanthropy’s diversity. equity and inclusiveness. Prior to this, she was Principal Consultant at Viewpoint Consulting, which provides program design, planning, research, and facilitation services to nonprofits, philanthropic organizations and individuals investing resources to strengthen underserved communities. Kelly brings to the position stellar credentials and more than 20 years of experience working on diversity, equity and inclusion issues. She’s served as Director of Programs and Evaluation at the Marguerite Casey Foundation, Grants Director at the Vanguard Public Foundation, Administrative Director for TransAfrica/TransAfrica Forum and a consultant to nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, and individuals working to strengthen underserved communities.

Jeramie Strickland

Jeramie grew up in “Englewood”, one of Chicago’s disadvantaged areas, where the negative influences of gang violence and drug trafficking proliferated the streets. He, however, was determined not to become yet another statistic, and with the guidance and support of his family and involvement in the community and church, Jeramie remained focused on his educational and professional pursuits. Currently, Jeramie is a Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and is actively engaged in managing a state-threatened (Illinois) Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) headstart, nesting biology, conservation, habitat use, and population recovery project with the FWS. Jeramie was recently appointed to FWS Region III’s Diversity Recruitment Team, which covers five states (IA, IL, WI, MN, IN) in the Midwestern region; and FWS Area #1 Mentoring Development Program. He earned his Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Iowa State University. In 2014, he was recognized with The Wildlife Society Diversity Award. Jeramie is an alumni of the Ecological Society of America’s SEEDS program.