Honorary Chair

The University of California Berkeley is honored to be hosting the third annual California Diversity and Leadership Conference. As Chancellor of UC Berkeley and Honorary Chair, I extend a warm invitation to you to join us.

Begun in 2004 by Dennis Kennedy, Founder and CEO of the National Diversity Council, there are now nine state councils that bring together educators, professionals and business leaders to work together as leaders for change to make our workplaces and our communities more equitable, inclusive and diverse.

UC Berkeley is proud to be leading transformative change in our universities. UC Berkeley has always been motivated by serving the public good and we see no higher ideal than working for equity and inclusion for all. We are the first campus of the ten-campus University of California system to establish the portfolio of Vice-Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion and one of the first in the nation to do so. We have created the Haas Diversity Research Center to support research to generate specific prescriptions for changes in policy and practice that address disparities related to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and socioeconomics in California and nationwide.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome the California Diversity and Leadership Conference to examine the theme of “Deconstructing the California Glass Ceiling” for underrepresented minorities and women. With distinguished and influential keynote speakers such as Donna Brazile and Cornel West, the conference will no doubt promote deep insights into the challenges that are still to be overcome and the opportunities for change and personal leadership growth.

I look forward to welcoming you on the Berkeley campus on February 2nd and 3rd, 2012.

Yours sincerely,

Robert J. Birgeneau
Chancellor, University of California Berkeley