This episode closes a podcast series from the DEI symposium at NCDA’s 2025 Conference in Atlanta. Dr. Cheryl Love, who highlights the NCDA Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion Committee (DICI), encourages listeners to access symposium workshops via the podcast, and invites participation amid efforts to minimize DEI work. Dr. Natasha Barnes-Gwynn, DICI co-chair, previews the fourth annual DEI symposium in Minneapolis, including content on ethics, multicultural competence, supervision, working with diverse populations, a State of the Union, and mentoring. She describes DICI’s subcommittees, resources, publications, a new group for new professionals and students, a membership meeting, and a reception. Dr. Frank Gorritz FitzSimons issues a call to action to join DICI for support, impact, and community.

Dr. Cheryl Love is a Career Counselor and a College Specialist for the Arts, Humanities, School of Education and School of Public Policy in the Career Center at the University of California, Riverside. In this role she also serves as the Liaison to the African Student Programs, the Black Student Success Initiative, Basic Needs, UCR Transfer Work Group, and the Kessler Scholar Program.

Dr. Natasha Barnes-Gwynn, CCC, NCC, FCD-I is a Clinical Professor at Southern New Hampshire University. She also serves as a career consultant through her private practice, Increasing Our Understanding (I.O.U.) Consultation, LLC. Dr. Barnes-Gwynn is a newly appointed board member for the Council of Accreditation and Related Educational Programs.

Dr. Frank Gorritz FitzSimons, LPC, is a counselor educator in Florida. He is a nationally recognized scholar and counselor educator on topics including providing affirmative counseling care to queer and transgender communities of color, providing multicultural supervision, utilizing diverse approaches to counseling work, as well as addressing and disrupting white supremacy in counselor education.

Resources:

• NCDA Committees
• NCDA 2026 Global Career Development Conference - Minneapolis

This episode is part of the DEI Symposium Series, developed from the DEI Symposium presented at the 2025 NCDA Global Career Development Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Debra Sgro and Dr. Karen Ingram discuss barriers to women’s advancement in male-dominated careers and the concept of the “broken rung,” noting representation drops sharply at higher leadership levels in technology and education. Dr. Ingram describes intersectional challenges as a woman of color, the politics of advancement, and earning a doctorate to meet credential expectations and strengthen her leadership voice. Debra recounts being denied an expected promotion, pushing for an off-cycle promotion, and learning self-advocacy and visibility. They also discuss gender bias and offer tips including assertive boundary setting, documenting contributions, building reciprocal relationships, thinking entrepreneurially, and pairing self-advocacy with amplifying other women.

Deborah Sgro is a certified career professional with a private practice, Beyond The Glass Ceiling, LLC. She specializes in coaching technology and business professionals at all levels to achieve their envisioned career. As a former senior financial technologist professional, she worked on Wall Street for over 40 years developing technical solutions addressing business objectives for the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, and BNY Mellon. Throughout that time, she also groomed emerging talent by establishing and running mentoring programs, providing on-the-job training sessions, and personally coaching to assist people with their career advancement goals. Deborah holds a CCSP certification from the National Career Development Association. She is also a certified project manager and certified Agile Professional from the Project Management Institute. Deborah holds two master's degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology, one in Computer Science and the other in Technology Management. She is on the Board of Advisors for Women in Big Data, and is the Global Mentoring Director for that non-profit professional association. Deborah also addresses corporate women resource groups, university audiences, and presents at NCDA conferences on all aspects of career advancement. For more information: www.linkedin.com/in/deborahsgro

Dr. Karen Ingram is the Career and Technical Education Director for Davidson County (North Carolina) Schools and current President of the North Carolina Career Development Association.

Resources:

• Dr. Heilman - Gender Bias in the Workplace: Obstacles to Career Progress (Video)
• McKinsey and Company and Lean-In.org: Women in the Workplace 2024
• BLS Reports - Women In The Labor Force

NCDA's Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion (DICI) Committee introduces a series of discussions that support graduate students in career counseling programs and other new workforce and career development practitioners. This episode is the first in the Career Practitioners of Tomorrow (CPT) series. It introduces the L.E.A.D. (Legacy, Equity, Advocacy, and Development) approach for career professionals to navigate changes in the economy that affect the career development profession.

Speakers:

Moderator - Denise Felder, Workforce Equity Advocate, and Associate Director of Career Services at the University of Minnesota’s College of Education & Human Development

Dr. Nina Talley, Director of Career Development, University of South Florida

Dr. Natasha Barnes-Gwynn, Owner of I.O.U. Consultation, LLC, and Clinical Faculty with Southern New Hampshire University

Denise Felder (she/her) is a career coach, writer, and keynote speaker with 20 years experience encouraging individuals and challenges systems to address disparities in education and employment. Her unique background in journalism, career and college readiness, and higher education have encouraged and informed youth and adults in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, AmeriCorps, TRIO, community colleges, universities, and numerous workforce development and community organizations. Denise is a past president of the Minnesota Career Development Association, a Certified Poverty Awareness Coach, an Offender Job Retention Specialist, and a YWCA Racial Justice Facilitator. Her professional development includes participation in the Equity Works Leadership Institute at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, the Josie R. Johnson Leadership Academy with the Twin Cities African American Leadership Forum, and completion of the Equity and Diversity Certificate program (ECHO) from the University of Minnesota’s Office of Equity and Diversity. Her consulting business DeniseMpls Career Services (https://denisempls.org) is based in Minneapolis, MN, operating in cyberspace, and living in the hearts of many.

Dr. Nina L. Talley is a higher education leader with 25+ years of experience in career services, workforce development, and student success. She has directed multimillion-dollar workforce initiatives, developed AI-powered coaching frameworks, and worked extensively on career and leadership in tertiary education. Her expertise lies in integrating technology and student-centered design to improve persistence, retention, and outcomes.

Dr. Natasha Barnes-Gwynn, CCC, NCC, FCD-I is a Clinical Professor at Southern New Hampshire University. She also serves as a career consultant through her private practice, Increasing Our Understanding (I.O.U.) Consultation, LLC. Dr. Barnes-Gwynn is a newly appointed board member for the Council of Accreditation and Related Educational Programs.

Resources

• CPT Project for Session 1: Social Mobility & Economic Disparities
• Career Practitioners of Tomorrow Guide https://bit.ly/NCDA-DICI-CPT
• Contact Career Practitioners of Tomorrow: https://forms.gle/Y4oTKiL4kpdiisF69