Addressing Racism: Advancing Justice in Times of Crisis

Together with the Lerner Diversity Council, we join in the anger, sadness and frustration that the tragedies of recent weeks have laid bare around the social injustices for people of color in our country. These events have served to open long-standing wounds of pain and injustice. We stand in solidarity with the black community and stand in support of all people who have experienced violence and hate due to bias and prejudice. At this moment, we realize that means both allyship AND action. We have invited women of color from a range of industries to be our panelists to share their stories and talk about how to take meaningful action that will instigate change.

 Panelists

•  Jennifer Joe, Ph.D., Whitney Family Endowed Chair of Accounting,Cohen Family Lerner Director of Diversity, Chief Diversity Advocate, Lerner College of Business & Economics, University of Delaware

Jennifer R. Joe, Ph.D., CPA, is the Whitney Family Professor of Accounting and a UD Advance Advisory board member at the University of Delaware. She researches the role of auditors, data analytics, regulations, audit litigation and other governance mechanisms on the quality of corporate internal controls and financial reporting. Jennifer has significant experience teaching accounting, auditing, and internal controls at national universities and corporate professional education programs. She enjoys volunteering on academic and civic boards, and serves as the Lerner College Chief Diversity Advocate, advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion.

•  Daphne McRae, Vice President and IT Portfolio Manager for JPMorgan Chase
  

Daphne McRae is a Vice President and IT Portfolio Manager for JPMorgan Chase where she has leadership and oversight for a $40 million Business and IT project assets for Card Consumer Banking. She is responsible for aligning key business priorities, strategic roadmap & demand across 23 feature teams spanning US and India. Daphne holds an Information Technology MBA from University of Delaware and an undergraduate degree from Hampton University. She is also an Adjunct Professor for Wilmington University’s Graduate school, and actively participates in diversity committees such as, takeITForward for Women in IT and Diversity & Inclusion Black Technology Community.

•  Nicole Jeter West, Head of Marketing and Brand Engagement for LA 2028

Nicole Jeter West is Head of Marketing and Brand Engagement for LA 2028, focusing on branding, platform development, content strategy, and consumer engagement for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. Most recently, Jeter West served as Chief Marketing Officer at Legends, premier sports, and entertainment experiential service agency, leading Global Planning, Global Sales, and Hospitality worldwide. She established the first integrated marketing and communications function to elevate the Legends brand globally. Most notably, she launched Legends Fundraising vertical and Edge XP–a joint-venture between Productive Edge and Legends–an experiential agency combining digital, physical, and virtual technologies. Jeter West served as a member of Edge XP’s Board of Directors. She proudly led the development of Legends’ first Women’s Leadership Initiative focused on career development and coaching.

•  Vina Amankwaa Afrifa, Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics Undergrad – University of Delaware, Incoming JPMorgan Chase & Co. Summer Analyst, Incoming Harvard SVMP’20 Participant

Vina Amankwaa Afrifa is a senior business management major at the University of Delaware, class of ‘21. In order to inspire women, as well as people of color, Vina serves as Vice President of Women in Business (WIB) as well as Vice President of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) at the University of Delaware. This summer, Vina will be participating in the Harvard Business School (HBS) Summer Venture in Management Program and will also be returning to the Chase Leadership Development Program in Dallas, Texas.