Stillness with Purpose; Revisiting your personal brand – S5E3
Dr. Aerial M. Ellis
With my consulting practice, Advisory 83, I am committed to helping organizational leadership transform culture at all levels. I become an organization’s strategic planning partner with a unique passion for building more inclusive workplaces and a deep expertise in all related aspects of communicating to diverse audiences. I provide solutions for organizational development and leadership through the process of strategic communication and planning.
Because the work of organizational development often includes the emphasis on diversity and inclusion, I will work primarily to advise clients on the ways in which they can improve the workplace culture, establish strong relationship with consumers through cross-cultural competence, and be more present in the intersected communities they serve.
I currently serve as a professor at Lipscomb University in the Department of Communication and Journalism where I teach courses in leadership, organizational communication, public relations and cross-cultural communication – each intertwined with a component of faith.
As a professor, I teach students to communicate strategically from a position of influence, navigate the tools and trends of the industry, identify bias and stereotypes in media, discover advocacy with an objective lens, and communicate across global cultures as future journalists and public relations practitioners.
I was selected for the Plank Center Fellowship for Public Relations Educators in 2014 and spent five weeks at the world headquarters of Johnson & Johnson where I wrote and developed change migration and strategic communication plans aimed at addressing emerging developments within the corporation’s global structure and diversity/inclusion goals.
As result of this experience, I created the MLK Diversity Breakfast hosted by Lipscomb University and invited Anthony Carter, the corporation’s chief global diversity and inclusion officer to deliver the keynote address. Rose Jackson Flenorl from the FedEx Corporation and Ronald Harris from BlueCross BlueShield have also served as keynote speakers. The signature event has allowed us to host a conversation, on behalf of the college and university as a whole, led by a world-class professional and to connect our students to the community abroad.
Associate Producer – Ms. Tosha Bright [B_RightMedia]
Assistant Producer – Dr. Leigh Sata
Dr. Sata has a degree in architecture from UC Berkeley, and recently completed his Global Executive Ed.D. from the University of Southern California, Rossier School of Education. He began his career as a practicing architect, specializing in educational and institutional work, and later worked as a Program Manager and Capital Projects Director at several Bay Area Community Colleges, before joining the Peralta team.
Additional Family History: Leigh was born and raised in Pasadena CA, a suburb of LA. Both parents and sets of grandparents were sent from Los Angeles to relocation camps in Arkansas during World War 2. His dad’s family returned to California after the war ended while his mom’s family remained in Arkansas for several years, before returning to CA for her final year of high school. Both attended Pasadena City College and eventually transferred and graduated from a four year college. Their educational journey is what keeps him connected to the Community College space.