The Inclusion & Equity Summit: South

Monica works for Southern Company Services, Inc. as West Deputy General Counsel.  Prior to her current role, Monica was Associate General Counsel with responsibility for the Labor & Employment group within SCS’s General Counsel’s Office.

Previously, Monica worked for BBVA Compass Bank as Corporate Counsel and was a Partner in the Labor & Employment Section of Balch & Bingham LLP.

Monica received her B.A., magna cum laude, in political communications from the University of Alabama in 1997 and her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2000.  While in law school, Monica received the Harold A. Bowron Award, which recognized the most outstanding student in the study of labor & employment law.   

Monica is involved in numerous professional and civic endeavors, including Immediate Past Chair and current Advisory Board member of the In-House and Government Lawyers Section of the Alabama State Bar, Vice President-Legal for the Board of Directors for Red Mountain Theatre Company, and Member, Board of Directors for MPower Ministries.  

Monica is married to Jeff Graveline and they have 2 children, Jack and Charlie.  

Shiriki Cavitt Jones currently serves as a Commercial Transactions Attorney for Coyote Logistics, LLC, a UPS Company, where she is responsible for working with Coyote’s business stakeholders to review commercial agreements, including identifying and analyzing potential business risks and recommending risk mitigation strategies.  Shiriki also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Emory University School of Law, teaching a Corporate Externship Class to over 200 second-year and third-year law students since 2013.  Prior to her current role at Coyote, Shiriki was Corporate Counsel for Equifax Inc., focusing on negotiating and closing complex multi-party commercial and third-party agreements, executing innovative company-wide legal solutions, and advising internal business stakeholders on legal strategy including third-party vendor issues, contracts, data privacy, and security escalations.  Shiriki has also served as a Term Law Clerk for the Honorable Linda T. Walker, federal magistrate judge for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division and as Counsel at Oldcastle, Inc., where her primary focus was on commercial contractual deals and labor and employment issues. Her extended practice covered all of the areas that the business encountered, such as negotiating and drafting commercial deals, litigation management, MSHA and OSHA matters, compliance, training and antitrust issues.  Prior to working in-house at Oldcastle, Shiriki began her practice as an Associate at Troutman Sanders LLP in the Complex Litigation Practice Group where her focus was on business litigation and product liability matters. 

Shiriki is also highly involved in many professional and community organizations.  She currently serves as the President-Elect for the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA) and since 2004, Shiriki has served in many roles within the State Bar of Georgia, including her current position on the Board of Governors (Post 30) and Chair of the COVID-19 Virtual Planning Special Committee and her past roles with the State Bar of Georgia’s Young Lawyers Division (Community Service Projects Committee Co-Chair (2006-2009); Board of Directors (2007-2014); Public Internship Program Co-Chair (2009-2011); YLD Newsletter Co-Editor (2011-2013); and YLD Signature Fundraiser Co-Chair (2011)).  Shiriki has also served on the ServiceJuris Steering Committee since 2009, organizing an annual community service day in which more than 300 members of Atlanta’s legal community participate.  Shiriki was awarded the Community Champion award as part of the 2017 Corporate Counsel Awards sponsored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Georgia Chapter for her community and volunteer service.

Shiriki obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English (cum laude) in 2001 from Dartmouth College and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 2004.

Michelle Ruff graduated with her B.A. in Communications from Oakwood University, Huntsville, AL in 1996 and with a M.A. in Communications from Morehead State University, Morehead, KY in 1998. A 2001 graduate of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, Michelle  participated in the Immigration Clinic as a student; received an award for her public service work; and, was an active member of the Diversity Committee. After graduation, she begin her career working with Farmworker Legal Services in Michigan and proudly continued her non-profit service with Cobb County Legal Aid, a division of Atlanta Legal Aid and the Latin American Association before going into private practice. She is a member of the Kentucky, Michigan and Georgia Bar Associations. 

Michelle has put together training materials on cultural sensitivity for guardian ad litems and spoken on the impact of natural disasters on immigrants for young lawyers assisting Hurricane Katrina victims. 

Most importantly, Michelle has two adult children, who endured college, graduate and law school with her as a single mother. She is an avid fitness enthusiast who volunteers to teach a workout class to senior citizens in Atlanta, Georgia, where she lives.   

Stacey Moore serves as Assistant General Counsel, Field Operations – South and Southeast Regions of US Foods. Prior to her position at US Foods, she spent nearly six years at Newell Rubbermaid as VP of Legal Affairs – Global Supply Chain and Commercial Products and before that served as an Associate at Proskauer Rose LLP. She earned both her MBA and JD from Duke University.

Angie Adolph is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. She joined the firm in 2011, and practices in the tax and municipal finance groups. Angie represents Louisiana, national, and international clients in a variety of tax and corporate matters. In addition to representing clients before the Louisiana Board of Tax Appeals, the Louisiana Tax commission, and in the Louisiana courts, she has special experience representing taxpayers in property tax incentive negotiations, including Payments in Lieu of Taxes. Angie is the firm’s representative to the American Property Tax Counsel, an association of property tax firms with members throughout the United States and in Canada.

Angie also has extensive experience in bond transactions and in the development of Public-Private Partnerships and Cooperative Endeavor Agreements. She is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, board member of the Louisiana Chapter of Women in Public Finance and is listed in the “Red Book” of bond professionals. Prior to joining Kean Miller, Angie practiced in the tax and municipal finance areas for over 15 years with a local law firm.

Executive legal and risk management adviser adept at evaluating commercial operations and corporate business transactions, identifying risks and resolving issues. Specialize in motivating and influencing counter parties and staff through effective communications. My passion is to continue developing and lead Women empowerment programs and Diversity and Inclusion projects because I believe inclusion is a way of living and the success of a company.

Tommi Paris is the Senior Vice President of DEI Strategy for IPG DXTRA, a global collective of 28 marketing specialty brands that bring together uniquely configured solutions inspired by truly diverse teams to help our clients meet challenges as they come. IPG DXTRA works across experiential, public relations, sponsorships, innovation, brand, influencer, digital, social and analytics categories as diverse as sports, healthcare, entertainment, CPG, luxury, tech, and financial services.

She previously served as Director of DEI for Southern Company Gas, a subsidiary of Southern Company, a $3B premier energy company, delivering energy services to 9 million customers through its subsidiaries across North America of 30,000+ employees. Southern Company Gas is the natural gas services subsidiary of Southern Company with more than 4,300 employees serving more than 4.2 million customers across North America.

In her role with Southern Company Gas, Tommi was responsible for the direction, development and execution of the company’s DEI strategy and supported the overall goals of Southern Company, which is consistently recognized as one of the top companies in the nation for DEI. Southern Company was recently named as one of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by both DiversityInc and Black Enterprise magazine. For the 10th consecutive year, the company was ranked as a Best for Vets Employer by Military Times EDGE magazine. Additionally, the Disability Equality Index recognized Southern Company as one of the Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion. Once again, the company earned a perfect score of 100 from the Human Rights Campaign on their 2020 Workplace Equality Index.

Southern Company Gas was awarded the Roosevelt Thomas Champion of Diversity Award by the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity for fostering equal opportunity and exhibiting outstanding commitment to diversity.

Tommi joined Southern Company in 2013 as an employee communications specialist supporting the strategic communications efforts of Field Operations, Talent Development and the Office of DEI in its inaugural year in 2014. After being promoted to Manager of D&I in the inaugural year, Tommi partnered with leaders and employees across the company to expand the employee resource group (ERG) program to nine groups with active chapters in four states. In 2018, as Director of DEI, she began leading the continued evolution of the employee resource group program, which was recently ranked #5 out of #10 by Talent Dimensions for program expansion and evolution. Additionally, she oversaw the development and execution of employee engagement and education strategies to build leadership capabilities and foster an inclusive work environment.

Tommi earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and women and gender studies from Furman University. She also is a Certified Diversity Professional through the Society for Diversity and is a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Additionally, she is currently pursuing a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion through Cornell University.

An active DEI practitioner, Tommi serves as a board member for the Atlanta Diversity Management Advocacy Group and was an inaugural member of Disability: IN Greater Atlanta, a nonprofit business association committed to disability inclusion. She recently ended her tenure as Vice Chair of the DEI Council and Chair of the DEI Committee for Southern Gas Association and previously served on the programs and professional development committee for the American Association for Blacks in Energy (AABE).

A lifelong athlete, Tommi enjoys sports and physical activity. This year, she will sunset her almost decade-long career as a NCAA Division I women’s college basketball referee, a pastime that allowed her to practice conflict resolution and manage competitive tension, which she considers to be her super powers

Alina represents a variety of clients in all areas of employment law, including pre-litigation investigations, litigation and appeals. She also handles agency investigations, including proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity, the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights and the Kentucky Division of Unemployment Insurance. She works with clients ranging from large Fortune 500 companies to local entrepreneurs to public sector employers in handling complex issues involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and other state and federal employment statutes at every stage of the litigation process. Alina has experience counseling and defending corporate directors and officers.

Knowing that labor and employment law is constantly evolving, Alina makes it a priority to offer proactive counsel and ensure compliance. She has conducted training for her clients relating to a variety of issues, including Title VII and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She has also authored several articles for various publications on issues involving employment and labor law.

Prior to joining the firm, Alina served as a law clerk to Judge Edward B. Atkins, United States Magistrate for the Eastern District of Kentucky. She is also fluent in Russian and Ukrainian.

Sue Bunnell is a pragmatic and results-focused legal leader for a global Fortune 50 company, and rounds out her days with non-profit work and career therapy. She leverages 20+years of experience in technology, IP, security/privacy, and regulatory compliance when counseling leaders in the Wells Fargo Chief Administrative Office related to operations such as incident management, properties, physical security, and safety issues. Ms. Bunnell is also an outspoken advocate for professional development, and serves as the President and Chair of the board of LWT: Advancing Women in Leadership (www.LWTleadership.org) as well as a Director at Large on the Board of the Professional BusinessWomen of California (www.pbwc.org). She enjoys speaking and facilitating workshops in the Bay Area on effective self-advocacy through resume creation, interview skills, social media presentation, and career negotiations. 

Brittany Teal is Senior Corporate Counsel for Nordstrom, Inc. where she advises the retail brand on strategic sourcing and purchasing transactions.  Prior to joining Nordstrom, Brittany was in-house counsel for Fiserv,  a global fintech provider for banks, credit unions and

other financial institutions, and taught Legal Research & Writing for the Continuing and Professional Education program at her alma mater, Southern Methodist University.

Brittany has been recognized as an Outstanding Corporate Counsel by D Magazine and the Association of Corporate Counsel. A native Texan, Brittany earned her B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and her J.D. from the SMU Dedman School of Law. Outside of work, Brittany enjoys traveling, live music and rooting on her beloved Longhorns.

Arden Joseph joined Deutsche Bank in 2015 as Assistant Vice President and Counsel in the Americas Legal Department located in Jacksonville, Florida.  In her role, she negotiates derivative contracts for hedge funds, corporate and institutional clients. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, she spent eleven years at Citigroup in New York as a senior member of their capital markets legal team. There, she partnered extensively with various stakeholders as a transactional attorney. She also served as a subject matter expert for the FX prime brokerage desk.  Ms. Joseph earned a Juris Doctorate from Albany Law School and her Bachelor of Science in Finance from New York University, Stern School of Business.

Stephanie is the inaugural General Counsel for the Colonial Downs Group, LLC, retained by Urban One, Inc., to bring the first Class III Casino to Richmond, VA, ONE Casino + Resort. She is also charged with the direction and oversight of Colonial Downs’ legal department, regulatory matters, corporate social responsibility program, legal transactions and litigation, employment issues, diversity initiatives, and all legal matters in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She developed and now chairs Colonial Downs’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.

Stephanie has practiced law for 20+ years in several jurisdictions and has primarily worked in the healthcare/ life sciences space before starting her position with Colonial Downs in 2018. She possesses diverse legal and business experience leading high-performing teams of attorneys, contract administrators and outside counsel to achieve company goals and manage risk. Stephanie prides herself on being a “solutions-driven global leader and strategic partner” with corporate executives and senior business partners to advance business objectives by providing high-quality and timely legal advice, and negotiating material contracts.

She began her legal career in New York City as a prosecutor in the Special Victims Bureau and then as an Associate at a boutique labor and education law firm. Stephanie transitioned in-house to the New York City Mayor’s Office of Contracts and Procurement, where she began her focus on transactions. Stephanie is well versed in corporate law, having taught college-level courses in Business Law, Human Resources Law and Labor Relations Law at a private institution in Brooklyn, New York.

She is a corporate governance expert with substantial experience as Corporate Secretary for a large healthcare system and other non-profit Boards of Directors. Stephanie earned her law degree from Albany Law School of Union University and an English undergraduate degree from the State University of New York atAlbany. She is barred in New York State and the Commonwealth of Virginia (Corporate Counsel).

Njeri Nginyo is a trusted advisor and purpose-oriented leader with over 20 years of success guiding transformational initiatives for national leading organizations.  She is an influential cross-functional change agent known for building top-performing teams and pioneering solutions that drive organizational health, profitability, and sustainability.  

Njeri joined ADP in 2006 and currently serves as the Vice President, Assistant General Counsel of the Global Contracts Team.  During her time at ADP, Njeri helped create ADP Compliance on Demand, an award-winning innovative product regarded as an industry differentiator and competitive asset.  In addition, Njeri designed and rolled out a division-wide compliance program and helped to assess and improve diversity and inclusion practices at ADP.  Perhaps most impactful, Njeri spearheaded an enterprise-wide process improvement initiative to clarify and ease the contracting experience for ADP’s upmarket clients that not only reduced the average contract cycle time by a remarkable 50% but also significantly increased client satisfaction scores and associate engagement alike.  

 Prior to her tenure at ADP, Njeri practiced law at the law firms of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Greenberg Traurig LLP where her practice focused on private equity M&A and corporate transactions.  Njeri holds an MBA in finance and management and a Juris Doctor from New York University and a joint bachelor’s degree of arts in Psychology and Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley.  

Njeri is the Chairwoman of ADP’s Women in Leadership, an organization for senior and executive women leaders at ADP, and is part of the Conference Board Leadership Council on Advancing Women.  In addition, she sits on the Steering Committee of Cultivate, ADP’s African American Business Resource Group, and is an active member of ADP Pride, ADP’s LGBTQ and Ally Business Resource Group, where in 2019 she was the co-captain of ADP’s participation in Cycle for the Cause, an epic 3-day, 275 mile bike ride from Boston to NYC in the fight to end HIV/AIDS.  Njeri was the 2020 Diversity Champion honoree of the Corporate Counsel Awards presented by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the Association of Corporate Counsel Georgia Chapter.  Njeri has a passion for professional and personal development and is #WorkingFor “Helping people reveal and achieve what is infinitely possible.”  

Monica serves as Associate General Counsel for Americas at Husqvarna Group, a global leader in outdoor power equipment industry.  In her role, Monica advises on corporate, business and contractual matters in North America and also manages the legal activities of the Group in Latin America.  As a woman, latina and immigrant, Monica is an enthusiast about DEI initiatives and due to that is part of the global DEI group of Husqvarna Group.  She has a great passion about encouraging other women to succeed in their career and in their personal lives, by making their own choices and having opportunities to shine.  Monica got her J.D. in Brazil and is licensed to practice in Brazil and in the U.S.  In addition, she has post grad studies in Business Law (FGV-SP, Brazil) and holds a MBA from Katz School of Business (University of Pittsburgh).  She currently lives in Charlotte with her husband and her dogdaughter.

Kasia Moore serves as Vice President & Deputy General Counsel – Commercial at ADT Inc. In her role she is responsible for the direction and management of the ADT Commercial legal team, as well as advising on strategy and business development opportunities. Kasia has spent her career advising large, multinational public companies, most recently at United Technologies leading global legal support for Carrier’s smart buildings portfolio. As the result of finding a rewarding path within majority-male industries, she is passionate about encouraging women seeking to grow and lead in these industries. She is currently an executive chair of ADT’s Women BERG where she leads the Outreach team whose mission is champion the needs of women and girls in ADT’s communities across the nation. Kasia is a graduate of Seattle University School of Law, and holds a Master of Science in Finance from Albers School of Business & Economics at Seattle University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington. She currently lives in South Florida with her husband, 7-year old daughter, and 3-year old son.

Sarah Hawk’s strategic mind and extensive understanding of current and emerging immigration legislation and trends have earned her national and international recognition. Sarah provides crucial immigration counsel to domestic and multinational companies in various industries such as healthcare, financial services, hospitality, higher education, and technology, among others

Melissa Cleary’s practice focuses on workers’ compensation. She has handled cases in the Civil District and Superior Courts of North Carolina, the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the North Carolina Industrial Commission and the EEOC. She has also handled matters in all three Federal District Courts in North Carolina and has appeared before the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Having practiced law for over 20 years, Melissa understands that each client’s needs are different, and she tailors her approach to meet their specific needs. Melissa presents continuing education seminars for clients on a regular basis and was the first female defense attorney in North Carolina to be inducted into the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. She has served in a number of leadership roles with the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network (NWCDN), including Vice President, Treasurer and Chair of the NWCDN’s Workers’ Compensation Symposium.

Outside of the office, Melissa enjoys working with animal rescue groups, playing tennis and traveling.

Ronni Michelle (Bright) Bryant is Assistant Associate General Counsel at the Morehouse School of Medicine, Office of General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.  In that capacity, Ms. Bryant handles matters in the areas of labor and employment, academic affairs, faculty affairs, risk management and corporate governance.  Prior to joining  the Morehouse School of Medicine, Office of General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Ms. Bryant’s practice focused in the area of civil litigation in the states of New York and New Jersey.   She began her career working as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Craig L. Wellerson, in the Superior Court of New Jersey – Civil Division.

Ms. Bryant is a member of the Georgia State Bar Association, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and Penn State Dickinson School of Law Alumni Association. As well, she previously served on the executive board of the Garden State Bar Association for several years. Outside of her legal practice, Ms. Bryant enjoys spending time with her family and is an avid runner. She regularly participates in the Peachtree Road Race and is a member of the Atlanta Track Club.

Theresa serves as Assistant General Counsel to Bacardi North America.  Bacardi is a family-owned company with a broad portfolio of brands including Bacardí Rum, Grey Goose Vodka, Patrón Tequila, Bombay Sapphire Gin, D’Ussé Cognac, and Angel’s Envy Bourbon. At Bacardi, Theresa advises on inter alia regulatory, commercial, corporate governance, and employment legal issues.  Prior to joining Bacardi, Theresa worked as an associate at White & Case LLP’s New York and Paris offices, and her practice focused on commercial and investor-state international arbitration. While at White & Case, Theresa also worked with the non-profit Her Justice to provide pro-bono legal services to women in the areas of family, matrimonial and immigration law. Theresa is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Harvard Environmental Law Review and the Women’s Law Association.  She received her Bachelor of Arts cum Laude from Amherst College.

Lisa A. Wade is a Swift Currie partner, who focuses her practice on workers’ compensation defense and has extensive experience confronting a range of complex challenges that arise in a claim. Wade represents a diverse roster of clients, including insurers, school systems, manufacturers, municipalities and more.

A leader in workers’ compensation, she has held several positions, including chairperson for the State Bar of Georgia’s Workers’ Compensation Section. At Swift Currie, she co-chairs the Community Relations Committee.

Nicole A. Eichberger is a partner in the Labor and Employment Law Department and head of the New Orleans office. She is a member of the Class & Collective Actions and Wage and Hour Groups. Nici is an experienced trial lawyer and represents clients in all types of employment-related matters, from single-plaintiff and complex employment to large, complex class and collective actions alleging discrimination, non-compete violations, and wage and hour disputes.

Nici has significant experience assisting clients in the defense of numerous class and collective actions. She frequently counsels employers, fiduciaries, and trustees on employment, wage and hour and benefit issues.

In addition to her litigation practice, Nici assists in conducting workplace investigations and audits related to discrimination, managerial training, non-competes and employee classification. She is adept to counseling clients on a wide array of issues including reviewing and drafting employee handbooks, wage and hour issues, employee leave and training policies.

She is a member of the Firm’s eDiscovery Group and advises clients on eDiscovery matters, including day-to-day preservation, investigations and litigation strategies.

Nici recently completed a three-year term was on the ABA’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono & Public Service and serves as the Pro Bono Co-Coordinator for Proskauer’s New Orleans office. She is a prolific writer, frequently contributing to Proskauer’s Law and the Workplace Blog and a sought-after speaker on collective/class action topics.