2021 University System of Georgia Staff Council Conference Hosted by Georgia Tech Staff Council

The 2021 University System of Georgia (USG) Staff Council Conference was hosted by Georgia Tech Staff Council Oct. 7 and 8.

The annual conference gathers council members from across USG’s 26 institutions to discuss best practices and significant topics to share with and engage its staff constituents. This year’s conference, titled “Reboot: Evolution, Innovation, & Resilience,” spotlighted employee career development, emotional intelligence, resilience, and diversity.

The two-day event featured networking, information expos, and more than a dozen area-expert speakers. Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera, USG Acting Chancellor Teresa MacCartney, and 2021 Staff Council Chair Quinae Ford welcomed attendees to the virtual event.

“We are so pleased to host this year’s conference and be able to welcome you virtually to Georgia Tech,” Ford said. “Over the course of these next two days, we hope you will gain some insight and takeaways that you can share with your campus to continue to evolve and grow.”

Conference speakers included Georgia Tech’s Pearl Alexander, executive director, Staff Diversity, Inclusion & Engagement; Jason Brewer, AV/IT support professional supervisor, Office of Information Technology; Byron Fitch, senior consultant, Strategic Consulting; Sterling Dunkley, senior talent consultant, Human Resources; Kelly Fox, executive vice president for Administration and Finance; Kim Harrington, chief human resources officer; Will Jimerson, director, human resources, Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts; Shamecia Powers, assistant director of administrative operations, Office of International Education; and Rachel Watts, senior training generalist for Georgia Tech Professional Education.

Other speakers were author and Georgia Tech first lady Beth Cabrera; USG’s Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Juanita Hicks; and LuWanna Williams, interim associate vice president of Student Engagement and director for the Center for Student Engagement at Fort Valley State University.

The conference concluded with a University System of Georgia Staff Council quarterly meeting, led by 2021 USG Staff Council Chair David Brown, who also served as 2019 chair of Tech's Staff Council.

Next year’s annual conference will be hosted by Georgia Gwinnett College.

To learn more about Georgia Tech Staff Council, visit staffcouncil.gatech.edu.