Please join the Chamber Leadership Alliance (CLA) for the CLA Solidarity Program on June 8, 2021 during the opening ceremony of the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation's (USPAACC) 2021 CelebrASIAN Business + Procurement Conference!
Attendees will hear from CLA Executives about their commitment to the task of creating a more just society in which every member of our communities is safe, valued and fully recognized. This will be followed by a special panel discussion on Leadership and Solidarity.
Panel Discussion on Leadership and Solidarity: Affiliate Chamber Leaders from the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the US Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), and the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC) will discuss best practices, struggles, and challenges they have experienced in light of the growing discourse around violence and hate against diverse communities. Be a part of the conversation around the importance of expressing solidarity among minority communities and inclusive leadership.
Please enter access code CLA2021 in order to register below.
Meet the Panelists
Kellie Parkin
Executive Director
The Pride Chamber Orlando
As executive Director of The Pride Chamber (formerly MBA Orlando), Kellie draws from her extensive background in business development and journalism to help lead the LGBTQ business equality movement in Greater Orlando.
Working with a dedicated board of directors, Kellie has transformed The Pride Chamber since her arrival in 2016. The organization was honored by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) as the 2017 Chamber of the Year, for outstanding growth, sustainability and leadership. In 2018 Kellie was recognized as one of Business Equality Network’s National Top 40 LGBTQ Leaders Under 40. At NGLCC’s 2019 International Business and Leadership Conference, Kellie was honored with the inaugural Affiliate Chamber Leader of the Year Award. Most recently, Kellie was recognized during the 2020 pride month by U.S. Congressman Darren Soto as a distinguished leader in Central Florida.
Kellie served on the taskforce to formally establish the One Orlando Alliance, a 501(c)(3) organization unifying the LGBTQ+ community of Central Florida with a coalition of local non-profits. She is a member of the HCCMO Supplier Diversity Council and serves on Mayor Buddy Dyer’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission. Kellie also volunteers with the Central Florida Freethought Community (CFFC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the separation of state and church.
Veta Jeffery
President
Heartland St. Louis Chamber
Veta T. Jeffery has spent her life fighting for the rights of others. Veta began her professional career advocating for the rights of individuals with disabilities. Her conflict resolution abilities allowed her to serve families by helping them to successfully navigate through education, employment, building and housing issues. She went on to spend 18 years working in the financial services industry as a licensed professional and the Manager of Financial Services, where she ran agencies gaining national recognition. She was a business owner for 10 years where she earned a 6-figure income running a business. She received awards and recognition for her ability to develop strong leaders in business and community affairs and positioned them to serve as ambassadors offering a voice to the voiceless. Mrs. Jeffery identifies as a Servant Leader and her desire is to be positioned to help facilitate avenues for others to have access. She has had the opportunity to travel nationally speaking on behalf of various corporations where her role was to bridge diversity gaps; teach others to be financially independent and develop economic development programs for individuals and communities. Her passion is in growing, strengthening and building communities and families.
In taking a brief leave of absence from the Financial Services Community, Mrs. Jeffery went on to work on a Special Assignment following Ferguson under Governor Nixon serving as Manager of Community Development in the Office of Community Engagement and Department of Community and Economic Development. In this role she served on many significant projects with the most notable being her creation of the Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce.
She currently serves in a dual role as a Senior Vice President of Community and Economic Development for Midwest BankCentre and the Executive Director of the Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce. In her current position, Mrs. Jeffery identifies success as when she positions individuals or business owners to have access and/or opportunity. The mission of the Chamber is to make an economic impact on the St. Louis region by organizing the black business community and creating an echo system through which we can build capacity for these owners. She currently serves on the advisory board for The Empowerment Network where part of their mission is to heighten awareness of every level addressing Prostate Cancer and she sits on the Board Nationally for the US Black Chambers, Inc. Mrs. Jeffery is married to Pastor Tony Jeffery, Pastor of The Center of Life Christian Church and they are the proud parents of two beautiful girls, Ishmaiah age 18 and Toni age 8.
John Pacheco
President
Latino Chamber of Commerce Minnesota
John is a corporate foundation executive with exceptional strategic skills and a proven ability to synchronize corporate goals with community needs, benchmark results, and streamline operations with new technology. He keeps strong community ties and has a long history of public service. He is experienced in building and empowering diverse teams, as well as offering a strategic and innovative approach to new challenges. He is a high energy individual with a genuine commitment to diversity, inclusion, and empowerment. He has experience leading non-profit, public, and for-profit public affairs efforts.
Sheetal Desai
President
USPAACC Southeast Regional Chapter
Sheetal Desai is an accomplished attorney and partner at The Trusted Lawyers, a Desai Law Group, PC. Her areas of practice include commercial transactions, real estate, corporate law and commercial litigation. A product of the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, Wisconsin, Sheetal began her professional career in Chicago. Two years later, she married Ritesh ("Rick") Desai and moved to the Atlanta area where she has been practicing law ever since.
Sheetal Desai has worked closely with many business and community leaders through her service as a public relations lead for BAPS Atlanta. She is the current President of the Southeast Chapter of the US Pan-Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC-SE). Sheetal has held various leadership position such as an advisory board member for United Way – Gwinnett and a member of the Community Outreach Board for Gwinnett County. Mrs. Desai has also volunteered her legal services for such causes as Asian Pacific American Council (APAC) and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA).
Sheetal and her husband are the proud parents of three beautiful daughters. She enjoys cooking, exploring local and state parks, travelling and spending time with her family.