ThursdayJuly31,2025 �� San Antonio, TX
TheH-E-BDiversity&InclusionSummitisadayofeducation, conversation,andconnection.
HostedbytheDiversity&InclusionDepartment,theSummitprovides aplatformthatsparksimportantdialogue,bringsdiversityeducation totheforefront,andgeneratesawarenessamongPartnersondiversity andinclusiontopicsthatimpactourbusinessandthecommunitieswe serve.
Partnerswilllearnaboutdiversityandinclusiontrendsandtopics fromH-E-Bleadersanddiversityandinclusionexperts.Wewillalso recognizePartnerswhohavegoneaboveandbeyondwhileservingas DiversityChampionsandasRegionalDiversityLeadershipCouncil members.
WehopeyouenjoytheSummitandtakekeylearningsbackwithyou. Pleaseletusknowhowwedidtodaybytakingthissurveyattheend oftheday.
AtH-EB,webelieve thatEachandEvery PersonCounts.We embraceacultureof belongingand advanceour commitmenttobea betteremployer, retailerand communitypartner. Themissionofthe Diversity&Inclusion Departmentisto educate,celebrate, anddrivepositive changeinour workforce, workplace,and marketplacethat advancesH-E-B’score businessstrategies.
Diversity Team
Diversity Steering Team
AbelMartinez
GVPMarketing&Payments, H-E-B
GVPMarketing&Payments, H-E-B
MayerlandHarris GroupVPHuman Resources,H-E-BFood Drug&JoeVs&MiTienda
SteveMount Sr VPCorporateLaw&Headof EnterpriseRisk,H-E-B
AshwinNathan
Afternoon Agenda
11:45a.m.–1p.m. Excellence in Diversity Awards Luncheon
1–2p.m. SupportingVeterans: ARecipeforResilience
2–2:15p.m. Break 2:15–3p.m. TheJourneyContinues:Diversity,Inclusion& theRoadtoBelonging
3–3:30p.m.
Anchored:BecauseEach&EveryPersonCounts
3:30–4p.m.
ClosingRemarks
Caring for Ourselves and Our Communities in the Face of D&I Fatigue
KeishaRay
Bioethicist.MedicalHumanitiesScholar.MedicalSchoolProfessor. Philosopher.PublicSpeaker.Author.HealthEquityAdvocate
ProfessorKeishaRay,PhDiscurrentlyatenuredAssociateProfessorandholdsthe JohnP.McGovern,MDProfessorshipofOslerianMedicineattheMcGovernCenterfor Humanities&EthicsatUTHealthHouston.MostofDr.Ray’sworkfocusesontheeffects ofinstitutionalracismonBlackpeople'shealth,highlightingBlackpeople'sownstories. Herworkuniquelyprioritizeslinguisticjusticeasamatterofaccessandcommitmentto publicscholarship.Basedonherexpertise,Dr.Rayisfrequentlycalleduponasa bioethicsexpertforpopularnewssourcessuchastheNewYorkTimesandStatNews. Dr.Rayisalsotheauthorofthebook“BlackHealth:TheSocial,Political,andCultural DeterminantsofBlackPeople’sHealth[global.oup.com]”withOxfordUniversity Press.UTHealthHouston
Supporting Veterans: A Recipe for Resilience
OliviaValerio, H-E-BMilitaryBridges
JohnnyMojica, PublicAffairsManager, H-E-BOperationAppreciation
RobertE.StrongJr. AirForceStaffSergeantandintelligenceanalyst whoservedinIraqwit dNavySEALTeams.Afterhismilitaryservice, heearnedaB.A.inHis y y e.In2012,RobertlaunchedthePrettyThaifora WhiteGuyfoodtruck,whichevolvedintoPrettyThai®SpecialtySauces&Spices.Thebrand'ssuccess ledtoexpansionintonearly1,000retaillocationsnationwideandrecognitionasanH-E-BQuestfor TexasBestFinalist.Heisalsotheco-founderofWingmanKitchens,asharedkitchenincubator,anda founder/directorofthePalmerNicklausFoundation,anonprofitsupportingCHDandHeterotaxy Syndromeawarenessinmemoryofhisson.EveryPrettyThai®productcontributestothismission.
RoyceSimmonsisanaward-winningentrepreneur,militaryveteran,anddedicatedcommunity advocate.HeproudlyservedintheArmyasanAvionicsTestEquipmentTechnicianbeforea distinguished40-yearcareeratLockheedMartin,wherehehelddiverseleadershiprolesinoperations, engineering,andasaunionleaderbuildingmilitaryfighterjets.Afterretiringin2022,Roycelaunched BrisketBossLLC.Hissignatureproduct,"BrisketBossSavoryPeachMolassesseasoning,"quickly becameanH-E-BQuestforTexasBestfinalistin2023andisnowsoldinDFWH-E-Bstores.
ModeratedbyCrystalRoyal,SupplierDiversityManager
RobertE.StrongJr. PrettyThai RoyceSimmons BrisketBoss
The Journey Continues:
Diversity, Inclusion & the Road to Belonging
AneeqBaqai,AdvancedQualitative ResearchManager,CustomerInsights AAPIPRG(SanAntonio)
RonnieGaonaRudesal, CorporateProgramManager,Human Resources|PridePRG (MWTSanAntonio)
TopStoreLeader,Brownsville3| CorporateDiversityLeadership Council(Border)
SamArciniega, GeneralManager,Summerwood| CorporateDiversityLeadership Council(Houston)
Moderators:
DeannBohannan, RegionalTalentDevelopment Supervisor|BOLDPRG(NWFD)
NigelNdimande, StoreLeader,Kirkwood| CorporateDiversityLeadership Council(Houston)
Anchored:
Because Each & Every Person Counts
Winell Herron Sr. Vice President of Public Affairs, Diversity and Environmental Affairs
Excellence in Diversity Awards
TheDiversityChampionAwardisgiventoaPartnerthatis currentlyservingintheroleofDiversityChampionandhas goneaboveandbeyondthestandardexpectationsofa champion.
TheRegionalDiversityExcellenceAwardisgiventoa Partnerwhohasmadeasignificantcontributionthrough supportand/oradvocacytotheirregionalcouncilincarrying outBetheChangediversityandinclusioninitiatives.
TheCorporateExcellenceAwardisgiventoamemberofthe CorporateDiversityLeadershipCounciloraPartnerwho servesasanambassadorandisselectedbytheDiversity& InclusionDepartment.ThisPartnerhasprovidedvisionand leadershiptohelpexecuteCDLCsignatureevents,strategic initiatives,andcompanyprogramslikeBetheChange.
Congratulations
2025 Diversity Champion Award Recipients!
SuzyMacgray (CentralMarket)
(Border:Laredo/SW)
EricaGahl (CentralTexas)
ClaudiaCastroYingling (CorpAdmin)
AmandaGuerra (CorpAdmin:Wellness)
(CorpAdmin:Wellness)
(CorpAdmin:Wellness)
RocioMartinez
ArlenAyala
VanessaHenriquez (Houston)
LaurieMoran (SanAntonio)
NilseCarrillo
SarahVerdejo (Houston)
ColeKuczmarski (NWFD)
2025 Regional Diversity Leadership Award Recipients!
CherishCalero (CentralTexas)
KatieCollins (CorpAdmin:Wellness)
SandraGarcia (CorpAdmin)
JasmineDeleon (CorpAdmin:Wellness)
LasaundrissBarrow (Houston)
SandraTezino (Houston)
KathyRitchie (SanAntonio)
SamGonzales (NWFD)
PattyRuiz (MightyGulfCoast)
RosieBlanco (Border:Laredo/SW)
VictorAnthonyHernandez (NWFD)
BORDER: LOWER VALLEY
BORDER: UPPER VALLEY
MelissaMartinez DiversityCouncilChair Laredo/SW(Border)
BerthaMena DiversityCouncilCo-Chair Laredo/SW(Border)
PaulaCarrasco DiversityCouncilCo-Chair Laredo/SW(Border)
ErmaEsparza DiversityCouncilChair LowerValley(Border)
PatriciaViera DiversityCouncilChair UpperValley(Border)
StephenLenoir DiversityCouncilChair CentralMarket
VermeylenKoen DiversityCouncilChair CentralMarket
RobertoReyes DiversityCouncilChair CentralTexas
CamillaPaz CouncilCo-Chair CentralTexas
ChristaAldrich DiversityCouncilCo-Chair CorporateAdmin
SandraGarcia DiversityCouncilChair CorporateAdmin LyricMetroplos CouncilCo-Chair CorporateAdmin (Digital)
KatieCollins CouncilCo-Chair CorporateAdmin (Wellness)
JasmineDeleon DiversityCouncilCo-Chair CorporateAdmin (Wellness)
NormaArriola DiversityCouncilChair CorporateAdmin (Digital)
NigelNdimande DiversityCouncilChair Houston
AndreanaHebert DiversityCouncilCo-Chair HFDWest
DalilaBelmares CouncilCo-Chair LowerValley(Border) PujaMistry DiversityCouncilChair CorporateAdmin (Wellness)
JohnHall CouncilCo-Chair HFDSouth
SandraTezino CouncilCo-Chair HFDCentral
DiegoZamora DiversityCouncilChair NWFD-North
GabrielSalinas DiversityCouncilChair MightyGulfCoast
SarahPerez DiversityCouncilCo-Chair MightyGulfCoast
BrandonKizzee DiversityCouncilChair MWT
KatiaAguirre DiversityCouncilCo-Chair MWT
LinaSanchez-Linares DiversityCouncilCo-Chair NWFD-Metro
CarolinaOlvera DiversityCouncilCo-Chair NWFD-West
EdwardKennedy DiversityCouncilChair SanAntonio
LisaRamirez DiversityCouncilCo-Chair SanAntonio
EmilyHasslocher DiversityCouncilCo-Chair SanAntonio
Supplier Diversity Council & Champions
JohnHanley
ThomasHolmes
BenMiller
ElizabethTschirhart
ReneAlarcon
RolandoGarcia
AlejandroTirado
BlakeGardner
AbbieMeyers
BiancaSevilla
RigobertoGonzalez
Learnmoreaboutthesuppliersinyourgoodiebag! Hover over each supplier for a link.
AnnieLeal, ILoveChamoy(McAllen,TX) 2024QuestforTexasBest GrandPrizeWinner
Ashley Cameron, Love & Cookies (Leander, TX)
Kristine&Jess, Nufs(Austin,TX)
Lisa & Lee Helfman, Brightside Snacks (Houston, TX)
TheLindaD.Jimenez(LDJ)DiversityLeadershipAwardwasestablishedin2001tonot onlyrecognizetheframeworkthatLindaputtogetherforH-E-B,butalsotohonorher legacyofdiversityandinclusionthatlivestodaythrougheveryPartner’sactions.
“Movingforward,H-E-B'sdiversityandinclusionjourneywillcontinuetoevolveandI challengeyoutocontinueraisingthebar,”Lindasaidinaletterin2015.“Whileweall shouldtakegreatprideinwhatwehaveaccomplishedtogether,wemustlookbeyond theaccomplishmentstoavoidcomplacency.Ichallengeyoutocontinuouslyidentify newstrategiesandopportunitiestodriveH-E-B'scommitmenttodiversityand inclusiondeeperintoyourWorkforce,WorkplaceandMarketplace.”
Linda’scontributionstoH-E-Bareendless.Shespearheadedtheseprogramstouching manylivesalongthewayandleavingalastingimpressionwithherpeersthroughout herremarkableandfabledcareeratH-E-B.ViewtheLDJawardwinnersonthenext pageandreadmoreaboutherstoryhere.
