ASK THE EXPERT PANEL SERIES
Join Us Tuesday, August 16 From 1PM to 3PM
Are you searching for “EXPERT” advice on issues impacting work outcomes?
Are you seeking an “ANSWER” to a persistent workplace challenge?
Come and experience our diverse panel of experts eager to answer your questions and share their experience and wisdom on a wide-range of topics, including common culture challenges and ways to reduce resistance to change.
“If You Want To Change The Culture, You Will Have To Start By Changing The Organization” – Mary Douglas
Every organization has a culture. Culture is something that you cannot see, feel or touch, but is very real in the way it influences our daily lives. It is the glue that holds everyone together—the formal and informal way people work together to get things done. Culture can affect business outcomes in a number of ways, both positive and negative. Cultures that are not aligned with business strategy can lead to decreased loyalty, lack of motivation, and high employee turnover. Healthy cultures, however, impart pride and a sense of purpose to employees, leading to increased productivity and a greater understanding of business goals. High performance cultures consistently produce outstanding results, attract, motivate, retain top talent, and successfully adapt to changing conditions. To win the hearts and minds of leaders and employees, organizations must be strategic about how they approach the creation of a new workplace culture.
You Should Attend This Panel Discussion If…
- You are seeking to maintain employee morale within the boundaries of personnel and/or budget reductions
- You desire to cultivate leadership styles and techniques to increase trust among employees and work teams
- You are interested in improving existing cultural norms when inheriting new teams and/or workgroups
- You would like to foster a positive workplace climate to eliminate negative perceptions of pay equity and leader credibility
- You are seeking employee buy-in to reduce resistance to change
- You would like to leverage generational differences to build a robust change-implementation strategy
- You desire to create synergy among work groups to maximize opportunities for success
TaKasha L. Francis, Director, Department of Neighborhoods
TaKasha L. Francis was appointed by Mayor Sylvester Turner and unanimously confirmed by City Council as Director of the Department of Neighborhoods on March 25, 2016. A native Houstonian and graduate of Texas Southern University and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, she previously served as State of Texas Assistant Attorney General in the Child Support Division. She also founded The Francis Firm P.C., a boutique law firm specializing in family law and civil litigation.
As Director, Ms. Francis oversees the Department of Neighborhoods’ multi-faceted operations designed to improve quality of life for Houston residents through neighborhood cleanup and enhancement initiatives, citizen assistance, anti-gang and juvenile delinquency prevention programs for at-risk youth, services for immigrant and refugee communities and people with disabilities, and community outreach to promote civic engagement, diversity, cultural understanding and inclusiveness. A driven leader, Ms. Francis is highly committed to uplifting all neighborhoods and believes that everyone deserves a beautiful place to call home.
Benjamin Hernandez, Assistant Director, Health and Human Services Department
Benjamin Hernandez is an Assistant Director at the Houston Health Department. His executive leadership focuses on innovation, data-driven decision making and strong business principles which ensure financial stewardship. He oversees a combined budget of $150 million and provides financial vision to the organization. Benjamin has served in various capacities within the public health department including Deputy Assistant Director and Director of Performance Management. He previously served as a Policy Agenda Director for City Council.
Benjamin also plays a critical role within the Houston community. He serves on the Executive Board of the Beacon Day Center, an organization committed to Houston’s underserved and homeless. He oversees the Houston Health Foundation, which provides a funding stream of half a million dollars to support public health projects beyond the normal scope and capacity of city operations.
On a national level Benjamin has leadership roles within the top public health organizations. He serves on the Finance Committee and Audit Committee of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. He is also an executive board member of the American Public Health Association. He is also a current Marshall Memorial Fellow helping foster transatlantic relations between the United States and Europe.
Benjamin holds a Master of Business Administration degree and Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Rice University in Houston, Texas.
Viveca Sonberg, Senior Assistant Director, Public Works and Engineering Department
Viveca is a Senior Assistant Director with the Public Works and Engineering Department of the City of Houston. As the Chief Human Resources Officer, she oversees various responsibilities directly affecting the management of the workforce. These include organizational analysis, workforce planning, succession planning, talent management, performance development, employee relations, safety, security, and environmental hazard management, workers’ compensation, contract compliance and internal audits.
Viveca graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University Of Texas School Of Nursing. She worked for fifteen years in health care in a variety of roles and agencies in the Houston metropolitan area. While in nursing management roles, she found a love for the challenges of workforce management in the work place. With this passion and the expertise she gained, she progressed to an executive role at the Harris County Hospital District. Here, she served for eight years overseeing all aspects of compensation and salary administration for the multi-facility comprehensive health care organization.
In 1998, she proudly became a City of Houston employee. She joined the Human Resources Department overseeing Salary Administration, the Employee Assistance Program and Employee Records Management. Ten years ago, she transferred to Public Works and Engineering as the department’s chief human resources officer. Since that time, her responsibilities have expanded to include those noted above and serving as a member of the department’s senior executive leadership team.
She is nationally certified as a Compensation Professional and a HR Professional. She looks forward to sharing her experiences with you.
Karen Y. Williams, Assistant Director, Municipal Courts Department
Karen Y. Williams is Assistant Chief Clerk for the City of Houston Municipal Courts. Known for her innovative leadership style, she infuses technology, fun, and best practices into daily operations of the department for an enhanced customer experience and improved revenue collection. A twenty-year veteran at the City of Houston, she began her career as a librarian with the Houston Public Library rising through the ranks to Division Chief, she has since served as Assistant Director in the HITS Department and currently serves the City of Houston as Assistant Director & Assistant Chief Clerk for the Municipal Courts Department.
Locally and regionally, Karen is a member of the Houston’s Women Professionals in Government, Texas Court Clerks Association, and the Governmental Collectors Association of Texas. In 2016, Karen was requested to serve on the national board of directors for Coalition of American Court Collectors.
Community service is extremely important to Karen! She personally supports many local charities like St. Jude, March of Dimes and LIFE Houston. A 2016 BRAVO Award Winner, Karen is a life member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., currently serving as the President of the local Gamma Phi Sigma Chapter in Houston, TX; she serves as Co-Chair of the Centennial Committee and as a trustee for the National Education Fund.
She is a proud and active member and women’s ministry teacher at New Light Christian Center Church. Karen has degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Clark Atlanta University and has done continuing education at Rice University.
A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Karen is happily married to Dr. Santana M. Williams and the proud mother of Karsan and Kendall Williams.
We are your Center for Excellence!
Website: http://www.houstontx.gov/ldc/
Location: 4501 Leeland Street, Houston, TX, United States
Phone: 832-395-4900
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Twitter: @cohldc