Kaiser Permanente to Host the 2012 NHCC Fall Member Meeting in Berkeley, Calif. -"Developing a Healthy Business Culture: An Innovative Approach to Thriving in Today's Marketplace"

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Hispanic Corporate Council, a non-profit organization, in partnership with corporate America since 1985, which provides its member companies a multi-layered approach and resources to maximize the diversity of the Hispanic market, will hold its 2012 Fall Member Meeting and CEO Forum, on Wednesday, Oct. 3 and Thursday, Oct. 4 in Berkeley, Calif. The focus of this two-day conference is "Developing a Healthy Business Culture: An Innovative Approach to Thriving in Today's Marketplace." Today's business environment is one of the most challenging we've faced. Beyond just the regular forecasts that businesses produce, we have interesting regulatory forecasts to produce, which could be equally impactful. However, even in the most challenging times, there are businesses that thrive and find new ways to grow. That doesn't happen by accident but because of purpose. We all want to find that purpose and nugget of inspiration and knowledge that creates the competitive edge.

Our Fall Membership Meeting has been designed to provide an opportunity to discover how to be purposeful and perhaps look at thriving in a totally different way. "Here at the NHCC we understand the needs of Corporate America and in 2012 we will continue to provide the educational resources needed to help our membership meet the challenges in an ever changing business environment. We ask our membership to take full advantage of the resources we offer; attend transformational member conferences that have been reformatted to provide a deep dive into subject matter across key responsibility areas to help managers, directors and executives continue to be prolific in business." said Pat Martinez, President & Chief Executive Officer. "This fall we will have concurrent tracks in Wellness as a Business Strategy and Social Media. We also have incorporated a Leadership Development Session customized for our membership attending the conference in conjunction with our CEO Forum.  We added additional value at the conference by incorporating an informal recruiting session with entry level Hispanic professionals from local universities and high schools that is sponsored by Walmart and serves to add another vital component to our goal of pipeline Hispanic talent development. We hold a unique space in leadership development and we continue to provide our membership with the resources and best practices they need to learn and drive their companies successfully."

Track 1 of our member meeting event will include a focus on maintaining a healthy workforce "Wellness as a Business Strategy" Presentation. Edgar Quiroz, National Director of Workforce Diversity, Kaiser Permanente, will moderate this session. Guest speaker is Dr. Frank Meza, Assistant Area Medical Director, Los Angeles and West Los Angeles Medical Centers. The panelists are: Jill Berger, Vice-President, Health & Welfare, Marriott International; Warren J. Moore, Divisional Health and Wellness Senior Director, Walmart; and Pamela French, Director, Global Benefits and Integration in Human Resources, Boeing. Lost productivity. High absenteeism. Low morale. These are the costs of overlooking the importance of inspiring the workforce to be physically, mentally and emotionally present in the workplace. In today's fiercely competitive environment and economy, organizations simply cannot afford to ignore the risk of expensive and increasing health care costs due to health care issues caused by an epidemic of inactivity. This track will explore the total bottom line impact of an unhealthy workforce.

Track 2 will include panel expert that will share their stories on successful best practices as it relates to social media.  The objective of the Social Media session will be to provide the participants insight into the impact social media has on business and communications. Technology has greatly impacted how organizations communicate with not only their consumers but also their employees.  A social shift in Internal and External Communications is taking place and now a significant number of Social Media platforms are redefining how small and large organizations can improve productivity and develop effective corporate communications. Experts and representatives from leading organizations will share case studies and presentations about how Social Media is changing the way "we do business" and communicate.  We will look at challenges and opportunities, time and resources required, and the results that can be achieved. Please join us in welcoming Manny Santos, Director of the Hispanic Division, MultiVu – A PR Newswire Company, who will be the moderator for the session. The presenters for session 1 are: Michael Pranikoff, Global Director – Emerging Media, PR Newswire; Holly Potter, Vice President of Brand Communication Kaiser Permanente and Jessica Lagala, Digital Strategist, TMP. Session 2 panelists are: Alejandro Hernandez, Senior Vice President, Wells Fargo; Catherine Hernandez, Vice President of Brand Communication, Kaiser Permanente; Michael Pranikoff, Global Director – Emerging Media, PR Newswire and Jessica Lagala, Digital Strategist, TMP.

The afternoon will highlight the NHCC In-School Program, NHCC Journey to Excellence Hispanic Leadership Pipeline, sponsored by Walmart.  Frank Alvarez, CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, will be the presenter for this session and will share his story on realizing your full potential and a young Latino leader.  NHCC will also be partnering with universities, colleges and this year with two high schools in the area to connect students from the different participating institutions to network, learn from each other, get to know professional Latino leaders and their professional experience, hear testimonials and share insights.   Energizing and building the future pipeline of Latino leaders is a commitment that should come from our entire society.  Just because Latinos are the fastest growing minority in the United States does not mean Latinos are the only one to build that pipeline.  It is the tradition and commitment of NHCC and its member organizations to join together in providing an interactive forum to inspire and encourage young Latinos to accomplish their goals.

The NHCC CEO Forum, "Conversations in the C-Suite" focused on healthcare disparities will be showcased on Thursday, October 4^th. Presenter: George Halvorson, CEO of Kaiser Permanente and Luke Visconti, CEO DiversityInc will lead sessions to discuss the healthcare environment and engage with NHCC members to identify key intersections between the healthcare challenge and the Hispanic/Latino world.  Not a day goes by without discussion of healthcare in the news or among leaders in the US. Closing the gap of healthcare disparities needs to be in the forefront of discussion in our society.  Industry leaders such as Kaiser Permanente are working to address the ways they are closing the gap in healthcare. Healthcare is more than just an industry; healthcare is uniquely intertwined with economic competitiveness, political and corporate leadership, technology and innovation, education, environmental advocacy, social responsibility, national security, and much more. Our "Conversations in the C-Suite" panelist is: Tony Barrueta, SVP of Government Relations, Kaiser Permanente, Louise McDonald of Herman Miller, President of Healthcare business and David A. Martinez, MD, founder and CEO of CLICKVIEW CORPORATION.

The afternoon will highlight an Interactive Leadership Workshop by Southern Methodist University – Cox School of Business.  Presenters: Jerry Magar, founding Director of Organizational Effectiveness with Southern Methodist University and Dr. Frank Lloyd, Associate Dean, Executive Education, will explore best practices on leading through change.  This session will explore the premise that regardless of the depth or intensity of change, we as humans react in very predictable ways.   You'll learn why the same behaviors that may have been effective in one environment, when transferred to the dynamics of change, can be not just ineffective but downright dangerous.  You will learn specific tools to help manage productivity and minimize disruption during times of change.  Operating from the belief that change is not just a one-time shot, but a way life...these principles create the capacity for individuals and organizations to not merely survive in the challenging times of change but to thrive in them.

The National Hispanic Corporate Council is a non-profit organization working with corporate America since 1985 to provide its member companies a multi-layered approach and resources to effectively maximize the diversity of the Hispanic market.  The NHCC offers programs such as the Corporate Executive Leadership Program, bi-annual conferences focusing on leadership, human resources, supplier diversity, marketing and community relations within the foundation of corporate social responsibility as well bringing the learning to your desktop with a series of webinars on "Leveraging Affinity Groups", "Conversations with the C-Suite" and "Lunch-n-Learns" with subject matter experts.  For more information, please visit www.nhcchq.org.

Contact :

Zuleika Cuevas
Vice President & Director of Operations
National Hispanic Corporate Council
1050 Connecticut Ave., NW 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
Office: 202-772-1100/Direct line: 202-528-7229/Fax: 202-772-3101

SOURCE National Hispanic Corporate Council