LEDA Celebrates Year of Advancing Diverse Leadership in America

NEW YORK, May 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), announced today that it will honor three leaders as part of its Annual Celebration on May 26, 2021: Dr. Garland Castañeda, Hospitalist at Alameda Inpatient Medical Inc.; Lisa Osborne Ross, U.S. Chief Executive Officer at Edelman; and Ken Bouyer, Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting at EY Americas. Sade Baderinwa, WABC-TV anchor, will also be in attendance as a special guest.   

LEDA is the preeminent national nonprofit organization dedicated to diversifying the national leadership pipeline. LEDA helps high-achieving students from under-resourced backgrounds gain admission to the country's most selective colleges and supports their success at these institutions and beyond.

Dr. Lamont Gordon, Executive Director of LEDA, said, "This past year has amplified the dire need for equitable and effective resources so that students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to become our country's next generation of leadership."

Dr. Gordon continued, "We have been hard at work ensuring that LEDA Scholars receive the highly personalized guidance they need to navigate the college admissions process, succeed once they get on campus, and ultimately chart a course to a successful and rewarding career and a positive impact on their communities. LEDA's success is measured by the success of LEDA Scholars, Career Fellows, and alumni, which is why it is such a privilege to honor LEDA alumni Dr. Garland Castañeda at this year's Annual Celebration. Garland's story and his ultimate achievements underscore the importance of our mission and work."

2021 Annual Celebration Honorees

Dr. Garland Castañeda is a Hospitalist at Alameda Inpatient Medical Inc. and a LEDA Cohort 2 Scholar. He was born in Modesto, California where he grew up playing soccer and the saxophone. As a member of LEDA's Cohort 2, he had the opportunity to walk the halls of elite colleges and attend LEDA's Aspects of Leadership Summer Institute. LEDA inspired him to dream big, which led to his interest and future enrollment at Princeton University.

Garland graduated with a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology and minors in neuroscience and environmental studies from Princeton University. Garland then went on to the University of Colorado School of Medicine and graduated with honors in 2015.

Lisa Osborne Ross is U.S. Chief Executive Officer at Edelman and a leading voice in public affairs and issues management, as well as a favored counselor to the C-suite. She was instrumental in establishing Edelman's Racial Justice Task Force, counseling clients on DEI and multicultural outreach engagements that are helping to dismantle systemic racism and drive equity.

An industry, government and White House veteran, Ross joined Edelman as president of the D.C. office before becoming U.S. Chief Operating Officer. Prior to Edelman, Ms. Ross served as Managing Director of APCO Worldwide's flagship office for over two years, arriving there after a 15-year career at Ogilvy Public Relations that spanned multicultural and public affairs. Prior to joining Ogilvy, Ms. Ross held several roles in the Clinton Administration.

Ms. Ross devotes considerable amounts of time to her philanthropic endeavors and serves on numerous boards, including the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Meridian International Center and PRSA Foundation. She co-founded and led the Washington Area Women's Foundation, which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fund grassroots organizations addressing the needs of women and young girls throughout the Washington metropolitan area. At Howard University, she helped establish a scholarship fund for students seeking careers in public relations. She is also a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Mr. Ken Bouyer is EY Americas Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting. In this role, Ken develops and implements the recruiting strategy to build and attract diverse and inclusive talent pools for EY Americas member firms.

Ken has served in a variety of roles since joining the Assurance practice of Ernst & Young LLP in 1990. Prior to his current role, Ken was a leader in the US firm's Consulting Services practice, supporting various global internal audit clients. Ken is a member of the Executive Leadership Council and serves on the Board of Trustees for his alma mater, Manhattan College.

Ken earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Manhattan College. He is a Certified Internal Auditor and member of the AICPA.

Sade Baderinwa is an anchor of WABC-TV's top-rated Eyewitness News at 5:00 and 11:00. She joined the Eyewitness News team in 2003 as a reporter and anchor of Eyewitness News at Noon.

Sade came to Channel 7 from Baltimore's WBAL-TV, where she anchored the morning and noon newscasts and hosted a weekly community affairs show. Earlier in her career, she was a reporter for WSLS in Roanoke, Virginia; a reporter trainee at WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C.; and a production assistant for ABC News' This Week with David Brinkley, Nightline, World News Tonight, and ABC News NewsOne.

Sade is a big believer in giving back to her community. She has worked with numerous Tri-State area organizations, community leaders and students. Sade has also created and developed a successful mentoring program called "Get 'Reel' With Your Dreams: The Inside Track." It exposes high school students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to top professionals in film and television. Her partners in this initiative include The Walt Disney Company, WABC-TV, Lincoln Center Institute and New York Women in Film and Television.

Sade is a native of Baltimore and a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park.

More details about the 2021 Annual Celebration, including registration, is available at ledascholars.org.

About LEDA

Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) empowers a community of exceptional young leaders from under-resourced backgrounds by supporting their higher education and professional success in order to create a more inclusive and equitable country. LEDA's vision is an inclusive and equitable America where leadership reflects, celebrates, and supports diverse perspectives.

LEDA's programs comprise a longitudinal initiative designed to aid students in their efforts to access the leadership pipeline. LEDA provides students with the tools necessary to succeed in college, in their careers and beyond. This program trajectory includes the LEDA Scholars Program, LEDA Career and Alumni Services, and LEDA Policy Project.

Please visit our website or follow LEDA on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Contact info:
Maura Carroll
[email protected]  
917-285-3974

SOURCE Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA)

Related Links

https://ledascholars.org/