Sometimes the long haul is long, said 95-year-old activist Opal Lee, who worked for four decades for the recognition of Juneteenth as a national holiday.

“Groups want options and they want to feel confident that we can accommodate them,” said Monique Wise, director of sales and marketing at Indiana Convention Center, in the latest profile from our series highlighting female leaders at event facilities.

A desire “to make a meaningful change” led T. Taubie Motlhabane to her role as the CEO of Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.

Yolanda Simmons Battle, senior manager, meetings at AHIMA and one of this year’s PCMA Groundbreaker Award nominees, shares how she has found success through asking questions, listening, and bringing her own seat to the table so others can follow.

Social justice issues have everything to do with the environment, environmental justice advocate Wanjiku ‘Wawa’ Gatheru told the PCMA Convening Leaders 2022 audience in Las Vegas, ‘and the environment has everything to do with me.’

Kimberly Lewis, board chair of clean energy nonprofit Groundswell, spoke with Convene about finding her calling, uplifting diverse communities into leadership roles, and making events people-centric.

Visit Baltimore President and CEO Al Hutchinson is grateful for the opportunities he has had in the travel and tourism business. At the same time, he’s seeking ways to make CVBs — and the communities they serve — more equitable, diverse, and inclusive.

The second edition of Uplifting Impact’s inclusion and allyship summit will be held virtually Oct. 4-6, with an emphasis on sparking joy.

Melissa Cherry has made a career out of telling destinations’ often overlooked stories of diverse communities. In her new role with Miles Partnership, she’s using her 25 years of tourism experience to help organizations make DEI part of every conversation.

After stumbling into association management, Mason turned barriers into opportunities and used her platform to elevate others who are underrepresented. She now leads ASAE as president and CEO.

As Visit Sacramento’s chief of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Sonya Bradley is applying her marketing and communications background at the bureau she has served for 19 years to social justice issues — locally and more broadly.

Earlier this year, Dzidra Junior left her long-term and high-level position at MGM Resorts International for a new role at the charitable nonprofit YMCA of the Rockies. She spoke with Convene about her time in the industry and her big career move.