Building a Sense of Belonging- Open to HCC Faculty & Staff

Sofia B. Pertuz is the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and Senior Advisor for JED Campus. Sofia joined JED with over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, assessment, inclusive excellence, and critical incident management in higher education. She most recently served as Associate Vice President and Dean of Students at Hofstra University. Sofia has been an invited speaker to international audiences on topics in leadership, change management, social justice, and LGBTQ advocacy, including delivering keynotes in Spanish. Sofia completed a B.A. degree in Organizational Communication from State University of New York at New Paltz and earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Management, and Policy, both from Seton Hall University.

Ebony Fleming is a media and communications strategist with a career spanning more than a decade in broadcast, print, and online news. 

She currently serves as Director of Communications for BakerRipley, one of the Houston region's largest nonprofits- providing comprehensive resources and services to underserved communities and crushing the inequities that create barriers to self-sufficiency.

Ebony’s communications philosophy is built on the idea that it is through the sharing of experiences that genuine connection and understanding are nurtured, and a space for transformation is found.

She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Norfolk State University and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs.