July 15, 2020 | 1:00 PM EDT | bit.ly/CSCwebcast-doingtherightthing
Since the murder of George Floyd and the “Battle of Lafayette Square,” Diversity & Inclusion has taken center stage in a way that it hasn’t since the great Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. On social media, the Black Lives Matter protests have generated far more conversation than all other social issues – abortion, immigration, gun control, and #MeToo – combined. This is not a passing moment but an historic crossroads. Companies have and are changing but most are asking, “We want to do the right thing but don’t fully know what or how?” There are no easy answers but paths are beginning to emerge. Join a panel of communications and legal experts who will explore the internal changes that need to be made and the external communications that is required.
Kurt Bardella, a Senior Strategist with LEVICK, has been a 
strategic communications advisor and media relations consultant for 16 years. He has worked with local, state, and federal government officials as well as a broad array of private enterprises, trade associations, and national media corporations. Kurt brings to LEVICK’s clients a unique understanding of the intersection of communications and public perception in a rapidly evolving media landscape. Throughout his career, Kurt has advised politicians, CEOs, entertainers, and media figures during crisis situations. Kurt is currently an MSNBC & NBC NEWS THINK contributor as well as a member of USA Today’s Board of Contributors.
Neil Foote is founder and CEO of Foote Communications, LLC, a Dallas-based public relations, marketing and communication firm. Foote has nearly 40 years of experience working in various forms of media as journalist (Miami Herald, Washington Post), sales manager and Internet strategist (Dallas Morning News/Belo Corp.) and public relations professional (Tom Joyner/Reach Media). As a veteran media executive, Foote is widely versed in the evolution of the Internet and its impact on traditional media and how best to develop a strategy to develop new editorial strategies and business models for media outlets. Additionally, Foote is principal lecturer at the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas and co-director of the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference.
Bill Ide, a Partner with Akerman LLP, is a veteran corporate 
strategist and trusted advisor to public and private companies, nonprofits, and public sector agencies. Clients turn to Bill for counsel on crisis response, corporate stewardship, reputation and risk management strategy and corporate governance. With an extensive history of representing boards and senior leadership in crisis and risk situations, Bill’s practice focuses on providing independent counsel to clients by investigating facts, providing critical legal guidance and, when appropriate, objective remediation recommendations. A leader in the business and legal communities, Bill previously served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Monsanto Company, counsel to the United States Olympic Committee and president of the American Bar Association.
Chris Jackson, Senior Vice President with Ipsos, is an expert on 
American electoral and public polling with a deep background in the American political system. Chris has worked across an extensive range of research subjects – including technology, healthcare, policy, energy and consumer issues – and mastered a wide range of research techniques. Chris’s research specialties include public opinion trends, election polling, strategic communications research and reputation research. He works with an array of public and private sector clients including Thomson Reuters, USA Today, and ABC News, and he is a spokesperson for Ipsos Public Affairs in the US. Chris has been a commentator in major news outlets in the United States and abroad, including USA Today, Reuters, BuzzFeed, BBC, Sky News, and CBS, as well as original commentary from Ipsos.
Derede McAlpin, Senior Vice President & Head of Litigation 
with LEVICK, has more than 20 years of media and communications experience. Derede represents clients facing high profile crisis and litigation issues, including regulatory matters, cyber incidents, class actions, corporate scandals, and sexual misconduct allegations, among others. An oft-quoted authority on complex communications, legal and business issues, Derede is frequently sought-after by organizations to speak on challenging issues confronting corporations and has contributed commentary on global business and crisis issues for such media outlets as NBC Nightly News; Thomson Reuters; the Washington Post’s NFL blog, The League; Locker Room Magazine; Canadian Broadcast Network; Canadian Lawyer InHouse and American Lawyer Media publications, among others.
Richard Levick, Esq. is Chairman & CEO of LEVICK, 
representing countries and companies in the highest-stakes global communications matters – the Venezuelan crisis; Qatar; the Chinese trade war; the Gulf oil spill; Guantanamo Bay, the Catholic Church and many others. Mr. Levick was honored multiple times on the prestigious list of “The 100 Most Influential People in the Boardroom” and has been named to multiple professional Halls of Fame for lifetime achievement. He is the co-author of four books and is a regular commentator on television and in print. Mr. Levick speaks all over the world; at West Point, The Army War College and teaches at Fordham Law School and Wake Forest School of Law. Richard was recently named an Executive Affiliate with the Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University School of Business.