Chamber News Release

Building off the success of its inaugural year, Greater Rochester Chamber is excited to share the 2024 cohort of its annual DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Leadership Exchange program. This year, twelve local leaders and changemakers will be welcomed to this exclusive space to share ideas, skills, and strategies to shape business practices and make a meaningful difference in their organizations and the broader Greater Rochester community. 

Facilitator Sesha Yalamanchili is a seasoned leadership consultant and trainer with nearly two decades of experience. She specializes in providing leaders with tools and resources to make an immediate impact in their organizations. 

Greater Rochester Chamber President & CEO Bob Duffy said, “We are excited to play a role in shaping so many inclusive changemakers in the Greater Rochester region by bringing back our DEI Leadership Exchange program in 2024. Multiple participants are returning for a second year, which speaks to the importance of candid, meaningful conversations around DEI and the impact they can have on local organizations. We are eager to see how bringing together even more DEI leaders will continue to uplift our entire community.” 

The Greater Rochester Chamber DEI Leadership Exchange 2024 cohort includes: 

• Sady Alvarado-Fischer, VP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield 
• Tracy Archie, Chief DEI Officer, Regional Transit Service 
• Sydney Bell, Manager, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, ESL Federal Credit Union 
• Dan Butler, Chief Equity Officer, City of Rochester 
• Natasha Dicks, Sr. Human Resource Consultant, Rochester Housing Authority 
• Renee Elwood, DEI Lead, L3Harris Technologies, Communication Systems 
• Zahira Jimenez, Director of Engagement & Internal Communications, PathStone Corporation 
• Maureen Merson, Geotechnical Project Engineer, LaBella Associates 
• Jen Moritz, Senior Copy Editor, Dixon Schwabl + Company 
• April Purdie, Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. 
• Susanna Speed, Supportive Services Manager, Trillium Health 
• Julio Talledo, Director of Military Equal Opportunity, Air National Guard/RIT 

For more information and to register your interest for the 2025 program, please visit the DEI Leadership Exchange program page.