09:00 AM - 10:00 AM (Pacific)
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (Mountain)
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Central)
12:00 PM - 01:00 PM (Eastern)

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Zoom invitation will be shared the day before the event.

Overview

While we can all agree that adding diversity, equity and inclusion to a private company board is the right thing to do, what is the business case for achieving a greater level of integration on a board?  This program will provide answers to this question and much more from our esteemed guest speaker Beatrice Louissaint. 

Thank you to our National and Gold Chapter Sponsors!

Speaker

Beatrice Louissaint President and CEO Florida State Minority Supplier Council

Beatrice is the President & CEO of the Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council, one of 23 affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. The mission of the FSMSDC is to foster the growth of minority businesses in Florida. FSMSDC acts as a liaison between Minority Business Enterprises and corporate members, including such prominent Florida companies as JM Family Enterprises, Florida Power & Light, The Walt Disney Company, Duke Energy, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa General Hospital and AT&T. Under Beatrice’s leadership, the FSMSDC has linked minority firms to more than $11 billion in procurement sales.

Beatrice’s many awards and recognitions for community service and leadership include induction into Miami Dade College’s Hall of Fame, being listed as one of “The 100 Most Influential Black People, Miami-Dade County’s Women’s Leadership Award and the National Minority Supplier Development Council’s Vanguard Award.

Beatrice earned a Bachelor of Science in business Administration from Barry University. She is a member of the Orange Bowl Committee, International Women’s Forum and the Miami Biscayne Bay Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, and serves on the boards of Miami Dade College Foundation and Little Haiti Optimist Club.

Moderator

Brian Butler President and CEO Vistra Communications

Brian Butler is President and CEO of Vistra Communications (Vistra), an integrated marketing communications agency providing marketing, communications and consulting services to corporate, government and nonprofit organizations.

Brian is a combat decorated, retired career military officer. Prior to founding Vistra, Brian provided Strategic Communications counsel to senior leaders at U.S. Central Command and served as a policy director on the Homeland Security Council in the White House. He also served as a Spokesperson for an Army Secretary and on the Communications Team for a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon.

Since founding Vistra in 2007, the company has grown to over 80 employees with offices in Tampa and Northern, Virginia. Vistra’s growing portfolio includes healthcare, information technology, transportation, airports, sports and entertainment, local and federal government and nonprofit clients. Fortune 500 clients include AT&T, ExxonMobil, Coca Cola, and others.

Brian was the 2018 Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Leader of the Year and a 2019 Florida 500 Most Influential Business Leaders as published in Florida Trend. He has also been recognized as the 2018 SBA State of Florida & South Florida District Minority-Owned Small Business Person of the Year and the 2016 Minority Vetrepreneur of the year by the National Veteran-Owned Business Association.  Vistra was the 2019 Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council Class 3 MBE Supplier of the Year, a 2019 GrowFL 50 Florida Companies to Watch, 2016 Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year, and the 2016 SBA South Florida District Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year.

Brian holds master’s degrees from the National War College and Central Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University. He holds certificates from The University of Oklahoma, John F. Kennedy University, Roger Williams University, and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is also a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.

An active and avid community supporter, Brian serves on the Boards of Directors of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, WEDU Public Broadcast Television, Sunshine State Economic Development Corporation, Minority Enterprise Development Corporation and Visit Tampa Bay.  Brian also serves on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council; he is CEO Mentor to the Principal of Mort Elementary School and founded the CEOs in Schools initiative with Hillsborough County Public Schools.  He is married to Dr. Maureen Butler.  They have two adult children, Christopher and Allison.

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