Panelists to address diversity, acceptance in the workplace

Distinguished individuals with diverse backgrounds and experience will share their stories and insight regarding acceptance in their professional fields during “Diversity Taking on Adversity,” scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9 in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall.

The panel will feature four professionals who have experienced discrimination or acceptance issues in their fields of expertise. The event is sponsored by the Administration of Justice Club, the Alliance and the Office of Multicultural Programs, and pizza and refreshments will be served.

The panelists are:

Lisa Holley, who has worked in the criminal justice field in Rhode Island for more than 30 years. She is currently the chief legal counsel for the R.I. Department of Public Safety. Holley has worked with the Center for Effective Public Policy, the Urban Institute, the Council of State Governments, the Pew Center for Public Policy and the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School to develop national policies on offender reentry and sexual offender management. She is an adjunct faculty member at Salve Regina, teaching courses on First Amendment law, profiling violent offenders and women and crime.

Thomas Palombo, an attorney and counselor at law who has been a R.I. assistant attorney general since 1991. In 2006, he was appointed the first attorney general’s civil rights advocate. Palombo has served on the R.I. Commission on Prejudice and Bias, which studies prejudice, bias or hatred in Rhode Island. Since 1994, he has conducted and participated in hate crimes and civil rights
 trainings and workshops for the R.I. State Police, R.I. Municipal Police
 Academy, Providence Police Academy and the University and College Public Safety Academy.

Laura Pisaturo, an attorney who served as deputy chief of the R.I. Attorney General’s criminal division from 1998-2005. From 2005-2010, she served as director of advocacy and legal services for Day One, a sexual assault and trauma resource center in Providence. Pisaturo has served on the R.I. Supreme Court’s disciplinary board and was invited to serve on a panel at the 2010 Judicial Conference on the issue of victims’ rights. She was the attorney general’s representative to the R.I. Commission on Prejudice and Bias and the ethics liaison to the National District Attorneys’ Association.

Evan Gallo, who is a recent Salve Regina graduate and transgender male. Currently a recreation assistant at the Grand Islander Center in Middletown, he will be talking about his positive experiences with acceptance in the workplace.