The 5th Annual South Coast Diversity Conference

Welcome to the 5th Annual South Coast Diversity Conference!

Join us in person for this ONE-DAY conference with the same content available on two different days. Choose the day that works best for you! Wednesday April 16th or Thursday, April 17, 2025 at The Mill Casino for a day filled with Courageous Conversations: Advancing Justice, Healing, and Community Transformation along with Networking opportunities.

Workshops Offered Include:

• Reproductive Justice 101 Presented by: Kalpana Krishnamurthy and Zaria Hamilton
• Intentional Community Engagement: Presented by: Maria Verano and Ben Duncan
• Shame: From Barrier to Channel in Collaboration Presented by: Dr. Colleen Struhar

We are committed to making this event accessible to everyone. Scholarships and accommodations are available to support your participation.

🔹 Request Support: You can indicate your needs during registration.
🔹 Additional Assistance: If you require further support or have specific accessibility requests, please email .

METHOD OF RESERVATIONS - INDIVIDUAL RESERVATIONS

For individual reservations, please have guests call (800) 953-4800. To receive the special $150.00 rate, guests simply need to call The Mill Casino • Hotel Reservation Center before Tuesday, April 1, 2025, and inform our Reservation Agents that they are attending the South Coast Diversity Conference.

Reservations may also be booked on line at themillcasino.com. From the website select “Book Today” located in the upper right hand corner, next select “Group Sign In” and enter the code 10653. From there simply add your dates and select your room type

This year’s South Coast Diversity Conference is brought to you by the following:

• CASA of Coos and Curry Counties
• South Coast Regional Early Learning Hub
• HIV Alliance
• Oregon Coast Community Action
• Oregon Office of Rural Health
• Portland State University
• Humboldt Area Foundation + Wild Rivers Community Foundation
• Oregon Department of Human Services: PRIDE ERG
• Oregon Department of Human Services
• Southern Oregon Coast Pride
• Advanced Health
• Energy Trust of Oregon
• AllCare Health
• United Way of Southwestern Oregon
• Curry Public Library
• Northwest American Indian Coalition

If you would like to sponsor the South Coast Diversity Conference, please complete our sponsorship application here:

If you have any questions or need additional information, feel free to contact Jayden Ruff at [email protected]. We look forward to partnering with you to make this conference a success!

Meet the Speakers:

Kalpana Krishnamurthy works with organizations seeking to improve their organizational effectiveness, with a focus on planning, team building, and building skills around conflict management. Prior to consulting, Kalpana spent over 25 years working on the issues of reproductive health, rights and justice. From 2012-2021, she served in leadership at Forward Together as the National Field and Policy Director. Her work included advocating for abortion access, comprehensive sexuality education, and addressing how shame and stigma can impact reproductive health in communities of color. Prior to that, she served as the RACE and Gender Justice programs director for Western States Center, helping organizations to build campaigns and utilize organizing to advance racial and gender justice. She has also been a reproductive health policy analyst, an executive director of a small public foundation, and a youth organizer. She is the mother of two teenage sons and has a cat named Whisper. She is an avid lover of romance novels, cooking and knitting. She is also a therapist, working to support South Asian, API, and BIPOC individuals and relationships at her private practice, Know Feelings Therapy.

Dr. Colleen Struhar LaTendresse is a licensed counselor and a humanist chaplain, with a PhD in International Psychology (concentrations in organizational systems and global leadership development). Dr. Struhar LaTendresse is currently the Director and lead Executive Therapist for CoWeaving. At CoWeaving, we believe that the sacrifices people make to lead, must be reclaimed in some way. We empower our clients to overcome outdated survival strategies through confidential collaborative counsel, and design talks/experiences that foster trust and belonging. When people feel secure and connected, they more easily collaborate, innovate, and dedicate themselves to missions that matter. www.CoWeaving.com

Ben Duncan has nearly two decades of experience working at the intersections of social, environmental, and economic systems and racial and ethnic disparities. He consults with public and non-profit management on policy and program design, organizational culture change, and best practices in Environmental Justice and DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). Ben specializes in developing effective and inclusive processes in complex political and organizational environments and in partnering with organizations of all levels — from executive leadership to front line employees and communities to develop collaborative solutions. Just a few examples include facilitating listening sessions with the Department of Interior on their alignment with Executive Order 13985 "Advancing Racial Equity and Access for Underserved Communities." He partnered with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to engage Tribal Governments to inform future recommendations for agency actions and government-to-government partnerships. While serving as the chief diversity, and equity officer for Multnomah County, Ben developed and facilitated the implementation of Multnomah County’s first Workforce Equity Strategic Plan in partnership with the Executive Team, Human Resources, elected officials, and Employee Resource Group Leadership. Ben earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon in Environmental Science.

María Verano brings unique research, community outreach, and planning skills to her position as an Associate. María’s lived and professional experiences in multicultural and multinational communications and engagement provide her with the knowledge and background for her role. At Kearns & West, María supports stakeholder engagement and digital communications on transportation and natural resource projects, among others. María’s interests include equitable engagement; revitalization of rural economies; trade; and the effects of globalization on the environment, transportation, and language accessibility. María earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon in International Relations and Diplomacy with an Emphasis in Latin American Politics as well as double minors in Business Administration and Non-Profit Administration.

María grew up in rural Lane County and dedicated the start of her professional life to improving the livelihoods of these communities. In the past, María has created community-driven courses to improve the economy, tourism and vibrancy of the communities who raised her. In her spare time, María enjoys volunteering, participating in her neighborhood association, traveling, paddleboarding and baking. María is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational German.

Zaria Hamilton is the Reproductive Justice and Gender Affirming Care Advocate for South Coast Health Equity Coalition. She is originally from North Carolina and relocated to the southern Oregon coast in the fall of 2022. She is excited to be a part of a team that spreads awareness and inclusion through conscious connection and informed data content while also learning more about the common disparities shared amongst minority groups. In her free time, Zaria likes to adventure amongst the trees, dabble in arts and crafts, read prehistoric fiction, and sing her heart out!

Info: Reproductive Justice 101
Presented by: Kalpana Krishnamurthy and Zaria Hamilton

Info: Intentional Community Engagement
Presented by Maria and Ben

Info: Shame: From Barrier to Channel in Collaboration
Presented by Dr. Colleen Struhar

Info: Intentional Community Engagement
Presented by Maria and Ben

Info: Reproductive Justice 101
Presented by: Kalpana Krishnamurthy and Zaria Hamilton

Host or Publisher South Coast Equity Coalition