People Places LLC Hosts a Discussion With Equality Florida & St. Pete Pride on the Economic Benefits of Embracing Diversity in New Port Richey
New Port Richey, FL (May 24, 2018) – People Places, LLC invites the public to join in another Talk About Town discussion at the People Places studio (5742 Main Street) in downtown New Port Richey. Talk About Town is a free event, open to the public. Each group begins at 6:00 PM with a 30-45 minute presentation, followed by a Q & A session. Guests are encouraged to bring questions for each topic and are invited to participate in the discussion. The event will be live-streamed through the People Places LLC Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/PeoplePlacesLLC/)
The Talk About Town Series was developed to start a conversation on the nature and nurture of New Port Richey. Residents in and around the City are invited to participate.
Monday, June 4
TALK ABOUT TOWN:THE ECONOMICS OF DIVERSITY
Presented by:
Gina Leigh Duncan, Director of Transgender Equality for the Equality Florida Institute
Luke Blankenship, Executive Director of St. Pete Pride, Inc.
Our world is made up of ecosystems, from the micro to the macro, all depending on one another for sustainable growth. The City of New Port Richey is an ecosystem, as is our local economy.
We understand that encouraging biodiversity in our garden ecosystems leads to healthier plants and better yields but do we understand that these same principles apply to our economic and social ecosystems as well?
Join us for a discussion with Gina Leigh Duncan, Director of Transgender Equality for the Equality Florida Institute and Luke Blankenship, Executive Director of St Pete Pride, Inc. as they share with you the beneficial economic impact of nurturing diversity within our City.
About Gina Leigh Duncan
Gina Duncan was a leader in the Mortgage Banking industry in Orlando for 30 years. She served on the Board of Directors of the Home Builders Association of Mid-Florida and Mortgage Bankers Association of Central Florida. Gina was President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Central Florida in 2005. She was with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage from 1997 to 2011, and served as the Area Manager of Central Florida, and then promoted to Regional Manager for East Florida, overseeing 26 branches, over 250 employees and a multi-million dollar budget. While at Wells Fargo, Gina was Chair of the East Region of Wells Fargo’s employee resource group, PRIDE, for LGBT employees, overseeing 46 PRIDE chapters from Maine to Texas.
Gina also served on the Orlando Human Rights Campaign Steering Committee as Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee. Gina was elected President of the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA), the LGBT Chamber of Commerce in Orlando. She was the first transgender person to serve as President of a major chamber of commerce in the country. Gina was invited to attend the first ever Human Rights Campaign’s National Women’s Diversity Leadership Conference, and served on the HRC National Business Council.
In 2014, Gina became Equality Florida’s Transgender Inclusion Director embarking on a career in corporate transgender inclusion training and consulting. Gina has trained major corporations across the United States and was a guest speaker at the Global Summit on Human Rights in Milan, Italy sponsored by the Harvey Milk Foundation.
Gina now chairs Equality Florida’s Transgender Inclusion Initiative, TransAction Florida, which is comprised of a 30-member advisory board from all over the state of Florida. TransAction advocates for transgender rights and protections through public policy, advocacy and education efforts statewide.
She is now a national and international advocate, corporate trainer and speaker specializing in transgender dynamics in the workplace and classroom. She has worked with major corporations, elected officials, school boards, colleges, universities and non-profit organizations to improve knowledge and understanding of the transgender journey and the development of competencies in supporting transgender people in the workplace, educational environments and in various organizations. She provides knowledge of the dynamics of the transgender community, with the belief that embracing diversity in the workplace increases productivity, provides a corporate competitive advantage, and increases economic development in society
About Luke Blankenship
Luke Blankenship is the Executive Director of St. Pete Pride. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of South Florida. During his undergraduate work, he held numerous positions within LGBT organizations, including President of PRIDE Alliance, Certified Facilitator for GLSEN and board member of the Diversity Chamber of Commerce.
The purpose of St Pete Pride is to promote unity, visibility, self-esteem and a positive image of and among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community of Tampa Bay and throughout the State of Florida by way of cultural and educational programs and activities.
About People Places, LLC
People Places is a Real Estate development company that was founded by Frank Starkey with the goal to create vibrant, people-oriented residential and retail places in walkable settings. People Places has two development projects currently underway in New Port Richey, 5800 Main and The Central, and several other projects around Florida.
Frank Starkey holds undergraduate and professional degrees in Architecture and Urban Design from Rice University, is CNU (Congress for the New Urbanism) Accredited, and a member of Urban Land Institute and Leadership Florida.
People Places is located at 5742 Main Street in downtown New Port Richey. For more information on current projects please visit people-places.com or People Places LLC on Facebook.