THE MODERATORS AND PANELISTS
St. Louis and member of the Charmaine Chapman Leadership Society for United Way of Greater St. Louis Leadership Givers. She is a Career and Workforce Development Advisory Board member for the St. Louis Internship Program and former Advisor Board member for Gateway to H.O.P.E. She holds a master’s degree in organization development from The American University and a bachelor’s in organizational behavior from DePauw University. She is a certified senior professional in Human Resources and Prosci ® Licensed Change Management Professional. Boain serves at her local church, non-profit and community-based organizations. She spends her free time traveling, completing “Do It Yourself” projects and hanging out with her husband and fifth-grade son.
Vanessa Cooksey ’16 (she/her/hers) President and CEO Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis Vanessa Cooksey is the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis’ (RAC) third leader and first president and CEO. RAC
is the largest public funder of the arts in St. Louis and has been pivotal in nurturing the vibrant arts sector throughout the region, awarding more than 7,000 grants totaling over $100 million since its inception in 1985. She has more than 30 years of business and civic leadership experience. She has held marketing, communications and philanthropy leadership positions with a variety of companies including Mary Kay Cosmetics, The City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office, Cartoon Network, Anheuser Busch, Wells Fargo and Washington University in St. Louis. Cooksey is known for her ability to build results-driven partnerships, facilitate dynamic collaborations, create high-performing teams and effectively convene diverse stakeholders. She is a serious change-maker and has led innovative arts, education, technology and health and wellness initiatives reaching more than 20 million children and adults over the course of her career. Always willing to serve in her community, Cooksey’s humanitarian efforts over the last three decades have helped promote and advance human welfare and social reform across the U.S. Highly sought-after for her expertise in board governance, organizational culture, talent development, DEI and reputation risk management, she has served on more than 150 local and national non-profit boards including the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association Foundation for Investor Education, Harris-Stowe State University, Vote Run Lead and Mercy Hospitals. Cooksey earned her master’s degree in business administration from Webster University, a bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied and traveled extensively in Europe, Africa and Asia. She has received more than 50 awards for her industry and community work including the 2016 Eisenhower Fellowship and the 2018 St. Louis American Corporate Executive of the Year. She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Jack & Jill of America, Inc. and enjoys cycling, cooking and spending quality time with her family and friends.
D’Andre Braddix, EdD (he/him/his) Executive Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion St. Louis Community College (STLCC)
D’Andre Braddix, EdD, is the executive director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at St. Louis
Community College (STLCC). In this role, Braddix is responsible for providing strategic vision and direction for district-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives. He also serves as a liaison to community partners and constituents on many diversity and equity issues. Prior to joining STLCC, he served as associate vice provost and dean of students, senior equity officer and clinical assistant professor of education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He serves as co-chair for Missouri’s Postsecondary Equity Network – a coalition of more than 20 higher education institutions and community partners working to eliminate equity gaps in degree completion for low-income and Black, Indigenous, Latinx and People of Color (BILPOC) students. Additionally, Braddix serves as a consultant to the American Society of Criminology, where he supports their organizational efforts to infuse diversity, equity and inclusion principles into their policies and practices. Braddix earned a doctoral degree in educational leadership and management from Capella University. He also earned a master’s degree in adult and higher education and a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice, both from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
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