Panel brings regional perspective to the presidential election and diversity

The Presidential Election and Diversity will be discussed from the perspective of regional experts in the areas of religion, environment, legal, medical, lifestyle and disabilities. The public is invited to this panel discussion on Wednesday, Oct. 13 as part of the Joliet Diversity Initiative sponsored by the University of St. Francis.

The panel discussion provides a regional perspective as a follow-up to a Wednesday, Oct. 6 presentation on the Presidential Election and Diversity by Civil Rights leader Julian Bond, chair of the NAACP. The panel discussion will be at 7:30 p.m. in the university’s Moser Performing Arts Center auditorium. For information or reservations, call (815) 740-3404.

The following will participate in the panel:

Raymond Bolden, retired associate judge for Will County, served as president of the Joliet branch of the NAACP during the historic Civil Rights Movements. He is actively involved with the Warren-Sharpe Community Center and The Urban Justice Project, which provides legal advocacy for families in need.

William Bromer, Ph.D., USF professor of biology and environmental science, is an active environmentalist, and works with the Prairie Parklands Ecosystem Partnership and the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Forest Preserve District of Will County. Bromer is coordinator of a seminar series on Restoration Ecology this fall for the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area. He is working with students to study the effects of urbanization on streams.

Ann Ford is executive director of the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living, the first to lead the statewide association of centers for independent living. Active in the disability rights movements for more than 30 years, Ford has held positions in statewide and national organizations. She founded and served as the first president of the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois as well as served on the board of directors of the National Council on Independent Living and the American Coalition with Disabilities.

Dr. Mukund Komanduri is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who practices with the Joliet Medical Group. Komanduri is actively involved in the greater Joliet community. He began and organizes the "Arthritis: What You Should Know", a free annual educational seminar
that has served 6000 residents over the last seven years. He donates his time as football team physician for Providence Catholic High School and the University of St. Francis.

Rev. Raymond Lescher has been pastor of Sacred Heart Church, a predominately black Catholic Church in Joliet for more than six years. Lescher has been active in many ecumenical and social justice organizations, and serves as a member of the University of St. Francis Presidential Advisory Council on Diversity.

Yaser Tabbara is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) – Chicago Chapter. He is a Chicago attorney with an established record of serving in fields of public interest. Previously, Tabbara was the coordinator of the Iraq project at DePaul University College of Law, where he worked on rebuilding the legal education system in Iraq. Prior to that, Tabbara initiated the Post 9/11 Immigrant Legal Rights Project at the Midwest Immigrant and Human Rights Center, where he provided free and low-cost legal representation, as well as outreach and education on immigration law and civil liberties to the immigrant community.

Dave Thomas is a social worker and housing advocate for Agape Missions, formerly the AIDS Ministry. He has volunteered with Horizons Community Services in Chicago working with teenagers and young adults in a drop-in center and in leading support groups. He has presented educational programs about the issues of gay and lesbians to classroom groups, professional organizations and conferences, and is active in the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Network (GLSN). He has given training sessions on HIV/AIDS and related issues.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Terre Layng Rosner, professor and chair of the Mass Communication Department at USF.

The Joliet Diversity Initiative was begun by the university’s Presidential Advisory Council on Diversity, in spring 2003, to encourage dialogue on the many aspects of diversity. The initiative sponsors nationally recognized experts on the topics of diversity, such as football coach Herman Boone, subject of the film Remember the Titans, and nationally recognized expert Dr. James B. Ewers. The Joliet Diversity Initiative also sponsors a community dinners series. The community dinners, held in homes throughout the community, have brought 150 people together to discuss how their views on diversity were formed; what diversity means to them; and the advantages and disadvantages of a diverse society. More dinners are planned in April 2005.

"We are fortunate that our community is a diverse community. Our city is a special place and as Joliet’s university, we want to be open to the entire city and county," said Vinciguerra.
The University of St. Francis, at 500 Wilcox St. in Joliet, serves more than 4,300 students nationwide. The university offers undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and allied health and social work. Graduate programs are offered in business, education and health care.