UW Health Chief Diversity Officer Shiva Bidar to join Annual Women in Leadership Symposium panel on April 20

UW Health Chief Diversity Officer Shiva Bidar will bring her expertise and experience in forging a career path in the contemporary market to the 5th Annual DDEEA/National Diversity Council Women in Leadership Symposium on Thursday, April 20, at Grainger Hall.

She will join four regional leaders who will provide insight, tips and mentoring on how to succeed professionally while balancing a career with their personal lives at the highly-rated annual seminar.

Co-hosted by the Office of the Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer’s Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement in partnership with the National Diversity Council, this year’s panel will focus on the theme, “Be Fearless: Influence, Innovate & Inspire.”  Space is limited; register at http://go.wisc.edu/yjrpyz

This is the fifth year of the half-day seminar and networking event designed to bring together a diverse mix of successful women in leadership roles. These leaders will discuss topics relevant to today’s issues to educate, inspire and encourage women to reflect on their own goals and status as they strive to advance within their organizations.

Representing UW–Madison on the symposium panel, Bidar serves an integrated health system serving 618,000 patients each year in Wisconsin, Northern Illinois and beyond with 1,400 physicians, six hospitals, and 80 outpatient sites. In this capacity, she provides vision, coordination and strategic leadership for the design and implementation of UW Health’s initiatives related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

During her tenure at UW Heath, Bidar has developed a model interpreter-services program and served as an organization-wide resource on cultural competency and diversity issues.  Bidar has made significant contributions to our community holding many key roles, including co-chair of the Latino Health Council of Dane County, member of the Madison College Board of Trustees, Madison Community Foundation board member and United Way of Dane County Vision Council member. Ms. Bidar is a founding member and co-chair of the Madison Area Diversity Roundtable, a coalition of employers committed to diversity and inclusionary practices.

Bidar also serves on the City of Madison Common Council. Elected in 2009, she serves as the Common Council President Pro-Tem and President.  Bidar is actively engaged in many philanthropic and community based events, holding multiple board appointments and supporting numerous community causes. Her work in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion has been recognized with numerous honors and awards.

Bidar earned her bachelor of arts degree at Université du Hainaut, Mons, Belgium, and her master of arts degree at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California. She earned a Certificate in Diversity Management in Health Care (CDM) at the Institute for Diversity in Healthcare/Georgetown University.

In addition to Shiva Bidar, other panelists will include Mayra Medrano, Business Community Service Manager, Madison Gas & Electric, and Valerie Johnson, CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Dane County.  The symposium moderator will be Sara Finger, Executive Director & Founder, Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health.

To address the theme of how to fearlessly influence, innovate and inspire, panelists will share their experiences on the following topics with a series of discussion questions:

• Transforming the Rules of Engagement;
• Pioneering Pay Equity: Strategies to Bridge the Gap, Own Your Value and Negotiate Your Worth;
• Women on the Web: Leveraging Social Media as a Means to Success;
• Leading with Authenticity: Strategies for Success with Your Own Leadership Style;
• Switching your Career: When Life Calls for a U-Turn;
• The Difference “Difference” Makes – Double Minority Leadership;
• Lifting up the Next Generation Women;
• Collective vs Competitive Threat: Managing Bullying in the Workplace;
• Reviving Your Career: Actionable Steps to Achieve a Professional Renaissance;
• The Power of No: Defining your impact as a leader.

Plan on a lively and informative discussion.