AUGUST MEETING - Unconsious Bias: How to Keep Bias Out of Business

Debra Nelson leads Elevate Communications, LLC, a professional development and communication services firm. She also consults and speaks on topics related to diversity and inclusion, interpersonal communication, and women’s empowerment. She is a regular contributor to Pivot magazine, where she writes about career and corporate matters to help individuals and organizations succeed.

Prior to founding Elevate, Debra was Head of Corporate Communications at Brasfield & Gorrie. As Vice President at MGM Resorts International, she steered the company’s diversity initiative to national prominence, and helped increase revenue and profitability. At Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, she developed and implemented strategies to introduce the then new car manufacturer to a global market. She also has held executive appointments at DaimlerChrysler and Mercedes-Benz USA, and in higher education and broadcast media.

Debra serves on the boards of Noland Health Services, Inc., WBHM Public Radio, and the Board of Visitors for the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama, where she is the first African American woman to serve as Chair. A graduate of Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Las Vegas, Debra is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and The Links, Incorporated.

Throughout her career, Debra has been active in community and civic matters. While serving as Board Chair of the Urban Chamber of Commerce, Debra oversaw negotiations that resulted in a partnership with the City of Las Vegas (NV) for the operations of a multi-million-dollar business incubator. She also created the Diversity Professionals Network, a platform for sharing best practices in the gaming industry. Additionally, she founded the Women’s Leadership Conference in Las Vegas, an annual national event to help develop women leaders.