Raven Solomon to Serve as Keynote Speaker During W&L Enrichment Week Solomon will provide strategies for fostering generational diversity and inclusion during her session in Stackhouse Theater on Jan. 4.

W&L News Office
December 8, 2022

The Washington and Lee University Office of Human Resources is pleased to announce that global diversity, equity and inclusion thought leader Raven Solomon will serve as the keynote speaker for its annual Enrichment Week held Jan. 3-6, 2023.

Solomon’s presentation will be held in Stackhouse Theater on Wednesday, Jan. 4 and will focus on closing the generational gap in the workplace. A continental breakfast will be served in the common area between Stackhouse and the Marketplace starting at 8:15 a.m. and Solomon will take the stage at 9 a.m. for her 90-minute address.

Solomon’s program will address the frustration, tensions and breakdowns in communication that can result from having as many as four or five generations working alongside one another in today’s environment.

“These problems can stall productivity and create hostile work environments that lead to disengagement and dissatisfaction,” Solomon said. “Creating a culture where generational differences are understood, welcomed and even leveraged, can result in higher performance, happier employees and better places to work.”

The program will engage attendees of all ages as they learn about the differences and similarities across the generations in the workforce, and how each can be leveraged to create cross-generational synergy that drives results. Attendees will understand the general characteristics of each generation, how these characteristics evolved and how they tend to show up at work.

“We are excited to bring Raven Solomon to campus as the Enrichment Week keynote,” said Jodi Williams, executive director of human resources. “Raven brings positive energy and a sense of humor to the conversation about how we engage across generational differences in the workplace. This topic is relevant for all W&L employees—impacting how we approach the future of work.”

Enrichment Week is annually celebrated the first week of January and is intended to kick off the new year by offering professional development opportunities to all employees. This four-day employee engagement program serves to educate the W&L workforce about the resources that are available to them, while also creating myriad opportunities to network, reconnect with colleagues, and explore a variety of exciting hobbies and pastimes. Some examples include climbing the Outing Club’s new rock wall, participating in a cheese tasting event or learning the psychology of magic and deception.

For more information about Enrichment Week events and to sign up for the sessions, please visit go.wlu.edu/enrichment.