Catherine is the Founder of Diversity Training & Consulting, Inc. (DTC).  She has over three decades of experience in the field of diversity and inclusion consulting.  Catherine’s ability to create safe spaces for sharing personal experiences is the basis of her work.  Diversity work is personal.  Individuals are only open to learning about others and considering new behaviors if they feel respected and valued.

 Catherine’s diversity roots began in public service, first with the Peace Corps, where she taught adults in rural areas of Honduras to read and write in Spanish, and then at the International Refugee Center in Chicago, where she taught adults from Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia job skills for their transition into U.S. workplaces.

 Catherine’s family’s immigrant background informed this early work, as well as subsequent consulting engagements.  She has family in Guatemala and Austria, and has also lived and worked in Spain, France, Mexico, and Australia.  She is fluent in Spanish and English.

 Following public service, Catherine worked with the Pace Group for six years providing diversity and performance coaching for many national and international organizations in technology, health care, financial services, and manufacturing.

 Catherine’s diversity journey continued as Founder of Cross-cultural Communications, where for 8 years she partnered with global organizations doing business in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe, conducting cultural assessments and training employees to develop more effective relationships with co-workers and customers of diverse cultural backgrounds.

Today, as leader of DTC, Catherine empowers organizations to achieve their diversity and inclusion goals.  Her knowledge and expertise guides organizations through the creation of customized strategies that address the specific diversity needs of the business.  She also facilitates executive seminars on how to lead DEI Initiatives and engage all levels of staff in behavior change.  Some of Catherine’s clients include AT&T, Baxter, New York Hospital Queens, The Northern Trust, Quaker Oats, Hilton Hotels, O’Hare Airport, University of Illinois, Lake Forest School of Management, Museum of Science & Industry, and several government and social service agencies.

 In addition to leading strategic planning processes, Catherine partners with organizations to conduct cultural needs assessments, guide organizational Diversity Councils, and consult in the production of diversity videos, as well as develop tools that measure the effectiveness of their management behaviors in retaining diverse employees.  She also coaches U.S. executives leading diverse U.S. based teams and global teams.

 Catherine holds a M.A. from the University of Chicago in Human Rights and International Relations and a B.A. in Business Administration and Spanish Literature.  In addition to being certified by SHRM, ATD, the AT&T School of Business, and the PACE Group in diversity training, she has been certified in Cross Cultural Communication by the Intercultural Development Research Institute (IDR), where she studied Intercultural Communication with Milton Bennett, a leader in the field.  

 Outside of work, Catherine enjoys yoga, spending time in nature, and cooking for friends and family.

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