The State of Supplier Diversity: A MED Week Event

The State of Supplier Diversity

Welcome to our event, where we'll delve into the state of supplier diversity and its impact on businesses. Join us on Penn's campus at Jon M. Huntsman Hall for insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and an expert panel of speakers. The panel will include representatives from Higher Education, Healthcare, Utility, Food, Facilities and Uniform Services.

Whether you're a seasoned professional or a new business, this event promises to be informative and engaging. Don't miss out on this chance to learn, connect, and grow in the realm of supplier diversity. See you there!

Marcia Wallace is the Supplier Diversity Program Manager at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a role she has held since August 2021. She is responsible for leading and supporting all aspects of supplier diversity across the CHOP Enterprise (inclusive of the CHOP Philadelphia Campus, King of Prussia Campus, and 70+ Ambulatory Sites) in support of organizational strategic goals.

As Supplier Diversity Program Manager, Marcia closely partners with various departments within CHOP, including Supply Chain, the Office of Community Engagement, the Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, clinical and support service departments, and other leaders and partner and work closely with external organizations and vendors. The goal is to increase CHOP procurement from local, diverse businesses and simplify the process for potential diverse suppliers to conduct business with CHOP, while also bolstering existing Supplier Diversity programs and helping businesses achieve financial prosperity, thereby growing the local economy. In just three years, the program has increased diverse spend percentage from 4.6% of all CHOP spend to over 18%.

Prior to joining CHOP, Marcia has over 18+ years in Supply Chain and Operations and in her previous role as a Strategic Sourcing Manager at Otis focused on supplier relationship management, supplier diversity, contract management, productivity cost containment, negotiation, on-time delivery, and quality product performance. In Addition, at Otis, she focused on Diversity Equity and Inclusion, and community engagement by chairing Momentum (Multicultural) Employee Resource Group at the Otis Service Center and serving as a Momentum Employee Resource Group board member who led community engagement across North America at Otis Elevator.

She received Masters of Operations Management and Human Resource Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, holds an undergraduate degree from University of Connecticut and obtained a Certificate of Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

She is the recipient of numerous recognition and awards including, CHOP “Breakthrough Maker Award” for her dedicated DEI work, prestigious “Eagle Award” for cost savings and cost containment at Otis, and “Clutch Award” for community engagement and partnership at Otis.

Natily Santos is a distinguished leader in business management, supply chain and community advancement, with over twenty years of experience shaping the landscape of responsible sourcing. As Vice President of Responsible Sourcing, her strategic approaches in sustainable procurement and supplier diversity have accelerated business growth while strengthening community bonds and bolstering local economies.

Her commitment to mentorship and community engagement has garnered recognition from notable organizations mirroring her dedication to paying it forward and cultivating future leaders, including Philadelphia Business Journal 40 under 40, Pennsylvania’s 100 Most Influential Latinos, and Aramark’s Volunteer of the Year. As the founder of Impacto, Aramark’s Hispanic and Latino Employee Resource Group and an advisor on Aramark's Executive Diversity Council, Natily continues to champion inclusivity and empowerment within the corporate sphere.

Natily shares her time and expertise on numerous boards and program committees including PHLDiversity a division of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, The Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Enterprise Council, Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council and Prospanica – The Association of Hispanic Professionals. As part of these organizations, she expands her support towards mentoring young professionals, advancing community empowerment and economic development.

Natily graduated from Temple University Fox School of Business where she received a Master’s in Business Administration. She also earned a Bachelor of Science with Honors in International Business with a focus on Hotel &Tourism Management from Johnson & Wales University. Natily is originally from New York City and now resides in Philadelphia with her husband and son.

Vernice K. Lewis is Director, Diverse Business Empowerment for Exelon Corporation. In this role, Vernice provides strategic direction and oversight nearly $3B of business between Exelon and diversity-certified businesses annually.

Vernice has been a member of the Exelon family of companies since 1996, beginning her career as an intern at PECO. In 2002, Vernice joined Exelon Supply as a supplier diversity coordinator. Under the tutelage of Emmett Vaughn, she honed her craft as a leading supplier diversity practitioner.

Vernice is committed to ensuring the inclusion and growth of diverse suppliers in Exelon’s supply chain. In 2018 and in 2019 Vernice was named Corporate Advocate of the Year by the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council (EMSDC).

Vernice is a graduate of Temple University and serves on the boards of the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council (Chair), the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (CRMSDC), the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBEC) - East and the African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ, and DE.

James Campbell is a Manager on the Civic Affairs business unit at the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. James is responsible for leading programs and initiatives that promote inclusive economic growth in the region, including the Diverse Procurement Collaborative Network (DPCN) – an initiative purposed to increase the business community's focus on supplier diversity spend with regional diverse businesses.

 James is a graduate of Haverford College, where he majored in Growth & Structure of Cities. When he is not working, James enjoys listening to podcasts, watching sports, and exploring Philadelphia with his wife, Kelly.

David Braxton leads the bank’s Supplier Diversity, Inclusion, and Responsible Sourcing (ESG) Program reporting to the bank’s Chief Procurement Officer (CPO). He is responsible for leading a team that govern and execute strategies to meet business needs by enhancing the richness of third-party competition and ensuring optimal business outcomes by expanding the pool of supplier options and business criterion to select suppliers ensuring supplier optimization. David was previously responsible for a Global Third-Party Program Risk Management team supporting the Global Operations and Enterprise Services business segments. He led a team that design and execute third-party risk management strategies, optimize third-party services and initiatives, and facilitate robust third- party risk mitigation activities aimed at managing over $2.5 Billion in annual third party spend. As a third-party program leader, he recruited and developed sourcing and third-party management professionals to apply skills and competencies required to meet business requirements and expectations while mitigating third-party risk to the bank. David is a subject matter expert for the bank as it relates to the implementation and management of third-party outsourcing and offshoring solutions as well as other large enterprise strategic third-party relationships as an experience Procurement Professional.

David holds a PhD from Northcentral University, MBA from Wake Forest University, Master’s in Management from Fayetteville State University, and an undergraduate degree in Business from South Carolina State University.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Jon M. Huntsman Hall, 3730 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, United States