The Marketing Ethnic Faculty Association Hosts Its 14th Annual Conference, "Reuniting Agents of Change"

NEW YORK - Aug. 18, 2022 - PRLog -- Last week, the Marketing Ethnic Faculty Association (MEFA), a national professional membership organization that services and supports the diverse needs of marketing academics and researchers of color, hosted its 14^th Annual Conference in Chicago, IL. Its conference theme was "Reuniting Agents of Change," since this was the first in-person conference in three years.

"As a national organization dedicated to empowering marketing academics and researchers of color, this year, it was important for MEFA to celebrate our Members as the true change agents that they are, whether in the classroom or with their impactful research," states MEFA President, Dr. Tyrha M. Lindsey-Warren, Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing and Faculty Director of Industry Relations and Experiential Learning at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University. "In the U.S., marketing researchers of color comprise close to 1% of those teaching in business schools and working in industry. However, our work makes a global impact. At this year's conference, we were able to expose our Members to new trends in our industry as well as encourage them to keep soaring to new heights!"

Created in 2008, MEFA works to promote the professional and career development of under-represented ethnic faculty (i.e., African American, Hispanic, and Native American heritage) and professionals who hold a terminal degree in marketing and related business disciplines. The organization also works to advance research and understanding that broaden the discipline of marketing. Through MEFA's collaboration with the PhD Project, a program of the KPMG Foundation, the group seeks to increase the recruitment and retention of under-represented ethnic faculty in marketing and related business disciplines. Additionally, MEFA fosters a greater awareness and appreciation of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity in business schools and other higher education institutions.

At the 2022 conference, "Reuniting Agents of Change," local and national speakers presented topics that exposed MEFA members to industry trends in Marketing and Advertising as well as shared information that could assist them in the classrooms at their respective universities. The 2022 conference presenters included:

• Dr. Eli Jones, Professor of Marketing and Peggy Mays Eminent Scholar, Mays Business School at Texas A&M University
• Dr. Kevin Thomas, UX Researcher, META
• Dr. Dalila Salazar, Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Marketing, College of Business at Louisiana State University Shreveport
• Dr. Nakeisha Lewis, Associate Dean, Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego
• Omo Ogbomo-Williams, Sr. HR Talent Manager, VMLY&R

Additionally, at this year's conference, MEFA announced the inaugural recipients of two newly created awards that honor the lives and spirit of Dr. Jerome D. Williams and Dr. Geraldine Rosa Henderson, who were impactful Marketing Scholars that helped build MEFA as well as greatly supported PhDs of color all around the world. The 2022 inaugural recipients included-

• Recipient of the Dr. Jerome D. Williams Excellence in Mentorship Memorial Award, Dr. Lenita Davis, Associate Professor and Executive Director of the Professional Sales Program at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
• Recipient of the Dr. Jerome D. Williams Excellence in Mentorship Memorial Award, Dr. Leila Borders, Professor Emeritus of Marketing and Professional Sales at Kennesaw State University
• Recipient of the Dr. Geraldine Rosa Henderson Early Career Memorial Award, Dr. Cinthia Santornino, Research Director of the UNH Sales Center and Assistant Professor at the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire

At the close of the 2022 conference, the newest MEFA Officers were elected and included:

• Vice-President and President-Elect, Dr. Tatiana Fajardo, Associate Professor of Marketing, Florida State University
• Treasurer, Dr. Joni Jackson, Associate Professor of Marketing, Chicago State University
• Secretary, Dr. Robert Arias, Assistant Professor of Marketing, Loyola University Chicago
• Membership Director, Dr. Kristin Stewart, Associate Professor of Marketing, California State University San Marcos

"The Marketing Ethnic Faculty Association is my annual 'woosah' – it is not only refreshing, but, regenerative as well," states past MEFA Officer and current Member-at-Large, Dr. Eric Rhiney, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Marketing& Marketing Program Lead at Webster University. "As a member of MEFA, I am able to collaborate on research and teaching and just get a chance to spend quality time with great colleagues who represent every level of academic endeavor."

MEFA members also benefit from the organization's collective knowledge, intellectual prowess, and applied experiences of professionals who want to expand and ensure the visibility, influence, and future prospects for academicians, scholars, and practitioners of color in marketing and related fields.

For more information on MEFA, visit https://www.mefassoc.org/.