D.L. Morriss

DL Morriss is a civic-minded commercial litigation Partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. DL’s practice consists of representing companies in internal management and governance disputes as well as lender financial work out litigation. He also has significant experience litigating commercial landlord and tenant disputes. DL has worked at Hinshaw since 2008 and enjoys training and mentoring associates who work on his matters.

In 2017, DL was appointed Diversity & Inclusion Partner where he oversees management of Hinshaw’s five affinity groups, mentoring programs and Attorney Life Committee all focused on improving culture firm wide. As part of this role, DL facilitates strategic planning initiatives that lead to recommendations and implementation of efforts to increase the firm’s commitment to attorney development, relationship building and community engagement.

DL has a strong commitment to civic engagement. He serves on the Board of Directors for The Joffrey Ballet and serves on its Executive Committee, Development Committee and is a regular participant of its Community Engagement Committee that works to expand access to dance across Chicago. DL is a 2016 Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago and served on its Leadership Fellows Association that facilitates engagement across nonprofit, private and government sectors to improve Chicago’s economic and cultural vibrancy. DL also has served on the boards of Breakthrough and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boys and Girl Club, nonprofits in Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood that provide services to homeless families and offers youth development programs. DL lives in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood with his wife and three children.

DL is a 2008 graduate of DePaul University College of Law where he earned a Juris Doctor and a 2005 graduate of Wheaton College where he earned a B.A. in Psychology.

David Alfini

David Alfini is a Partner with the Chicago-based law firm, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP where he maintains a national practice representing clients in a variety of matters such as construction defect, product liability, long term care, toxic exposure, premises liability and auto liability cases. David is also co-chair of Hinshaw’s LGBTQ Affinity Group where he helped lead the firm’s 100% rating in the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign for 11 years in a row and development of an LGBTQ workplace antiharassment training program. David is co-chair of the firm’s Mentoring Committee, a 2016 Fellow of Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, and Board Chair of StartOut Chicago, a non-profit organization advancing efforts to increase the number of, diversity, and impact of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs.

David holds an undergraduate degree from New York University (NYU). He earned his JD from the Indiana University Mauer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana. He also earned his MA in Slavic Languages and Literature while at IU. He is fluent in Czech and active in the Czech Community in Chicago. Lastly, David is an excellent tour guide of Chicago and always enjoys introducing friends to the joys of Chicago.

Jo Anne Hill

Jo Anne Hill has led an impactful career that has included radio, television, and Corporate America.  A nationally recognized leader in the Diversity and Inclusion, Jo Anne is an innovative agent in Corporate America.  In her employment with Piedmont Healthcare, Jo Anne has performed with distinction her responsibilities as the Executive Director for Diversity and Inclusion, where she is responsible for ensuring that Piedmont’s employment strategies and actions are reflective of its diverse marketplace. Jo Anne leads and manages the diversity and inclusion approach for the company, including the integration of diversity into core personnel and business processes, with a focus on developing, implementing, and driving best practice programs, initiatives and processes to foster Piedmont corporate commitment to diversity.

Jo Anne has been recognized by Black Enterprise’s Top Executives in Corporate Diversity, and 2016, 2017 and 2018.  She also appears on Profiles in Diversity Journal’s list of Diversity Leaders.   She is the 2017 recipient of the Atlanta SHRM Impact Award.

In October 2019 Jo Anne was awarded the Game Changer of the Year Award by the Columbus, Ga Urban League for her focus, impact and commitment to Diversity and Incluson.

Jo Anne retired from Aflac after 29 years.  She was the Director of Diversity and Employee Engagement.

Jo Anne, respected by many as one of the most energetic and impactful speakers in the country is often engaged to facilitate workshops, conferences, and keynote addresses.

Driven by her desire to do more, Jo Anne is the CEO for The Game Changer Foundation, a nonprofit, committed to ensuring women of all backgrounds have access to the resources they need to be impactful.

Jo Anne firmly believes in community service.   She has served on the boards of directors of the Chamber of Commerce, Columbus State University’s Community Diversity Committee and as a Board Member of the Mayor’s Commission on Diversity.  She is also a 2018 Graduate of Leadership Columbus.

Jo Anne is a graduate of the University of Georgia’s School of Journalism.  She and her husband, Morgan, have two awesome sons, Brandon and Matthew.

Kerri-Lyn Kelly

Kerri-Lyn Kelly is a fresh and upcoming talent in Corporate America. With a background in Education, Kerri-Lyn adapts common behavioral based learning strategies to professional and leadership development in the workplace. Kerri-Lyn is innovative and focused on a person-first centered approach. In her employment with Piedmont Healthcare, Kerri-Lyn leads Accelerating Your Impact, a physician leadership development program. Also, she creates and facilitates personalized workshops that address the direct needs of Piedmont’s workforce.

Kerri-Lyn was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her family immigrated to the United States in 1995. In 2005, Kerri-Lyn returned to Johannesburg. While there, she spearheaded an initiative on behalf of Els for Autism which focused on providing families of children with Autism free access to research-based educational support. Leading this non-profit organization, Kerri-Lyn gained experience in marketing, fundraising, television and radio.

With the above in mind, and her innate desire to influence a person-first workforce, it was a natural decision for Kerri-Lyn to accept the position as an entity Chair of Diversity and Inclusion at Piedmont Healthcare.

Kerri-Lyn Kelly is a Graduate of Kennesaw State University School of Education. She resides in Atlanta with her daughter, Layla.

Lydia Dishman

Lydia Dishman is a business journalist who writes about the intersection of tech, leadership, commerce, and innovation. She is a regular contributor to Fast Company and has written for CBS Moneywatch, Fortune, The Guardian, Popular Science, and the New York Times, among others. She is coauthor of the book Survive to Thrive. Over the course of her career, she’s interviewed a variety of well-known executives including Diane Von Furstenberg, Gregg Steinhafel, former CEO of Target, Mickey Drexler, former CEO of J.Crew, Christopher Bailey of Burberry, Mary Barra of General Motors, Scott Borchetta of Big Machine Records, Alexis Ohanian of Reddit, Tony Hsieh of Zappos, and other luminaries such as Adrian Grenier, Romany Malco, and Tom Brokaw.