Communities Making a Difference: Emerson Electric and Urban League of St. Louis

On this episode of the Classroom Matters podcast host Kristy Houle sits down with Akberet Boykin Farr, Vice President of Diversity and Social Responsibility for Emerson Electric and Dr. Gwen Diggs, Vice President of Head Start/Early Head Start at the Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis. This discussion will focus on Emerson’s commitment to education equity and the emphasis on programs and initiatives targeting children from infancy through 12th grade with an emphasis on early childhood and student services in under-resourced communities.

Dr. Gwen Diggs, Vice President of Head Start/Early Head Start at the Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis, Adjunct Professor at University of Missouri-Saint Louis In her over 21 years of experience she has served as a dedicated educator as a teacher, principal and district level administrator overseeing federal programs, curriculum and instruction, early childhood, elementary, secondary, gifted and community education. 

Boykin Farr is a graduate of Saint Louis University where she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies, earning a bachelor’s degree in management and industrial relations, an MBA in human resource management, and a doctorate in organizational theory and public policy studies. She currently serves on the boards of directors for the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and City Academy.  She has overseen the development and rollout of the company’s Diversity and Inclusion programs, including unconscious bias training globally and the launch of employee resource groups to help promote a diverse and inclusive workplace.