ESG + DEI in Events: What Planners Need to Consider

Honorably discharged from the United States Army following 12 years of service, Chiriga Moore, affectionately known as Zoe (pronounced ZOH) completed an M.S. in Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism and then started an event planning company in Oakland, CA.   

Learning that Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) were not prioritized in the meetings, events, and tourism industry, she became an advocate to help improve dialogue and action in the areas of supplier diversity, organizational culture, and diverse representation in leadership.  

Initially, spearheading the formation of an Inclusion & Diversity committee with MPI’s Northern California Chapter, she decided to become a Certified Diversity Professional (CDP)® to deepen her knowledge. As the co-founder of Moore Consulting Agency LLC, she seeks to make an impact in the hospitality, events and tourism industries using her methodology Insight to Implementation, a framework to help organizations develop measurable and sustainable strategies. As an independent Strategic EDI Consultant, she engages leaders of organizations through her speaking, workshops, and consulting.   

The former co-chair for MPI 2020 & 2021 Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee, current Director of EDI for MPI Georgia and instructor of the Event DEI Strategist course powered by PCMA Event Leadership Institute, Zoe is committed to holding industry leaders strategically accountable to their expressed  commitment to innovatively inclusive decisions and designs.  Zoe is a contributing writer to The Meeting Professional, Meetings Today, and her personal blog Unsolicited Advice. She resides in Atlanta, GA with her 20-year-old son, and loves homemade chocolate chip cookies, photography, and traveling.

Samantha (Sam) Evans is the Certification Manager at the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), a division of G3ict, where she works with accessibility subject matter experts and professionals around the world to maintain, build and deliver accessibility certification programs. 

Sam is also an active accessibility and inclusion advocate, with a passion for accessible digital events. She is active in the association management, event planning, and credentialling professions, with a career spanning several decades. Sam holds an MBA in International Business from Kennesaw State University. Sam is a long-time member of GSAE & ASAE, and is currently serving on the GSAE Board of Directors, ASAE D&I Advisory Group, EIC Standards for Sustainable Events Committee, and the Institute for Credentialing Excellence DEI Committee.

Tracey is a strategist, project manager and facilitator with a focus on strengthening nonprofit leaders and organizations to effectively serve communities. She has extensive experience in administration, talent development, event planning, and project management in the philanthropic and nonprofit arena.

Prior to joining CapEq, as Director, Communications, Mobilization and & Partnerships at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, Tracey worked to accelerate improvement in education and teacher development through national networked improvement community initiatives and DEI programs.

She received her Master of Business Administration from Howard University with a concentration in Supply Chain Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from Georgetown University. Tracey is an active member and volunteer in several DC-area nonprofits.

In her spare time, Tracey loves taking road trips, reading, hanging out at the free museums in DC and playing board games with friends.

Shameka is an award-winning certified meeting professional, certified association executive, speaker, and thought leader with over 8 years of industry experience. Shameka is passionate about people, leadership, and successful businesses. She has a knack for making meaningful connections through events and an insatiable appetite for helping others maximize their potential. 

She is especially inspired to help people take their events, organizations, and careers to unprecedented levels. Shameka is the Principal and Chief Events Officer of EventsNoire, where she drives revenue growth, sponsorships, and member engagement through the creation of relevant and on-brand event experiences, in-person and virtually, for non-profit organizations, associations, and corporations.

Erika is the Owner and Principal Consultant for Griffin White Consulting, LLC.  As the first head of DEI for Pennoni Associates, a national Civil Engineering firm, she led the critical assessment and strategic development plan of the first DEI program. 

She continues to lend her talents as a DEI subject matter expert and consultant, serves on several diversity-related advisory boards, and is the co-founder of the networking group, The Philadelphia Diversity Professionals Consortium. She serves as a Board of Trustee for the Shipley School as well as a Board of Director for the Center City Proprietors Association and the Institute for Supply Management, Philadelphia Chapter.

She has a Bachelor of Science in Business and Administration from Drexel University Lebow College of Business and is a Certified Diversity Executive from the Institute for Diversity Certification. Erika is a mentor to young women, a regular volunteer in her faith, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Tammy Moore, CMP, CMM, is Senior Director, Product Innovation for PCMA. In this role she guides the professional development and educational course offerings across PCMA and the Event Leadership Institute. She has been a leader in the events industry for 20+ years as an in-house corporate event professional, from her start as a meeting planner with CEB (now Gartner) to leading a 20+ team of meeting and event professionals with KPMG LLP. Prior to the events industry, Tammy worked in higher education as a student affairs professional with the University of Maryland College Park. As a result, she has a depth of experience driving complex projects and strategic initiatives, developing relationships with stakeholders and vendors, and developing talent.

Tammy joined the Event Leadership Institute in January 2021 as a freelance consultant executing projects and initiatives, developing strategic partnerships, and building the business development function. She was elevated to Chief Strategy & Growth Officer in 2022, prior to ELI’s acquisition by PCMA in January 2023. She is an engaging and talented facilitator, instructor, and speaker. She hosts and moderates panel discussions for monthly webinars and ELI Summits, speaks and facilitates workshops on change management, resilience, transitioning from the tactical into the strategic, and team leadership.

Adept at managing remote teams, Tammy fosters collaboration and innovation. Her expertise extends to serving as a course instructor, sharing invaluable knowledge with aspiring event professionals. Recognized for strategic thinking, operational excellence, and driving organizational effectiveness, Tammy has spearheaded numerous key initiatives, earning the respect of C-suite executives.

Outside of work, Tammy is an avid home chef, enjoys hiking, and is a budding gardener. Her greatest joy comes from being a mom to her daughter, Olivia, and she can often be found watching her tennis matches. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, she now lives in Fairfax, Virginia, but calls a little remote town in Northern Michigan home (ask her about Petoskey hunting and sand dune climbing).