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DE&I Training Series Speaker Bios

Robyn Afrik PhotoRobyn Afrik, Director, Ottawa County Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I). With over 280,000 residents and the third fastest growing county, the office convenes key relationships with local community, business and policy leaders to lead and develop a DEI strategic plan.  Robyn is responsible for assessing implicit bias in current polices and decision-making processes with a goal to operationalize DEI throughout the organization.   She serves on many Committees and Boards including the Supreme Court Administrative Office (SCAO) & Michigan Judicial Institute’s (MJI) D&I Committee, and the National Association of Counties (NACo) DE&I Directors Network .  She’s a graduate of Cornerstone University, Michigan State University & holds a Public Leadership Certification from Cornell.


Cheryl Coleman photoCheryl Coleman Vice President of Sustainability for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Previous to joining ISRI in 2020, Ms. Coleman served as the Director for the Resource Conservation and Sustainability Division (RCSD) at USEPA.  Prior to her tenure at USEPA, she was a Director at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.  Cheryl has over 30 years of experience with materials and waste management.

Berenice Garcia Tellez PhotoBerenice Garcia Tellez Energize Denver Equitable Implementation Administrator for the 
Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency for the City and County of Denver where she implements equitable policies for the new Energize Denver Building Performance Ordinance.  Prior to that, she managed the Sustainable Business Program at the City of Longmont and worked with the business community on implementing sustainable and DEI practices that lead to the creation of the first equitable sustainable business program in the country. Berenice also sits on the Latino Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.  Berenice is a Mexican native and received her master’s degree in Environmental Engineering in Saudi Arabia. She also spent time in Turkey, Italy, and Norway, where she researched climate change. 

Willie Johnson CEO of Willie Johnson Communications—Willie Johnson photo
a Training and Consulting company that works with organizations and individuals who want to excel at results driven customer care, leadership, diversity and developing human potential.  Mr. Johnson is an active member of the esteemed National Speakers Association of North Texas, The Black Speakers Network, and NOARK, where he currently sits as the Diversity Chair.   Willie is also an active member of Toastmaster’s International and has earned Toastmaster’s International highest speaker level; Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM).  He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Park University.

Tamara Lundgren photoTamara Lundgren Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc.—an auto and metals recycling business.  Ms. Lundgren joined the Company in September 2005 as Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. She was elected President and CEO in 2008 and Chairman in 2020. Prior to joining Schnitzer, Tamara was an investment banker and lawyer with 25 years of experience in the U.S. and Europe, including as a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank in London and New York and a partner in the Washington, DC law firm of Hogan Lovells. Ms. Lundgren is a member of the Board of Directors of Ryder System, Inc., the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She is also a member of the President's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations since 2016, and is a member of the Business Roundtable and the President's Advisory Council of Wellesley College. Tamara earned a B.A. degree from Wellesley College and a J.D. degree from the Northwestern University School of Law.


Stef Murray photoStef Murray (She/Her/Hers) Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and Vice President, Human Resources Schnitzer Steel Industries, Inc.  Ms. Murray joined Schnitzer Steel in 2012 as the Director of Human Resources for the Metals Recycling Business. She has over 33 years of professional experience including 27 years of people leadership, 23 years of Human Resources and 10 years of Operations/P&L management. Stef is a graduate from Northwestern University with a degree in Electrical Engineering and began her career as a Manufacturing Supervisor at Procter & Gamble. Ms. Murray currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross and co-leads their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

José Luis Ramos photoJosé Luis Ramos is a bilingual business specialist for the City of Fort Collins in Colorado. He supports Spanish-speaking small business owners and entrepreneurs to develop and grow their business. Formerly, he worked at the Poudre River Public Library District after running his own business for over 10 years, where he experienced the different needs of small businesses and the challenges of being an entrepreneur in the United States.  He is an engineer and has a BS in Computer Science from California Polytechnic State University.

Nidhi Turakhia PhotoNidhi Turakhia Executive Vice President of Allied Alloys. Ms. Turakhia has worked with Allied Alloys since graduating college.  She has served on numerous boards including the Association of Women in the Metals Industries, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Gulf Coast Chapter, and now as a co-chair of the Women in Recycling Council. Nidhi also serves as the youth committee chair of a non-profit organization, Veerayatan, that promotes social development, education, and spirituality for under privileged children in third world countries. She has a double B.A. in Economics and Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin.