Accolades
First African American Woman Inducted into Speaker Hall of Fame
Greensboro – Ubuntu Global is proud to announce that its president and lead diversity strategist, author, and international speaker Lenora Billings-Harris is the first African American woman to be inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame in its 41-year history. The Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE)® Speaker Hall of Fame was established in 1977 by the National Speakers Association (NSA) in order to honor professional speakers who have reached the top echelon of platform excellence.
Her remarkable achievement has resulted in her being featured as the cover story in a recent edition of Inclusion Magazine. “Helping leaders create inclusive workplaces and communities has been my driving force,” says Billings-Harris. “I am fortunate that my work has taken me to forty countries and six continents. I am deeply honored to have been recognized by the Speakers Hall of Fame.”
Admission into the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame is a lifetime award for speaking excellence and professionalism. Inductees are evaluated by their peers through a rigorous and demanding process. Each candidate must excel in five categories: message, presentation/delivery, experience, professionalism and collateral material. To date, 242 men and women have been inducted into the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame. Up to five new inductees are named each year at a gala celebration held in conjunction with the NSA National Convention. There are currently 182 living members of the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame.
About Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP, CPAE
Billings-Harris was elected as the NSA’s first Black president in 2006 and served as president of the Global Speakers Federation in 2014- 2015. In 2016 she received the NSA’s Cavett Award, the highest honor bestowed upon professional speakers in the United States. The author of two books, Billings-Harris is included among the top 100 thought leaders on Diversity by the Society of Human Resource Management. A diversity and inclusion strategist, Billings-Harris specializes in helping organizations make diversity and inclusion a competitive advantage. Some of her most notable clients include NASA, Ritz Carlton Hotels, FedEx, Toyota, West Point, and Johnson & Johnson, Boeing, as well as numerous professional associations and universities.
Billings-Harris was elected as the NSA’s first Black president in 2006 and served as president of the Global Speakers Federation in 2014-2015. In 2016 she received the NSA’s Cavett Award, the highest honor bestowed upon professional speakers in the United States. The author of two books, Billings-Harris is included among the top 100 thought leaders on Diversity by the Society of Human Resource Management.
Billings-Harris was selected to grace the cover of the very first edition of Diversity Woman Magazine. This honor recognized her as one of twenty influential diversity leaders in the United States. The magazine has since become one of the leading magazines with a focus on diversity leadership and the success of women in business.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion impacts all areas of an organization’s success. As a trailblazer in DEI, Billings-Harris is highly sought after by podcasters, journalists and industry leaders. Customer Engagement magazine featured her as she discussed inclusion as a way to broaden customer reach and retain more diverse customers and clients.
