Pride Month 2025
In recognition of Pride Month, we are looking forward to learning and sharing with you at this month’s ICF New Jersey IDEAS Community Group conversation “Embracing our LGBTQ+ Community: Celebrating Pride Month 2025,” on Monday, June 23rd at 12 pm, where we will discover the importance and approaches of supporting our LGBTQ+ community, including both our clients and coaching colleagues.
Here's the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89852685604?pwd=vMxZkMvXETCxg8aoBdcXz3lUuqcfZx.1
Meeting ID: 898 5268 5604, Passcode: 483941
Together we will:
• Explore our own knowledge, perceptions, and bias regarding the LGBTQ+ Community.
• Highlight how inclusive coaching language and diversity awareness enhances coaching effectiveness.
• Provide some practical insights that align with the ICF Core Competencies and ICF Ethical Standards to ensure professional application.
The conversation will be held by Patricia A. Lee and Linda Leonard. Their bios are below:
Patricia A. Lee
As the successful Founder and President of P.A.L. Coaching & Consulting, LLC, Patricia Anne Lee (Patti) is devoted to making a difference in diversity and inclusion: supporting women and marginalized individuals to find their courage and voice, and companies to find the right path forward. The goal: to unleash the potential of all to ensure the fulfillment of personal and professional goals.
With more than 25 years of values-based progressive human resources experience in the travel, manufacturing, and financial services industries, Patti served as executive leader in diversity and inclusion, human resources, organizational effectiveness and culture transformation, learning and leadership development, and social responsibility.
A recognized DEIB expert, Patti developed an International Coaching Federation Certified program, “Embracing Diversity in Coaching,” which she delivers to global audiences through her collaboration with the Coaching Out of the Box. She is also a frequent speaker and facilitator for DEIB, organization culture, and leadership topics.
Patti’s DEIB passion extends into her not-for-profit work where she volunteers with JBWS, Impact100, ICF New Jersey, and the Veterans Coaching Project. Patti holds a Bachelor's degree in Classics from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, and a Master's degree in Human Resource Management and Labor Relations from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. She received her ACC training through the International Coaching Group in Vancouver, Canada and is now enrolled in LCOP Rutgers University to gain her PCC.
Linda Leonard
Regional Head, DEI and Corporate Citizenship, Henkel North America; DEI Consultant, and Certified Leadership Coach.
Linda Leonard has had a 30-year career helping individuals, teams, and organizations achieve their goals more effectively by focusing on inclusive leadership and leading talent practices.
She is currently the Regional Head of DEI and Corporate Citizenship for Henkel North America, where she helps leaders appreciate the business benefits of DEI and works for the good of future generations.
Linda’s volunteer work is fueled by her passion for her family and heritage. She serves as President of the Robbinsville PFLAG chapter, supports the Mercer County Family Court by helping to keep first-time juvenile offenders out of the formal court system, and volunteers to coach veterans returning from military service.
Our pre-work recommendations are:
Take 1-2 iterations of the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Link: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html
Our recommendations are the following:
Sexuality ('Gay - Straight' IAT). In this IAT, you will be asked to categorize words and symbols representing gay and straight people as well as positive and negative words. Link: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/Study?tid=-1
Transgender ('Transgender People - Cisgender People' IAT). In this IAT, you will be asked to categorize photos of transgender celebrities and photos of cisgender celebrities as well as positive and negative words. Link: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/Study?tid=-1
Looking forward to another great time of learning, sharing, and building community!
Walter Slade and Ellen Wagner
ICF New Jersey IDEAS Community Group Leads
At ICF New Jersey we aspire to practice and promote the values of IDEAS:
Inclusion: We welcome every member.
Diversity: We embrace diversity in all its forms, including backgrounds, identities, views, beliefs, and coaching styles.
Equity: We create a level playing field for every coach within our chapter.
Accessibility: We ensure every member’s access to opportunities, programs, resources, relationships, and collaborations.
Solidarity: We stand together and support each other as a community where every member belongs, and differences are acknowledged and celebrated.
