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Women's Equality Day
August 26, 2024
Women’s Workplace Rights in Illinois
Special needs or accommodations: This event is free and open to all. If accommodations are needed, please contact Maria.Flores@EEOC.gov or Alison.Fisher@EEOC.gov
Meet Our Panelists & Moderators
Maura Wallenius
Staff Attorney, Illinois Department of Human Rights
Maura Wallenius serves as a Staff Attorney for the Illinois Department of Human Rights. Maura reviews investigations for the Department both before and after a determination has been issued and assists in reviewing pending legislation. Recently, Maura had a hand in helping draft legislation to include coverage in the Human Rights Act for people associated with individuals with disabilities, which has now been passed and signed into law. Maura earned her Bachelor of Science in History and Political Science, summa cum laude, from Illinois State University and then went on to earn her Juris Doctor with a certificate in labor and employment law from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Maura hopes to continue to serve the people of Illinois by helping in the continued expansion of the Act and being an example of kindness and acceptance to her daughters. Maura loves spending her free time gardening, collecting vinyl records, and spending time with her daughters and husband.
Sherice Galloway
State, Local, and Tribal Programs Manager, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Sherice Galloway is a graduate of DePaul University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She is the State, Local and Tribal Programs Manager for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the Chicago District Office. In her current role, she serves as a liaison, facilitating and encouraging the growth of partnerships between EEOC, Indigenous/Tribal nations, state agencies and municipal organizations to achieve the shared vision and mission of civil rights for all.
Karla Altmayer
Co-founder and Co-director, Healing to Action
Karla Altmayer is a Latine, queer, activist, attorney, and community organizer working to address the root causes of gender-based violence. Her personal experiences coupled with her experiences representing immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, helped her imagine an alternative world where survivors are seen as the powerful individuals that they are, and have the resources and support to lead solutions towards ending gender-based violence.
In 2016, Karla co-founded Healing to Action to focus on building survivor power. As co-director of Healing to Action, Karla facilitates and collaborates with survivor leaders to achieve gender liberation in their communities. In her community organizing, she practices healing justice and emergent strategy to build the political power of survivor-leaders. Karla has also trained, presented, and published on the intersection of gender-based violence and race, poverty, migration, and public health. She is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago and Northern Illinois University, College of Law, and lives in Chicagoland with her partner and two-children.
Fidel Arroyo
Community Outreach & Resource Planning Specialist, U.S. Department of Labor
Fidel Arroyo represents the Chicago District Office, and he prioritizes and directs resources and investigations to where the data and evidence show the problems are largest. Mr. Arroyo is in charge of maintaining and coordinating relationships with foreign, intergovernmental and National Office delegations. Mr. Arroyo also educates the public about programs and resources that promote labor rights and protections in order to protect and enhance the welfare of the nation’s workforce.
Kori N. Clemons
Training Instructor, Illinois Department of Human Rights Training Institute
Kori N. Clemons joined the Illinois Department of Human Rights in September 2018 as a Trainer with the Institute for Training and Development. In her time with the department, Kori has facilitated countless trainings that upholds the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) including the Annual Mandated Sexual Harassment Prevention, Preventing Harassment and Discrimination, Building Bridges with LGBTQ Employees and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA). Kori has co-chaired internal Leadership and Staff Development Trainings, assisted with the development and facilitation of the statewide DEIA Training in partnership with the Governor’s Office, and helped to expand the department’s training topics and platforms.
Jim Bennett
Director, Illinois Department of Human Rights
During Jim Bennett's tenure, IDHR has convened state agencies and advocates issuing guidance affirming nondiscrimination in matters related to Covid-19 and worked to modernize IDHR’s infrastructure to dramatically improve customer service and the efficiency of the investigative process.
The Training Institute also developed, piloted, and launched a training module that advance knowledge and understanding of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and implicit bias under Bennett’s leadership.
Prior to his role at IDHR, Bennett served as the Midwest Regional Director at Lambda Legal, the nation’s largest legal organization dedicated to securing the full civil rights of the LGBTQ community and people with HIV. In 2013, he chaired Illinois Unites for Marriage, the statewide coalition that led the successful effort to win marriage equality in Illinois. Bennett received his Bachelor of Science from Illinois State University and Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield.