Louvisia “Lou” Conley
Louvisia “Lou” Conley
Boling Center
University of Tennessee Health Science Center, TN
A native Memphian well-known for her passionate of disability policy/advocacy and leadership for individuals with disABILITIES. Louvisia “Lou” Conley is recognized by governmental agencies, corporations, and nonprofit leaders nationwide for her strategic talent management with emphasis in diversity and inclusion.
Lou is currently a Doctoral Student, College of Education, Instruction Curriculum & Leadership, and Special Education with the University of Memphis. Lou possesses an Educational Specialist Degree in Professional School Counseling (Ed.S) from the University of Memphis and a Master of Education in Rehabilitation Counseling (M.Ed.) from Auburn University, from which she graduated Cum Laude. She is a graduate of Tennessee Partners in Policymaking Leadership Institute, has an Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies in Counseling Educational Psychology and Research, Bachelor of Professional Studies in Disability Studies & Rehabilitation Services (BPS), Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems (BBA), all from the University of Memphis.
Additionally, Lou has achieved the following accomplishments:-
Appointment by Gov. Bill Haslam to TN Council for the Deaf, Deafblind, and Hard-of-Hearing (2015-present)
- Appointment by Mayor Jim Strickland to Memphis Advisory Council for Citizens with disABILITIES (2016-present)
- Board of Directors with Memphis Center for Independent Living (MCIL) (2015-present)
- 2016 National Diversity Internship Program, with U.S Department of Veteran Affairs at James J. Peters Medical Center, Bronx, New York
- 2017- 2018 Diversity Fellowship, with Association of University Centers on Disabilities/University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Her research project with UTHSC Boling Center, includes Nursing Education and Nursing Practice Standard and Work Environment inclusion of nursing with disabilities, revising the ANA Nursing Standard-Intellectual and Developmental Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice.
She is committed to being an educator, advocate, and role model for individuals with disABILITIES seeking to gain equal and accessible opportunities to employment, education, and on-the- job training. She has dedicated her efforts by becoming involved in numerous organizations and leadership organizations such as the National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE), International Association of Rehabilitation Professional (IARP), American School Counselor Association (ASCA), Tennessee Association of the Deaf, Memphis Center for Independent Living and University of Memphis, Student Chapter of Council Exceptional Children. Her work in strategic talent management emphasizes the catalyst that diversity and inclusion can be in governmental, corporation, and nonprofit organizations. She has provided executive consultation, education leadership, and training to corporate stakeholders, executives and their managers and supervisors around talent management factors that focus on how to integrate diversity in recruitment processes that affect leadership and longevity of organizational success. Diversity in the hiring and promotions of people with disABILITIES, diversity and inclusion of individuals with disABILITIES in the workplace, and promotion of people with disABILITIES are topics her clients have leveraged in building stronger organizations. Her goal is to transform the general public knowledge and misconceptions about people with disABILITIES and inspire all to bridge the gap between disABILITIES and equal opportunity in the 21st century.