Debra Y. Huges, Esq.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Traveling From: Washington, DC
Cost: $2,500.00 - $3,000.00
Biography:

Ms. Hughes is an attorney, licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania. Ms. Hughes graduated from the University of Maryland (Baltimore County) with a Bachelor’s of Arts in the Honor’s College of Modern Languages and Linguistics, and was awarded a scholarship for Outstanding Academic Achievement in this area. Later, Ms. Hughes graduated, with honors, with a Juris Doctorate (JD) from Texas Southern University, where she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Thurgood Marshall Law Review. After graduating from law school, she practiced for four years at a prestigious law firm in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she specialized in most aspects of intellectual property law and litigation, including domestic and international trademark counseling, as well as trade dress and domain name issues. She also served as in-house counsel for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., in Bentonville, Arkansas, managing the enforcement of the company’s domestic trademark and copyright portfolios, the design review process for Wal-Mart’s private label products, the company’s domain name portfolio and counsels business clients regarding a wide array of trademark, copyright, entertainment and publicity concerns. Ms. Hughes is a frequent speaker on these topics at professional conferences.

In addition to leadership training, Ms. Hughes specializes in African-American Fraternities and Sororities. She joined Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority, Inc. as a student at the University of Maryland (Baltimore County). While in college, she chartered and later served as Basileus of the Lambda Phi Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority, Inc. Soon after, she was elected President of the UMBC chapter of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. While at the University of Maryland, she gained extensive experience addressing diversity issues and had success improving relationships between the IFC, PHC and NPHC fraternal organizations. After graduation, she served as Basileus of the Baltimore County Alumni chapter at Sigma Gamma Rho and as advisor to several undergraduate chapters and has participated in the chartering of several undergraduate chapters in the Northeast region. Additionally, she has provided training on the local and regional level for Sigma Gamma Rho related to sorority protocol and history. Her extensive legal training and professional student services experience make her extremely qualified to address, access and relate to internal and external communication dynamics among various ethnic fraternities and sororities. Ms. Hughes’ legal training, student leadership experience and frank presentation style provide a unique approach to communication and leadership training.

Workshops:

• The Triple Threat: Woman, Minority, Professional! TM
  

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  During the past 50 years, minorities, as a whole, have made great strides socially, politically, economically, and professioanlly. Unfortunately, within the higher echelons of industry some subtle but powerful challenges still exist. How can minorities address these concerns and still suceed? This workshop is instrumental in identifying these subleties and empowering the participants with tools to contiually succeed as a professional in the real world. Realistic and practical solutions are discussed as participants are given insight to the culture they may encounter later in their professional career, as well as during their time as an undergraduate student.