Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan holds 4th annual Diversity Symposium

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- The Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan hosted its fourth annual Leadership and Diversity Symposium on Thursday at the Milwaukee War Memorial.

Coast Guard members stationed all around the Great Lakes region and even further attended the event.

The purpose of the symposium is to bring leaders from all levels of the service together in order to discuss leadership, mentorship and resource availability in order to contribute to the success of the Coast Guard's mission.

The key speakers of the event were Rear Admiral Joanna Nunan, the Coast Guard Ninth District Commander and the Coast Guard's Master Chief Petty Officer Steven Cantrell.

The symposium included small group discussion sessions that encompassed a variety of topics including career guidance, networking and developing organizational leadership divisive of rank.

In a statement, Ensign Fernando Pla of Sector Lake Michigan said, "The symposium is a time of open and honest discourse regarding the challenges facing our diverse workforce. The exchange of ideas that took place today served as a reminder that leadership has no rank and that every member has a part to play in fostering a stronger environment of fairness, diversity and mentorship.”

This symposium has been held for the last four years and has become an annual event for Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan.