Resilience and Perseverance: Driving Change in Uncertain Times

The landscape for DEI work in the public sector has never been more complicated: federal guidance shifts and organizational risk tolerance tightens... all while practitioners are asked to do more with less. Is it possible to achieve any real goals without alienating the stakeholders you need on your side? Can you really build relationships across lines of difference without betraying your own values?

This session offers a real case study told by both the internal champion and the external consultant who lived it together. Heather Guevara, Learning Coordinator - Culture & Development at Clean Water Services, and Trystan Reese, founder of Collaborate Consulting, will walk participants through the process of designing and delivering inclusion training during a period of genuine institutional uncertainty. You'll hear the behind-the-scenes story of what worked, what we had to adapt on the fly, and what we plan to do differently next time.

The session centers on a mindset shift that sounds simple and proves surprisingly hard: don't take it personal. This shift is difficult, since most of us entered this work because it IS personal. Learning to advocate effectively without letting that drive derail us - and without vilifying the colleagues and departments who are also just trying to do their jobs - is one of the most practical skills a DEI practitioner can develop.

Participants will leave with concrete tools for building internal partnerships, sustaining momentum when progress stalls, and maintaining the flexibility that long-term change work requires. Whether you are an internal equity advocate, a learning and development professional, or a leader trying to hold the line on inclusion commitments during disruption, this session will give you something you can use the moment you walk back into your office.

Trystan Reese is a DEI strategist, facilitator, and the founder of Collaborate Consulting, a Portland-based firm that helps organizations build inclusive cultures through practical, research-backed training and leadership development. He has spent nearly two decades doing frontline advocacy and organizational work at the intersection of identity, equity, and change, with a particular focus on what it takes to keep equity commitments alive when the political and cultural winds shift.

A Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory and a certified Dare to Lead™ facilitator, Trystan brings both rigorous methodology and lived experience to his work. As a transgender man and neurodivergent professional, he doesn't just teach intersectional inclusion… he lives it. His training on neurodiversity in the workplace draws on personal experience alongside the latest research, offering public-sector teams a grounded, shame-free framework for building cultures where different kinds of minds can do their best work.

Trystan presented on neurodiversity at the 2024 Northwest Public Employees Diversity Conference, where his session was among the most highly attended of the day. His public-sector clients include the City of Hillsboro, City of Portland Office of Equity and Human Rights, Clean Water Services, Multnomah County, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Employment Department, Oregon Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration, and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, among others.

A Lambda Literary Fellow and author of the award-winning memoir How We Do Family, Trystan has been featured on CNN, PBS, and in People magazine, and has delivered keynotes and workshops for federal agencies, health systems, municipalities, and nonprofits across the country. He lives in Portland with two of his three children. They are very happy.

Learn more at collaborate.consulting

Heather Guevara is the Learning Coordinator for Clean Water Services, where she leads enterprise learning, leadership development, and workforce capability initiatives. With experience spanning higher education and local government, Heather has spent more than twenty years helping organizations navigate change, build leadership capacity, and align people, processes, and technology around shared goals.

Drawing on her background in sociology, adult learning, and change management, Heather helps leaders and teams navigate uncertainty while building trust, capability, and sustainable outcomes. She holds a Master of Science in Sociology from Portland State University and is passionate about creating learning environments where individuals and organizations can adapt, grow, and succeed together. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Prosci Change Practitioner, ATD Master Trainer, and CliftonStrengths Coach, Heather brings a practical, people and systems-oriented approach to organizational transformation.

Before joining Clean Water Services, Heather served as Dean of Online Learning and Program Dean at Portland Community College, where she had a long and happy career in teaching and administration.

A longtime Pacific Northwest resident and Washington County community member, Heather enjoys hiking and backpacking and can often be found exploring the region's trails and wilderness areas.