Cathy Harris
Who is Cathy Harris?
Founder and President of C. Harris Companies, Inc.
Cathy Harris is the founder and president of C. Harris Companies, Inc., an organizational and staff development firm based in New Orleans. With nearly 30 years of experience, she leads a team specializing in leadership development, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), transformational change, communication skills, team building, and conflict resolution.
Cathy is renowned for her non-confrontational approach in facilitation and training, helping organizational leaders and participants develop effective workplace communication and trust-building strategies. She is a sought-after professional speaker, trainer, and facilitator known for her engaging presentations that empower audiences nationwide. She blends persuasion, empathy, insight, and fun into serious topics, catalyzing meaningful organizational change.
Cathy focuses on assisting clients in achieving organizational excellence through effective leadership development, DEI initiatives, and conflict resolution strategies. Her approach is tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses and government organizations, aiming to foster inclusive environments and enhance performance and productivity.
Her client portfolio includes industry giants like Chevron, Shell, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as government agencies such as USDA, Homeland Security, DOD, IRS, and universities. Cathy’s expertise lies in crafting tailored solutions that yield lasting results beyond the duration of her programs.
Cathy Harris is dedicated to demolishing barriers to workplace inclusion and guiding DEI professionals to achieve transformational change and sustainable business growth. She empowers DEI entrepreneurs to secure long-term, high-paying contracts.
“I believe that understanding our differences brings us together. Removing barriers fosters trust and connection, allowing us to focus on our shared humanity.” – Cathy Harris
Can Cathy help my company?
Cathy Harris has worked with hundreds of firms—big and small, public and private—over the past three decades—experience that enables her to craft a plan tailored to the unique needs of your business. Cathy knows that no two enterprises are alike and shuns cookie-cutter approaches to orchestrating effective communications plans for her clients. See testimonials from corporate and government clientele
Cathy Harris keynote speaking, consulting and training work is recognized for producing impressive results by helping executives, managers, supervisors and staff to identify and implement the best changes for their growth.
Clients produce exceptional results with Cathy’s highly interactive, dynamic and humorous presentations. They also appreciate her ability to design support systems that afford them continuing results long after she has completed her programs. Her clients include Chevron, Shell, Audubon Nature Institute, Blue Cross Blue Shield, The U. S. Department of Agriculture, Louisiana State University, The U. S. Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Ochsner Health Plan, The Windsor Court Hotel and others.
In the areas of workplace diversity, team building, conflict resolution and communication, Cathy has captivated and educated audiences across the country. Participants love her authenticity, humor and down-to-earth style. This combined with experiential and highly interactive activities and exercises allow her to successfully present tough topics (diversity, conflict resolution, communicating across cultural lines). Her stories of overcoming obstacles instantly connect her to the challenges faced by members of the audience.
Cathy has more than 25 years’ experience as a small business owner. As such, she led major change initiatives for Chevron Chemical Company and the USDA’s National Finance Center. John Ortego, the center’s Director, said Cathy’s work “… has been a factor in creating a unified, productive,and positive workforce and atmosphere.” He also said that it was the “best diversity training he ever attended.” After major improvements inequity, performance and morale at the National Finance Center, officials in Washington, DC took notice and commissioned Cathy to train USDA managers and supervisors in the DC area. She facilitated Train-the-Trainer and other diversity and inclusion workshops for Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA) for five consecutive years and was a panelist on the Criminal Law Session at the LSBA’s 2015 Annual Diversity Conclave.
HONORS
Cathy has received the New Orleans Peace Foundation’s 1996 Peacemaker Award. She also was given the George Washington Medal of Honor from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge along with Dr. Stephen Ambrose, creator of Saving Private Ryan and the hit HBO mini-series Band ofBrothers.Cathy is featured as one of 10 Top Female Achievers in the July 2008 issue of New Orleans Magazine and was recognized in Ebony Magazine for outstanding community service.
An overview of her challenges and triumphs is captured in the book, Discovering Your Inner Strength, along with Steven Covey, Ken Blanchard and others.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Cathy is co-founder (along with Sally-Ann Roberts) and past president of Each One Save One, a mentoring organization for New Orleans’ schools. She also serves on executive committee of the Horizon Initiative, an organization committed to bring new business to New Orleans and retain and grow existing businesses.Cathy is past president of the National Speakers Association/New Orleans Chapter.She is a six-year member of the Diversity Professional Experts Group of the National Speakers Association.
Harris is past president of the National Speakers Association/New Orleans Chapter.
|
“The impact of the workshops has also paid off in the long term. There are fewer situations which escalate to a formal grievance. We believe that this is due, in large part, to the communication skills that you and your associates teach.” Judy Welcker, Training Officer, USDA/National Finance Center |
