Happy New Year! My “Top 10” blogs of 2022

This year, I am updating this New Year’s blog tradition …. since the 2022 top 7 blogs were all published in prior years, I am going to add the top three 2022 published blogs at the end to now make this a “Top 10.”

Yes – my top seven most read blogs were published in earlier years.  I guess as more people read them, they come toward the top on google searches and get even more readers.

The top seven all received over 1,000 hits each; five of the 7 dealt with some general aspect of diversity, and three of the 7 dealt with diversity within sports. 

Here are the seven most read of 2022, starting with number 7 and working up to number one. At the bottom I will add the top 3 read blogs that were actually published this year.

7) This year’s number 7 was last year’s number 6 – a guest blog written in 2018 by my cousin Brandon, who has a masters degree in social work and now works in the Federal Prison System while pursuing his PhD in social work at the University of Kentucky – Five Misconceptions about Atheists from my Experience: A guest blog by Brandon G.

6) This year’s number 6 was last year’s number 4 – “Three Wonderful Recent Examples of Diversity and Sports,” in which I provide short summaries with links about an NFL football player with one hand, an WNBA player who is a new mother with her wife, and a college track star who overcame a harsh abusive upbringing in Africa.

5) First time in the top seven is “Active Listening Skills of Influential Leaders” published in March 2020.

With figure skating now being so much a part of my life, I am pleased my diversity and skating blogs are so well read.

3 and 4) With over 5,000 hits across the two blogs were 2018’s Seven More Fabulous Out Gay Men of Figure Skating (and One Bisexual Woman) and my 2016 personal labor of love which included several personal photos that I took, “Seven Fabulous Out Gay Men of Figure Skating.”  And my 2022 installment was my top blog actually published in 2022 – see below.

2) And another newcomer to this year’s list was a guest blog written at the end of 2020. As diversity, equity and inclusion becomes increasingly important in the workplace, “Five Tips for Highlighting Your Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion in Your Resume: Here’s How” can prove to be a valuable resource for job seekers.

1) With the growing number and visibility of Hispanic Americans, number one for the second year in a row with over 6,000 hits – “Seven Misconceptions or Stereotypes of Hispanic People”, a guest piece written in 2016 by my part-time bilingual consultant on staff, Elsa Maria Jimenez Salgado.

Two of my most popular 2022 published blogs dealt with the increase in nonbinary people and use of pronouns

Since none of the few dozen blogs I wrote in 2022 made it into the top seven, here are the 2022 written top 3:

2022 Number 1 – With 2022 having been an Olympic year, I wrote the 3rd installment of my very popular blog series, “Seven more fabulous out LGBTQ+ athletes of figure skating.” This is the most diverse group ever – includes 3 women and one non-binary athlete from 3 countries and across all 4 figure skating disciplines (women, men, pairs, ice dance.)

2022 Number 2 – A more personal blog a tribute to one of my Millbrook High School teachers who recently passed away – Vickie Tart Burlington aka Miss Tart.

2022 Number 3 – This blog is about one of the hot emerging areas in diversity, equity and inclusion and one of the most requested topics I got ask to speak on during LGBTQ Pride Month this year: “Nonbinary People and the Use of Pronouns – 6 Points and Resources.”

I wish all of my faithful readers a happy and fulfilling 2023.  To stay in touch and to receive my monthly newsletter in which I summarize all blogs written in the previous month, please do subscribe to my newsletter. Or check out this page to connect to my LinkedIn or business Facebook page.

Deanna Jones – Consultant on Call with Total Engagement Consulting

I am pleased to start 2023 by announcing that Deanna Jones is joining the Total Engagement Consulting team as a consultant on call. She will initially assist with supporting our transgender and nonbinary consulting and training efforts as well as being a key note or LGBTQ Pride Month speaker. Over time she will be assisting in other areas such as DEI Council and Employee Resource Groups support.

Deanna has worked in the Technology field In Sales and Operations roles for over 25 years, including 23 years at Cisco Systems. Deanna has an MBA from Elon University and a Masters in Instructional Technology from University of Maryland University Global Campus. She has been a member of Toastmasters for 7 years and is currently serving as Area Director, is a member of Harmony LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce currently serving on their Board of Directors, and is also a member of Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. In her spare time she likes to coach t-ball and has coached for 14 seasons. In 2020 Deanna transitioned to her authentic self while working at Cisco Systems.

Since transitioning, Deanna has become very involved with the LGBT+ community, including her board role with Harmony, the LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce. She has a DEI certificate in Diversity &Inclusion Training from eCornell. She has frequently spoken at a storytelling group called, the Monti in Durham and has also served on various panels for DEI conferences.

Deanna is very interested in going out and speaking to other companies and at events to share her story of not only transitioning in the workplace, but her personal life as well. There is a powerful connection that comes from hearing someone share their lived experiences. It is how we make meaning in our lives. That is why, in addition to being on call with Total Engagement Consulting, she has formed deannajonesnow Consulting. The mission for this company is to help people understand what it is to be transgender in the workplace today and help corporations navigate personal transitions and transformations.

Whole, authentic employees make all the difference!