Arena Turner, MAOM
MAOM
DCFS Office of Equity
Arena Turner, MAOM
Arena Turner is a dedicated public servant and innovative leader with more than 20 years of experience serving Los Angeles County. Her career has spanned financial management, organizational leadership, and child welfare, including managing budgets ranging from $1.5 million to $2 billion and spearheading countywide initiatives.
In 2017, Arena joined the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), where she brought her financial and organizational expertise to efforts focused on prevention, family preservation, transitional-age youth, and creating more equitable outcomes for children and families. In 2023, she became Division Chief of the DCFS Office of Equity, an office she helped establish. Under her leadership, the Office of Equity advances racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ equity while working to embed inclusion, belonging, and equity throughout DCFS policies, practices, programs, and culture.
Arena holds a B.S. in Business Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills and an M.A. in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership at California Baptist University.
Beyond her professional work, Arena is passionate about mentoring and supporting youth and young adults and creating environments where people and communities can thrive.
SESSION OVERVIEW
Othering & Belonging: The Culture That Shapes Our Mission Co-Presenters: Marianne Yamato and Dr. LaQuitta Simms
“How employees experience an organization directly influences how clients, families, and communities experience its services. When people feel seen, valued, and connected, they are better equipped to create environments where others can thrive. Conversely, experiences of exclusion, isolation, and othering can unintentionally shape workplace relationships, decision-making, and service delivery.
This thought-provoking keynote will explore the transformative framework of Othering and Belonging, examining how organizational culture influences both workforce well-being and equitable outcomes for the communities we serve. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how belonging fuels psychological safety, trust, collaboration, innovation, and organizational effectiveness.
The keynote will include an interactive reflection activity that invites participants to recall a time when they felt they truly belonged and a time when they felt othered. Through guided storytelling and paired discussion, attendees will explore the emotions associated with each experience, identify how those moments influenced their engagement and performance, and connect those insights to the experiences of colleagues, children, families, and community partners. The activity culminates in a collective commitment to one intentional action each participant can take to foster greater belonging within their sphere of influence.
Participants will leave inspired with practical strategies to intentionally create cultures where every employee, child, family, and community member feels valued, respected, connected, and empowered to succeed; because the experience people have inside our organizations often becomes the experience they create for those we serve.”
Co-Presenter: