California Diversity Council Appoints First Board of Directors

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The California Diversity Council (CADC), California's preeminent thought leader in diversity and inclusion, recently appointed seven executives from across California to seed its first Board of Directors.

"Although we come from a range of sectors including academia, business, and community, each of our board members shares an uncommon desire to drive a new vision for diversity and inclusion within California's businesses, communities, and schools," said Mary Campbell, Ph.D. and Chairman of the Board.

The primary role of the Board is to govern the CADC's organization of volunteers and diversity leaders. The seven appointees were selected from across California to provide representation for the entire state, and the new Board of Directors is uniquely positioned to provide a more research-based approach to diversity and inclusion for the CADC.

"Our goal is to push the envelope beyond what has been traditionally done for diversity," said Michael Carrillo, Vice Chairman. "One way we'll do this is by working with academic institutions for solid research on diversity and inclusion. This will go a long way toward informing our programs and initiatives. We're currently in the process of building these partnerships in order to expand our role as thought leaders within the diversity arena."

The seven appointed Board members are:

Mary Campbell, Ph.D.: Chairman (Assistant Vice President, Career Services, University of Southern California)

Michael Carrillo: Vice Chairman (President and Founder, CPGjobs)

Dawn Martin: Secretary (Director, Diversity Inclusion & Culture Initiatives, Cricket Communications)

Carmen J. Smith (Vice President, Global Strategies for Diversity & Inclusion, Disney Parks & Resorts)

Elana Hobson (Regional Vice President, Jack In The Box)

Tom Wright, J.D. (Director, Strategic & Academic Alliances, The Apollo Group

Dennis Kennedy (CEO & Founder, National Diversity Council)

Yvette Irvin, Executive Director for the CADC, works closely with the Board to develop the strategies for implementing their new vision. "I'm honored to be working with such an exceptional group of individuals," said Irvin. "With the New Year and the new Board, the timing is perfect to propel the CADC in a fresh and exciting direction."

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA DIVERSITY COUNCIL (CADC)

The CADC is a non-profit organization that champions diversity and inclusion throughout California's academia, businesses, and communities. The CADC creates a platform for discourse and collaboration around common inclusion issues and provides education, development, and community building opportunities for all Californians. The CADC is a member of the National Diversity Council (NDC) and was founded in November 2007.

For more on the CADC, please visit www.californiadiversitycouncil.org.

SOURCE California Diversity Council, Inc.