Workforce provider Goodwill Industries International (GII) has announced the appointment of Dr Samantha-Rae Dickenson as Director Of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I).
Dr Dickenson will lead the development and promotion of DE&I plans and implement workplace and initiatives and best practices. She will also support the 156 local Goodwill non-profit organisations in the US and Canada by developing and curating DE&I resources and strategies; to assist the company’s mission of supporting people through their career journeys.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL
“Goodwill’s entire mission and history has been to advance opportunities for people of all backgrounds in the workplace. Based on the rapidly changing nature of work, our commitment to DE&I will entail ensuring that all people can benefit in the prosperity of our country; by being equipped to compete for emerging opportunities in the workplace,” said Steven C Preston, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “We are grateful to have Dr Dickenson’s expertise as we continue our work to expand equitable opportunities for people in communities across our country.”
Dr Dickenson is a DE&I strategist with more than 11 years of professional and educational experience in various industries; including Biomedical Science and Research, Public Health Education. Before joining GII, she served as the DE&I Principal Strategist for the National Institutes of Health under the US Department of Health and Human Services. She also managed the Black Employee Portfolio during the global crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic.
DE&I STRATEGIST
Dr Dickenson has worked in the non-profit sector as a DE&I strategist to develop Save the Children’s first DE&I three-year strategy. Additionally, she has worked as a Senior Accreditation Specialist to assess compliance with accreditation policies related to cultural competency, diversity and inclusion; and financial planning for public health graduate and undergraduate schools/programmes.
“I am excited to join Goodwill Industries International in a role that aligns with my passions. Being intentional about DEI starts with developing a DEI strategy and working together to grow Goodwill’s mission of supporting people in their career journeys,” said Dr Samantha Rae-Dickenson. “I look forward to creating DEI strategies that will allow us to seamlessly interweave DEI into Goodwill’s brand and mission.”
CREATING INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES
Dr Dickenson is a sought-after speaker on DE&I strategy development, microaggressions and creating inclusive workspaces. She has been a guest on the Washington Watch with Roland Martin show and her work has been featured in Forbes. She has also appeared on numerous podcasts and panels. They include General Assembly’s Women at Work series and Consciously Unbiased‘s series on breaking down bias.
The diversity champion received her certificate in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Winston Salem State University; and a Master of Science in public health from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte, NC. Dr Dickenson graduated from the University of New England as the youngest doctoral graduate from the Educational Leadership Programme; with a focus on leadership and organisational management. Her research focused on the effects of racial microaggressions on Black female government workers’ work performance; and methods to reduce microaggressions in the workplace.
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