VCU Health has announced the appointment of Marcelle Wilson Davis as the firm’s first Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I).
She brings over 20 years of experience in inclusive leadership to help advance VCH Health’s efforts to become more diverse and equitable. As an expert in recruitment and inclusive business practices, Davis will lead strategic DE&I and cultural competence initiatives across the company.
She will guide VCU Health fulfil its commitment to create a community that embraces diverse backgrounds, identities and lived experiences. In collaboration with leadership, Davis will play a critical role in carrying out the health system’s DE&I plan. This includes conducting gap analyses; developing a DEI governance structure; and implementing ongoing education and training programmes for employees.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION RESPONSIBILITIES
“Dr Davis is highly skilled in developing tools that enable organisations to move from the ideation of inclusion to the integration of it,” stated Arthur L Kellerman, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences at VCU and CEO of VCU Health System. “Her leadership and technical mastery of diversity issues will guide VCU Health as we weave diversity, equity and inclusivity into the fabric of our culture to deliver respectful, world-class care to patients, our community and each other.”
Her responsibilities include incorporating surveys, benchmarking, data and assessment, and team feedback, to set DE&I goals. Davis will support leadership with advancing sourcing, recruiting, developing and retaining leaders and team members from diverse and underrepresented groups. In addition, she will facilitate culturally competent interactions with patients, partners and surrounding communities.
DIVERSITY EXPERTISE
Most recently Davis served as DE&I Lead at Booz Allen Hamilton. She has also published several articles on the topics of global leadership, inclusive leadership and diversity. In 2019, she published a book entitled Measuring Inclusive Leadership with G.R.A.C.E., a step-by-step guide to recognising and advancing inclusion in the workplace.
Davis also designed and facilitated MBA courses for Concordia University and University of Southern Maine in cross-cultural management, HR and diversity. Additionally, she has given several keynote presentations at national and international HR, leadership and DE&I conferences during the last decade. She received a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University in 2018.
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