About DEIA at the President's Office

Mission Statement

The mission of the President's Office DEIA Team is to promote inclusion, equity, and respect for all of those who work for and engage with the university, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information and any other characteristic or status. The DEIA Team will work to build a stronger and more inclusive university community by providing information, sharing resources and best practices, and facilitating conversations around issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Objectives

  • Develop and promote awareness around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility across UMSO. 
  • Foster a deep commitment to a safe and inclusive environment at UMSO for everyone. 
  • Enhance HR processes to attract, develop, and retain a more diverse workforce.
  • Reinforce best practices around current and future DEIA initiatives at the university.

President's Office DEIA Team

  • JoAnn Conley, Communication Coordinator/Writer (Communications)
  • Kristina England, Digital Experience and Accessibility Specialist (University Information Technology Services)
  • Débora D. Ferreira, Associate Counsel (Office of the General Counsel)
  • Maria McKinney, Senior Business Associate (Unified Procurement Services Team)
  • Meeta Gill, Senior Internal Auditor (Internal Audit)
  • Brian Girard, Director of Procurement Operations (Unified Procurement Services Team)
  • Preethi Lodha, Sr. Data Analytics and Insights (Academic Affairs)
  • Sara MacKenzie, Budget Analyst II (Budget Office)
  • Megan Momtaheni, Manager of Financial Applications (University Information Technology Services)
  • Som Seng, Director of Marketing (UMass Online)
  • Chanda Wolf, Special Assistant to the President (Executive Office/Office of the General Counsel)

DEIA Communications Sub-Group

  • JoAnn Conley, Communication Coordinator/Writer (Communications)
  • Kristina England, Digital Experience and Accessibility Specialist (UITS)
  • Jacquie Kittler, Employee and Labor Relations Director (HR)
  • Vanita Chawla, Principal Web Developer (UITS)
  • Yara Hentz, Senior Project Manager (UITS)
  • Kerri Hudzikiewicz, Operations Center Manager (UITS)
  • Sara MacKenzie, Budget Analyst II (Budget Office)
  • Christine Packard, Director of Enterprise Risk Management (Risk Management)
  • Shawn Skelly, App Dev and Digital Transformation Director (UITS)
  • Jacob Sturtz, Business Analyst (Innovation and Operations)
  • Kate Targett, Deputy Chief Information Officer (UITS)

Contribute to DEIA efforts through the DEIA Volunteer Program

All President's Office employees who are interested in supporting President's Office DEIA efforts are invited to join our volunteer program. This program will allow you to make meaningful contributions towards key DEIA initiatives throughout the year in a number of different ways. Employees can participate regularly or on an ad hoc basis, according to their own schedule. If you are interested in participating in the volunteer program, please take a moment and fill out our DEIA Program Volunteer Form (login required).