Lisa Fenn joined Emory University on Dec. 1 as the inaugural senior director of belonging, diversity, and equity for Emory Libraries and the Michael C. Carlos Museum.
Lisa Fenn
Among other responsibilities, Fenn will guide the work of the current library and museum DEI committees and assist their human resources departments on DEI matters relating to hiring and belonging, as well as develop and provide DEI-related staff training opportunities and events for the community. She will also represent the libraries and museum on university-wide DEI-related initiatives.
“We are excited to have Lisa Fenn join us in this newly created position for the libraries and museum,” says Associate Vice Provost and University Librarian Lisa Macklin. “She will be able to build upon and enhance the great foundation of diversity, equity, and inclusion work advanced by our libraries and museum DEI committees and many others in the organization. Lisa brings a breadth and depth of knowledge and expertise in this area, and we look forward to working with her.”
“I was initially drawn to Emory because of its reputation within the higher education landscape not only as a model of institutional excellence, but also one with a track record of diversity and inclusion commitments,” says Fenn.
“The one thing that impacted me the most was my interactions with so many people at Emory during the interview and selection processes,” she adds. “I was treated with dignity and respect, and that made me want to be here. And now that I am, it feels great to be part of a team committed to the ongoing work of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. I look forward to being in this community on the road ahead of us.”
In her most recent position as the program director of Tufts University’s anti-racism initiative, Fenn provided specialized subject matter knowledge to develop, implement, and review key diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and associated university strategic goals, reinforcing Tufts’ anti-racism commitment. While at Tufts, she also served as director of diversity, equity, and inclusion programming.
A native New Yorker with Georgia and Alabama roots, Fenn has worked in multidisciplinary learning environments as a diversity and inclusion practitioner and certified coach, fostering inclusion in intercultural and experiential ways. Throughout her career, Fenn has made a significant contribution to in-depth training and nationally recognized seminars about belonging, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Some of her advanced diversity-related training efforts include Foundations in Institutional Racism at the Racial Equity Institute, Implicit Bias Workshop at Georgia Tech, and A Systems Approach to Diversity Training at Georgetown University.
Fenn was an executive consultant at Korn Ferry International in the Leadership & Talent Consulting practice for nearly 15 years, where she provided transformative leadership and engagement solutions and offered project and planning support for strategic inclusive implementations. She also served as a Master Diversity Trainer at the firm, where she led many certification processes across several initiatives at multiple site locations, including abroad. Prior to that, Fenn was a member of the US Peace Corps, exploring cultures and fostering learning and development.
Fenn holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Adelphi University and a master’s degree from Columbia University Teachers College. Her credentials also include coach certification diplomas from the Columbia Business School and the Executive Education department and certifications in various personality type indicators and assessments.
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