Introducing new leaders at Davenport University As Davenport gears up for a new academic year, we’re excited to introduce three new leaders who bring impressive experience and expertise to the university.
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atoya Booker joined Davenport in February as the university’s new executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion. With more than 15 years of experience, she has a tremendous track record of working with stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to advance diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Booker, who is no stranger to the challenges and opportunities of developing and maintaining strong frameworks to support such initiatives, will continue to advance the university’s work in these areas.
Latoya Booker
Executive Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
3 | DU Review
Most recently, Booker served in the nonprofit sector as executive director of the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance in Holland, Mich. Other previous positions in which Booker has served include director for diversity and inclusion at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Education at Hope College in Holland, classroom instructor for the TRiO/Upward Bound program at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, and manager for the Preparing Raciallydiverse Educators Program (PREP) at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids.
marginalized populations across all sectors,” said Booker. “I’m honored to be leading Davenport’s efforts to help create a learning environment that prepares our students for success, and equips all our students, staff and faculty to engage equity as a way of being and leading in the world.” As a Leadership Grand Rapids alum (2017), Booker has served as a community trustee committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; she is a former board member of Camp Blodgett and the Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance. Her accolades include being awarded the Outstanding Aquinas Woman Award by Aquinas College in 2014, where she led diversity initiatives across campus for five years, which included leading support programs and services for underrepresented students. Booker earned a Master of Education in college student affairs leadership and a bachelor’s in secondary education from Grand Valley State University. She also holds a bachelor’s in early childhood education from Aquinas College.
“Today more than ever, there’s widespread awareness of the necessity to educate students within a global context. This includes the inequities that exist for
Summer 2020