Weber State University
PAE-6: Diversity and Equity Coordination

WSU Diversity Committees

Creation of the diversity committed educational community is a campus-wide responsibility facilitated by the Assistant to the President for Diversity; a post created 1991 in response to institutional recognition that diversity is an important issue requiring explicit attention as part of WSU’s growing opportunities and challenges. Diversity-related steering committees and administrative ad-hoc boards consisting of faculty, staff, and students, provide substantive insights, guidance, and perspective to a developing infrastructure that concerns itself with institutional issues of governance, program development, campus enrichment and student learning.

WSU Diversity Community Council

A Diversity Community Council serves in an advisory capacity to the Office of Assistant to the President for Diversity in order to ensure a necessary and vital link to our community constituents at large.

The Weber State University Diversity Initiative is an institution-wide effort to improve educational quality through creation of an inclusive environment where all are welcome and opportunities are available for students to reach their full potential and contribute to the achievement of the university mission.

The mission of the WSU Diversity Initiative is:

• To promote campus unity by emphasizing shared experiences and principles, respect for human qualities that differentiate all individuals, and achievement of institutional goals.

• To enhance the development of leadership capabilities within the student, faculty and staff populations.

• To facilitate development of curricula which merge varied perspectives.

• To support recruitment of students, faculty and staff reflective of America's broad spectrum of perspectives, cultures, heritages and backgrounds.

• To promote values and ideas of all perspectives, cultures, heritages and backgrounds within the campus community.

• To promote development of support programs for faculty, staff and students who are products of all perspectives, cultures, heritages and backgrounds.

• To encourage networking of interest groups for the benefit of all.

Community Representatives:

Charles Cummins: Father Charles T. Cummins was born April 22, 1937 in Englewood, New Jersey. Among his accomplishments are a BBA in Accounting, 4 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps, and a BA in philosophy. He studied Theology at St. Johnân's Seminary from 1964-1968 and was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest, April 27, 1968. He has been in Utah for over 28 years, including 13 years at St. Benedictân's Hospital and 15 years at the Newman Center at the WSU campus were he currently serves.

MSgt Lori Grimes: Lori was born in Glendale, Ca. She has served in the United States Air Force for 23 years. For the last ten years she has been working in Military Equal Opportunity. Currently Lori is the Superintendent of the Military Equal Opportunity Office stationed at Hill Air Force Base. The mission of her office is to improve mission readiness and the quality of life for the 75th Air Base Wing and other tenant units by ensuring the Air Force Equal Opportunity and Treatment policies are fulfilled.

Pamela Candia Hernandez: Pamela has worked for more than 25 years in the areas of post-secondary education and on behalf of the migrant farmworkers of Utah. She currently serves as diversity/ADA manager of the Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College in Ogden.

Margret Jackson: Margret was born and raised in Jarreau, Louisiana. She worked 21 years with the Job Corps program in several positions. Currently, Margret works with the Juvenile Justive Services, and has so for the past 19 years. Her present position is that of a Case Manager. She also serves as the division's representative on the Utah State Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force.

Doretha Keeling: Doretha has resided in Utah for 22 years with her husband of 47 years. Since coming to Utah, Mrs. Keeling was instrumental in the implementation of the first Fair Housing Resolution in Ogden City and Weber County. She has retired as Head Start Director for the Ogden Weber Community Action Partnership which serves 703 Children and Families throughout Weber County. She was appointed by Governor Norman Bangeter to serve on the State of Utah Special Population Committe for three years and has served on the Weber State Diversity Council for three years. The Mayor of Ogden City has appointed her to serve on the Marshall White Advisory Board where she presently serves as Chairman.

Dr. Barbara Keller: Barbara Keller retired from Weber State where she was the Dean of Students from August 1999 until June 2002. She grew up in New Jersey. Her career in higher education, specifically in student affairs, spanned 40 years. She is a graduate of BYU and received her Masters from Syracuse University where she was a member of the Dean of Womenâ??s staff for four years. Her doctorate was earned at Bowling Green State University and for 33 years her work setting at BGSU was in the Division of Student Affairs. Since her retirement she has continued to be involved with the diversity initiative at WSU, serving as a member of the diversity conference planning committee and the community council. She was recently appointed to the Multicultural Advisory Council for Ogden City and was elected to the Senior Advisory Board for Riverdale City where she will be the secretary for the board.

Nadia Lashmanova, Weber County Library: Nadia Lashmanova is originally from Moscow and moved to Utah 10 years ago. She currently works for the Weber County Library. Her service in the community includes involvement in the Volunteer Legal Aid Foundation assisting low-income families, and work as a translator at Shrinerâ??s Hospital.

Richard Enriquez: Rick is the chief of the Military Equal Opportunity Office stationed at Hill Air Force Base. The mission of his office is to improve mission readiness and the quality of life for the 75th Air Base Wing and other tenant units by ensuring the Air Force Equal Opportunity and Treatment policies are fulfilled.

Sarah McClellan: Sarah serves as the ex-officio for the Northern Utah HIV/AIDS Project advisory board. She also trains HIV/AIDS instructors, facilitators, outreach workers, and coordinates and schedules presentations. Sarah furthermore conducts bi-weekly training and support groups for outreach workers. She also serves on the Governor's Black Advisory Council.

Shirley Miller: Shirley has a Masters in Counseling and is licensed in Utah as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). She has worked for 17 years at Your Community Connection (YCC). She is vocal and advocates community causes on both city and state levels, and has served on various committees at WSU. She currently works in the family enrichment center at YCC.

Steven Page: Steven is the director of the Ogden Institute of Religion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His facility is located immediately north of the WSU campus. Weekday religion classes are offered on a variety of subjects, focusing on world and Christian religions, bible study, dating and marriage, dance and choir, leadership, and many church-related subjects. All classes are free for young adults, and students from many states and countries attend these classes. Many students are either preparing for or returning from a mission in scores of countries throughout the world. As a result, these students have a deep appreciation for the customs and cultures of a diverse world population.

Cindy Quintana: Cindy is currently an HR Specialist with the USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Region, Regional Office located in Ogden, UT. She has over 8 years of Civil Rights experience with the Federal Government, specializing in diversity recruitment, student and youth multicultural programs and also served as Special Emphasis Program Manager for Hispanics, American Indians, Asian-Pacific Americans and People with Disabilities.

Gerod â??Butchâ? Sawyer: Gerod is director of the Marshall White Community Center where he administers the facility and disseminates information. His wife Betty is the director of NAACP in Ogden National Association for the Advancement Of Colored People. He and his wife are founders and coordinators of Project Success Inc. which is a mentoring, tutoring and after school program. Gerod and his wife have four children.

Celeste N. Tonga, Governorâ??s Pacific Island Affairs: Celeste is a Maori and was born in Tauranga, New Zealand. She has been a full-time volunteer in Utah for 18 years, serving on many educational, multi-cultural and ethnic committees, including the Governor's Advisory Council for a period of 10 years. Currently, Celeste works part time as an international reservations agent for Continental Airlines.

WSU Representatives:

Dr. Forrest C. Crawford: Alumnus Forrest C. Crawford helped establish the Utah Coalition for the Advancement of Minorities in Higher Education. In 1992, he was appointed WSU’s first Assistant to the President for Institutional Diversity. He co-founded and served five years as Governor Michael Leavitt’s state-appointed chairman of the Martin Luther King Jr. Human Rights Commission.

Barry Gomberg, Director EEO/AA Office: Barry has been the Director of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity at Weber State since 1988. He earned his Bachelors and law degrees from Indiana University in 1978 and spent 5 years practicing law before working at WSU. He provides civil rights training for employees to promote diversity, inclusivity, and avoid discrimination. He has also taught law, ethics, and civil rights classes at Weber State and Indiana University.

Dr. Jeff Hurst: Jeff has lived in Ogden and worked for WSU for 11 years. He received a B.A. from the University of Wyoming and a Masters and Ph.D. from the Univerity of Utah. Jeff is a licensed Psychologist, and has been the Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at WSU before recently becoming the Dean of Students at WSU.

Dr. F. Ann Millner: Dr. Millner is president of Weber State University, where she has worked as an educator and administrator since 1982. Most recently, she served as vice president of University Advancement, a position she assumed in 1993. In that role, she partnered with colleagues to conduct WSU's successful $75 million capital campaign, while leading staff dedicated to continuing education, alumni relations, development and communications. She earned her doctorate at Brigham Young University in higher education leadership.

Diane Newham: Diane is appointed by the Ogden City Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC) to serve on the Community Diversity Council. As a member of the MAC she has helped with workshops on Immigration and Predatory Lending. Diane is also an Assistant Professor at WSU in the Radiologic Sciences Department. Since 1990 she has worked with hospitals, religious organizations and educational institutions/organizations presenting workshops on cultural sensitivity and teaching tolerance. She has presented talks on Cultural Sensitivity, Cultural Sensitivity in Health Care and Spirituality and Healing in Medicine at the local,state and national levels. She has also specialized in multicultural programs for youth in South Dakota (Tiyospaye Network and SD Peace and Justice) and Illinois (St. Josephâ??s Justice and Peace Committee).

The Office of Assistant to the President for Diversity strives to cultivate partnerships using a collaborative model that serves to maximize fiscal resources and human talents.

The following is a list of activities the WSU Office of Diversity sponsors or co-sponsors to create partnerships on and off campus:
• Annual Diversity Conference
• Special Constituency Emphasis Weeks
• Amnesty International Human Rights Week
• Annual Gospelfest
• Annual Multicultural Youth Conference
• Biannual “Diversity Works” Newsletter
• WSU Teaching & Learning Forum Partnership
• WSU Holocaust Memorial Partnership
• Faculty and Staff Development
• Student Leadership
• Ogden City “Cinco de Mayo” Celebration
• Ogden City “Juneteenth” Celebration
• Community Outreach Programs & Partnerships
• Campus and Community Board, Committee and Advisory Council Representation

The position was officially established in 1990. The Assistant to the President for Diversity serves on the President's Council and reports directly to the President. The position description since 1990 is...generating support and involvement for diversity and inclusivity,as well as organizing and staffing university administrative bodies responsible for advancing the diversity initiative.The representative(1)works with faculty,students and staff,(2)works with various various northern minority communities,(3)advocates for diversity initiative on and off campus,and (4)coordinates institutional studies of diversity issues