Meredith College Announces First DEI Coordinator

Meredith College has hired Liliana Madrid to serve as the College’s first Coordinator and Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). 

In this newly created position, Madrid will support people from a rich diversity of backgrounds–including but not limited to diverse academic experiences, socioeconomic levels, cultures, abilities, sexual orientations, genders, races, and ethnicities. Reporting directly to the president, the Coordinator for DEI will champion policies and actions that reaffirm the College’s lasting commitment to being a healthy and inclusive environment.

Prior to coming to Meredith, Madrid served as the director of DEI for the division of academic and student affairs at NC State. She has also held roles supporting multicultural students at UNC Wilmington, Lafayette College, Moravian College, and Bay Path University.

Madrid brings extensive experience helping the higher education community review organizational practices, processes, and structures and recommending ways to make them more equitable.

“In addition to her experience in a higher-ed setting, one of the things that stood out most about Liliana is the joy with which she approaches DEI work. Her passion and enthusiasm for helping to ensure everyone feels they belong distinguish her as the community builder we seek,” said President Jo Allen, ’80. “Those qualities also speak to the emphasis on collaboration and coordination that the search committee and the campus community have emphasized in recognition of the work that is already underway at Meredith.”

Madrid holds a B.A. in political science from Trinity College and an M.S. in higher education administration from Bay Path University. She is earning a doctoral degree at NC State in educational leadership, policy, and human development. 

Madrid will begin at Meredith on January 24, 2022. 

Academic Search,  a nationally known, top-rated search firm, aided Meredith College in the search for this position. The search generated about 60 applications from experts in higher education, business, not-for-profit, and civic organizations. 

Allen thanked the campus community, particularly the members of Meredith’s search committee for their support of the search for the DEI Coordinator. Serving on the committee were Laura Davidson, Dean, Library Information Services, committee co-chair;  Pamela Davis Galloway, Director of Human Resources; Chorro Jobe, ’24, BSU president; Alisa Johnson, Associate Professor of English, committee co-chair; Sarah Powell, ’22, SGA president;  Dilnavaz Mirza Sharma, Survey and Report Specialist, Research Planning and Assessment, committee co-chair; Grace Sugg, Associate Director of Admissions;  Kaylin Tsukayama, Videographer/Photographer, Marketing Department; and Al White, Chief of Campus Police.