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). Madrid began at Meredith on January 24, 2022.

In this newly created position, Madrid will support people from a wide 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,” said President Jo Allen, ’80.

“DEI work is not always easy and has been in the spotlight a lot lately and not always in a positive way, but it is not just a job to me,” Madrid said. “It’s part of my lived experience and because of that, I’ve found the strength to continue doing work to make college campuses more equitable spaces.”

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 Allen.

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.

Academic Search, a nationally known, top-rated search firm, aided Meredith College in the search for this position.

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 search committee were Dean of Library Information Services Laura Davidson, committee co-chair;  Director of Human Resources Pamela Davis Galloway; Black Student Union President Chorro Jobe, ’24; Associate Professor of English Alisa Johnson, committee co-chair; Student Government Association President Sarah Powell, ’22;  Survey and Report Specialist Dilnavaz Mirza Sharma, committee co-chair; Associate Director of Admissions Grace Sugg;  Videographer/Photographer Kaylin Tsukayama; and Chief of Campus Police Al White.