App State Chief Diversity Officer Jamie Parson. Photo by Marie Freeman
BOONE, N.C. — Jamie Parson has been named chief diversity officer at Appalachian State University, effective immediately. Parson is the second cabinet-level chief diversity officer to hold the position at App State.
Parson has held the position of interim chief diversity officer at App State since May 2021.
“Jamie came into the interim role well known for her leadership with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at App State, and she is widely respected on our campus and nationally,” Chancellor Sheri Everts said. “Her research, scholarship and service have consistently included diversity, equity and inclusion work.”
Everts continued, “In the last year, since I appointed Jamie interim chief diversity officer, she has led many important diversity, equity and inclusion accomplishments for App State. Her work has included promoting transparency in policies and expectations, continuing to enhance the university’s evaluative methods, disaggregating data to assist with making data-driven decisions, advancing professional development and networking opportunities, and partnering with numerous individuals and units across the university to implement unit-level and campuswide diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.”
As chief diversity officer, Parson:
- advises the chancellor on strategic diversity matters;
- leads the university’s Diversity and Inclusion Accountability Team, the Chief Diversity Officer’s Advisory Board and the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board for Diversity Recruitment;
- liaises with students, faculty and staff regarding diversity, equity and inclusion matters;
- leads training efforts; and
- serves as the lead implementer for the university’s strategic diversity plan.
Parson is also on faculty as an associate professor in the Walker College of Business’ Department of Finance, Banking and Insurance.
From 2016–21 Parson led the Walker College of Business’ Inclusive Excellence Team and the Risk Management and Insurance diversity initiatives in the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center, and she served on numerous boards and committees, including the university’s Diversity and Inclusion Accountability Team.
Prior to arriving at App State, she served as a Title VII investigator for the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission and a special investigative unit liaison and fire claims representative at State Farm Insurance Co.
Parson holds a Bachelor of Science in sociology-anthropology from Nebraska Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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About Diversity and Inclusion at Appalachian
Appalachian State University is committed to developing and allocating resources to the fundamental task of creating a diverse campus culture. We value diversity as the expression of human similarities and differences, as well as the importance of a living and learning environment conducive to knowledge, respect, acceptance, understanding and global awareness. Learn more at http://diversity.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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