Lavita McMath Turner

About Lavita McMath Turner

Lavita is an accomplished board member and Chief Diversity Officer known for her leadership in strategy, organizational development, and change management in the arts and culture and higher education sectors. She is recognized for pioneering equitable hiring practices, redesigning promotion and tenure frameworks, and leading strategic initiatives within large organizations. Her expertise includes strategic DEIA data infrastructure development, comprehensive training program implementation for over 2,500 staff and board members, and effective cross-functional leadership. With a strong background in public advocacy and community relations, she has a proven ability to build influential relationships and shape organizational direction as exemplified by her inclusion in JP Morgan\'s director advisory services candidate database network.Currently, she serves on the board and as vice chair of the Fair Elections Center in Washington, DC, a national, non-partisan organization focused on voting rights and election reform. She also serves on the board and finance committee of Art Table, supporting women-identifying and nonbinary leaders in the visual arts. As the Chief Diversity Officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met), Lavita oversees a $1.1M annual budget. She leads efforts to embed DEIA principles across the museum, collaborating with leadership and board members. Lavita drives institutional priorities with data to attract inclusive audiences. She helped lead the implementation of the pay equity analysis, right-sizing salaries for 1,200 employees.As Assistant Dean for Equity, Inclusion, and Experiential Learning at Stella & Charles Guttman Community College-CUNY, Lavita led initiatives to support underserved students, impacting over annually. She led the turn around of the library and restructured experiential learning programs. Lavita served as Director of Government and Community Relations and Civic Engagement at Kingsborough Community College-CUNY where she was instrumental in securing over $20M in funding. In her role at the Brooklyn Museum as Government Relations Officer, she lobbied city, state, and federal officials, securing $21M in funding and enhanced board engagement with elected and appointed officials.She has a range of certifications from prestigious institutions like Harvard and Cornell. She has shared her expertise at national conferences and contributed to publications on civic engagement and higher education policy. Lavita finds joy in exploring different cultures, global cuisines, and appreciating art.

Experience

1. Board Member

   Arttable

   Jul 2023 — Present · New York, NY, US

   A $770M budget nonprofit and the foremost professional organization dedicated to advancing the leadership of women-identifying and nonbinary professionals in the visual arts.• Finance Committee

Education

• The New School

  Master’s Degree, Urban Policy and Management

• Harvard Graduate School of Education

  Certificate, Institute for Management and Leadership in Education- HIHE

• University of California, Berkeley

  Bachelor’s Degree, Social Welfare

• The Graduate Center, City University of New York

  Certificate of Africana Studies

• Instructional Technology Council, American Association of Community Colleges

  Certificate, Distance Education Leadership

• The Graduate Center, City University of New York

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Urban Education

• Pratt Institute

  Certificate of Completion- Pratt Institute Center for Community And Economic Development

• Cornell University ILR School

  Certificate, Diversity and Inclusion

Skills

• Public Policy
• Research
• Strategic Planning
• Higher Education Administration
• Government
• Nonprofits
• Leadership
• Grant Writing
• Advocacy
• Event Planning
• Public Speaking
• Government Relations
• Community Relations
• Higher Education
• Community Outreach
• Fundraising
• Policy Analysis
• Civic Engagement
• Program Development
• Teaching