New Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Matthew Boaz, chief diversity officer at Wright State University in Dayton, has been named director of Diversity and Inclusion for the city of Toledo, effective Feb. 25. Mr. Boaz is a nationally recognized leader in diversity, inclusion, equity, and access.

“Matt has a wealth of experience and he will be responsible for working with the administration to develop strategies that ensure the city has an engaged workforce that feels valued for their work, regardless of backgrounds or physical attributes,” said Katy Crosby, Toledo’s chief of staff.

Mr. Boaz is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he received a B.A. in ethnic studies/interpersonal and public communication and a master’s degree in public administration.

“He has led efforts to obtain and maintain an environment of equity and equal opportunity at multiple public institutions of higher education,” Ms. Crosby said. “These efforts include serving as the Title IX coordinator, the Section 504/ADA coordinator, and the leader of equity and inclusion efforts at each of these institutions. He has provided leadership in sexual violence intervention, prevention, and education. He offers proven leadership to the community in building and maintaining an inclusive environment. He also offers a no-nonsense approach to violations of organizational policies regarding harassment and discrimination as well as proactive training to aid in the prevention of future occurrences.”

Mr. Boaz also worked as a compliance officer in Baltimore and Pittsburgh for the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Contract Compliance Programs.

Mr. Boaz will be responsible for strengthening Toledo’s efforts to attract and retain a diverse workforce, ensuring city leadership is educated on local, state, and federal discrimination laws, and working with the human resources department to address questions raised in an employee engagement survey administered late last year to all employees.