University of Southern Mississippi Vice President for Finance and Administration Dr. Douglas H. Vinzant has announced the selection of Dr. Latonya Guillory as Director of Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity, effective August 8, 2016. The appointment follows a national search.
Guillory will lead the University’s affirmative action efforts related to employment, recruitment and retention of faculty and staff. She will also manage investigations of internally-filed discrimination allegations and provide technical and procedural assistance to administrators and supervisors on issues related to compliance with equal opportunity mandates at the federal, state and IHL Board levels.
“I am confident that Dr. Guillory’s knowledge and experience will help us advance the University’s initiatives related to affirmative action, diversity and inclusion,” Vinzant said.
Guillory’s prior experience includes equal employment opportunity practices, employee grievance processes, compliance with federal and state non-discrimination laws, diversity training initiatives, recruitment and employee relations with the Louisiana Workforce Commission and Baton Rouge Community College.
“The University of Southern Mississippi’s campuses are among the most diverse in the region,” Guillory said. “As a result, conversations and opportunities related to inclusion are of utmost importance. I look forward to my role in ensuring that the University continues to promote a culture of inclusion and supports all faculty and staff.”
Guillory earned a Ph.D. in public policy and a master’s of public administration from Southern University-Baton Rouge as well as a bachelor’s degree in political science/international studies from Louisiana State University.
This appointment directly supports two of the institution’s current strategic goals: promoting a culture of inclusiveness of people and ideas; and investing in faculty and staff to maximize their potential. These goals, approved in the fall of 2015, were developed by the University’s Strategic Planning Council, a representative group of faculty, staff and students who were charged by University President Rodney D. Bennett to review and refresh the institution’s strategic planning framework.
To view the University’s complete mission, vision, values and goals, visit: https://www.usm.edu/about/vision/vision-mission-values.