News Post

SJA Announces Partnership with Diversity and Inclusion Consultant
Portrait of Dr. Katrice Albert smiling with arms folded

St. Joseph’s Academy has announced that Dr. Katrice A. Albert, a leading national voice for equity-minded, culturally responsive leadership practices, will lead the school’s work toward achieving inclusive excellence. Dr. Albert will provide support, guidance and coaching with specific emphasis on cultural understanding, school and community needs and strategic visioning juxtaposed with Catholic traditions and philosophies. 

A native of New Roads, Louisiana, Dr. Albert is the founder and managing member of Third Eye Consulting Group, a diversity management consulting firm headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. She provides organizational and leadership development, executive coaching and inclusive excellence consultation to help educational institutions, nonprofits and civic entities achieve transformational change. Clients include the United States Department of Homeland Security, the State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, the Association of Junior Leagues International, the California State University System, Notre Dame University and the University of Nebraska, among others. 

“As a native daughter and a two-time alumna of Catholic institutions, my heart is certainly swelled with appreciation to be in partnership with this mission-critical work,” Dr. Albert said. “Helping to guide, advance and claim victory on the diversity and inclusion goals of SJA, an educational institution steeped in embodying our Catholic values and committed to excellence in developing globally minded, civically engaged women leaders, will certainly be both a personal and professional hallmark.”

In announcing the partnership, SJA President Jan R. Breen said Dr. Albert brings a wealth of experience and compassion to the process. “In a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, we are thrilled to work with Dr. Albert as we undertake the critical work of ensuring a learning environment that provides diversity, equity and inclusion for all members of our Academy community,” Mrs. Breen said. “Dr. Albert is a champion of access and opportunity and will provide clarity and focus as we embark upon our journey.”

Mrs. Breen is currently working to create a Diversity Action Committee which Dr. Albert will convene in late August to identify its charter, role and responsibilities and to set goals. Along with trained local facilitators, Dr. Albert will then host approximately 10 focus groups/listening sessions comprised of the 200 members of the SJA community who expressed a desire to be part of the process. Participants will share their lived experiences, concerns and recommendations for creating common ground and a path toward greater inclusion. Focus groups/listening sessions will be held over several evenings to ensure COVID-19 safety guidelines can be followed.

Working with SJA’s leadership team and the Diversity Action Committee, Dr. Albert will help create the strategic vision and priorities that will allow a take-action approach to achieving organizational alignment and impactful, transformational change. A leadership and development series will follow, ensuring SJA’s administrators are equipped to be standard bearers of inclusive excellence and able to execute the plan moving forward. 

Dr. Albert has more than 25 years of experience in her field. Formerly, she served as the executive vice president of inclusion and human resources at the National College Athletic Association (NCAA). There, she led efforts to enhance diversity, inclusion, leadership development, external engagement and strategic partnerships so 500,000 student-athletes might have equitable experiences in the classroom and in competition. 

Prior to joining the NCAA, Dr. Albert served as vice president for equity and diversity of the University of Minnesota system. She led efforts across five campuses to reach the system’s ambitious diversity goals by recruiting and retaining underrepresented faculty and students, addressing issues of climate for diverse individuals and communities and enhancing strategic partnerships within and outside of the university.

At Louisiana State University, Dr. Albert served as vice provost for equity, diversity and community outreach. As LSU’s chief diversity officer, she developed and implemented strategic initiatives and policies aimed at cultivating a campus environment that embraces difference, sustains inclusion and enhances institutional access and equity. She also taught a graduate course on multicultural counseling. 

Dr. Albert graduated magna cum laude from Xavier University of Louisiana with a bachelor of science in psychology. She earned her master of science in counseling psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. She completed her doctoral degree in counseling psychology from Auburn University and completed her clinical internship in psychology at Boston Medical School’s Center for Multicultural Training.

We invite you to hear from Dr. Albert in this introductory video, entitled Getting to Know Dr. Katrice Albert.

 

Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director

 

Photo courtesy of Dr. Katrice Albert