Speaker

Erica Edwards-O'Neal is a strategic diversity, equity and social responsibility professional and lawyer. Bringing more than 25 years’ experience, she is a business executive that has provided guidance, counsel, and training across the country on topics including cultural competence, implicit bias, microaggressions, inclusive leadership, inclusive human resource practices and EEO compliance. Additionally, she is an experienced EEO officer skilled in conducting investigations, resolution of employee relations matters, HR laws, and industry best practices.

In late 2020, Erica joined the New York Road Runners (NYRR) as the Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She spearheads the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy across all business units and levels of the organization. Under her leadership, she will direct NYRR’s cultural shift to a more inclusive environment that will extend to the community that it serves. As part of this role, she is leading the policies and practices to embed equity and belonging principles in the organizational DNA.

Previously, she held the position of Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Social Responsibility for the New York City Economic Development Corporation. In that role, she oversaw the development of policies and programs to attract, retain, and foster a diverse and inclusive workforce. Erica has a long-standing commitment to diversity and public service. Her other professional experiences of diversity leadership include serving as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Senior Career Counselor at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, the Director of Legislative Advocacy Coalition at the Health & Welfare Council, and the Community Development Liaison at Americorp VISTA.

Erica received her B.A in Government from the College of William and Mary and her J.D. from Touro Law College.

She is a member of the Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association, National Association of Law Placement Professionals, The Metropolitan Black Bar Association, The National Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.

Erica is also the founder of EEO Consults, a firm that helps to support organizations seeking to operationalize equity principles.