Valissa Turner Howard

Valissa Turner Howard has a diverse work experience, spanning roles in various fields. Currently, they are serving as the Chief People Officer and General Counsel at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, where they provide strategic oversight in talent development, volunteer engagement, compliance, and legal affairs. Prior to this, Howard was the Vice President, Talent and Legal Affairs at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, where they oversaw human resources, volunteer engagement, organizational culture building, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Before joining the food bank, Howard worked at the Agency of Inspector General, Cuyahoga County of Ohio, where they held the positions of First Assistant Deputy Inspector General and Chief Diversity Officer and Deputy Inspector General. Valissa Turner conducted and supervised investigations of county agencies and reviewed programs, accounts, records, contracts, and transactions.

Furthermore, Howard served as an Adjunct Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, teaching aspiring lawyers on a part-time basis. Valissa Turner also has experience as an attorney, having worked at DEM Legal and Consulting Services.

Additionally, Howard worked at Thompson Hine LLP as the Manager of Lawyer Personnel & Diversity, where they provided professional support on women's initiative and diversity and inclusion initiative projects. Valissa Turner also has experience in academia, having held the role of Manager of Student Affairs at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. In this position, they developed and administered programs and initiatives related to diversity, served as an administrative liaison to student organizations, and provided academic and professional development advice to law students.

Early in their career, Howard completed a judicial clerkship at the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio, where they assisted a judge in managing various aspects of litigation. Valissa Turner also worked as an Associate Attorney at Lincoln Gustafson & Cercos.

Throughout their career, Howard has demonstrated expertise in talent management, diversity and inclusion, legal affairs, compliance, and program development.

Valissa Turner Howard obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Criminology, Law & Society from UC Irvine in 2004. In 2007, they obtained a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. From 2010 to 2012, they pursued a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Psychology-Diversity Management from Cleveland State University. In 2016, Valissa completed the Essentials of Ethics & Compliance Course at the Ethics & Compliance Initiative. Valissa Turner also has additional certifications including Leading Professional in Ethics & Compliance (LPEC), Real Estate Associate Program Cleveland 2015 Graduate, California Bar, and Corporate Counsel Designation from the Supreme Court of Ohio.