Arvenita Washington Cherry

Dr. Cherry joined Maximus in September 2020 and is responsible for developing, leading, and implementing a comprehensive DE&I strategy in alignment with the company’s mission and strategic initiatives. She also serves as the President of the Maximus Foundation Board of Directors.

Dr. Cherry is a socio-cultural and educational anthropologist. As a scholar and a consultant, she has worked on social justice issues for over 17 years, supporting nonprofit and for-profit organizations, museums, philanthropy, and in education. She has designed and taught many undergraduate and graduate courses and is on faculty at American University.

Dr. Cherry received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Race, Gender, and Social Justice and with the highest honor of Distinction from American University. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Public Anthropology, also from American University, and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Studies from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Cherry also holds a Master of Teaching Middle/Secondary Biology and Bachelor of Science in Biology from Hampton University. She completed a competitive post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in the Department of Africana Studies and with the Language, Literacy, and Culture Program and a Scholar-in-Residence Program at the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center.

Dr. Cherry joined Maximus in September 2020 and is responsible for developing, leading, and implementing a comprehensive DE&I strategy in alignment with the company’s mission and strategic initiatives. She also serves as the President of the Maximus Foundation Board of Directors.

Dr. Cherry is a socio-cultural and educational anthropologist. As a scholar and a consultant, she has worked on social justice issues for over 17 years, supporting nonprofit and for-profit organizations, museums, philanthropy, and in education. She has designed and taught many undergraduate and graduate courses and is on faculty at American University.

Dr. Cherry received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Race, Gender, and Social Justice and with the highest honor of Distinction from American University. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Public Anthropology, also from American University, and a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Studies from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Cherry also holds a Master of Teaching Middle/Secondary Biology and Bachelor of Science in Biology from Hampton University. She completed a competitive post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in the Department of Africana Studies and with the Language, Literacy, and Culture Program and a Scholar-in-Residence Program at the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center.