O'Kenzoe Brian J. Selassie

O'KenZoe Brian J. Selassie, Ph.D has over twenty years of experience in various roles focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. One of their most recent positions was as the Interim Chief Diversity Officer at the San Mateo County Community College District. In this role, they served as the Vice Chancellor of DEIA&B.

O'KenZoe Brian also founded and served as the Principal Consultant at Saint John Power Coaching, LLC. Here, they designed and implemented strategic business solutions and tools focusing on DEI&B. O'KenZoe Brian secured clients within the non-profit space and worked with United States agencies to provide keynote addresses and diversity and inclusion cultural programming. O'KenZoe Brian supported C-suite executives by utilizing intercultural and DEI&B analytics to develop communication and resource development consultation plans and trainings.

Selassie was the Executive Director and Vice President of Equity at Skyline College. In this role, they focused on advancing equity and anti-racism throughout the college and district. O'KenZoe Brian developed various programs and initiatives to address educational equity and worked with partners to close educational gaps. Additionally, they served as an equity officer for the district, offering recommendations to enhance equity efforts.

Prior to these roles, they held positions such as Acquisitions Specialist and Editor/Publishing Advisory Board Member at Universal Write Publications, LLC, Academic Dean and Diversity & Inclusion Co-Chair at City College of San Francisco, Chair of the Department of English, Foreign Languages, and Mass Communication at Benedict College, Assistant Professor of Humanities at Allen University, Chief Development Officer/Acting Deputy Director at the Government of the District of Columbia, Business Proposal and Technical Writer at Axxum Technologies, and Grant Writer at Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority.

Throughout their career, Selassie has demonstrated a strong commitment to DEI&B and has successfully implemented strategies to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in various capacities.

O'KenZoe Brian J. Selassie, Ph.D has a strong educational background with a focus on diversity and inclusion, communication and culture, public policy analysis, organizational behavior studies, and mass communication/media studies. O'KenZoe Brian completed an Executive Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion at Cornell University in 2021. In 2013, they earned a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Communication and Culture from Howard University. Prior to that, they obtained a Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a specialization in Public Policy Analysis from Walden University in 2005. In 2003, they completed a Master of Organizational Management in Organizational Behavior Studies from the University of Phoenix. O'KenZoe Brian began their educational journey with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Mass Communication/Media Studies from the University of Mount Union in 1999. Additionally, in 2021, they received a certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from the University of South Florida.