EID council gets new leaders, members

UW-Madison Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Laurent Heller has appointed new co-chairs to an advisory council that focuses on issues of employee engagement, inclusion and diversity.

Heller named Jeff Novak, director of University Housing, and Carmen Romero-González, director of Cultural Linguistic Services, to lead the Finance and Administration Engagement, Inclusion and Diversity (EID) Council.

The 13-member council is a key leadership group in advancing the vice chancellor’s EID initiative. The council advises Heller on engagement, inclusion and diversity matters, interacts with the vice chancellor to create and implement annual goals, and identifies and addresses challenges to recruitment, retention, engagement and inclusion of all employees, especially those in underrepresented groups.

The Finance and Administration EID initiative was developed to address campus priorities of recruiting and retaining the best faculty and staff and enhancing diversity to ensure excellence in education and research. The initiative will be an important component of a new strategic plan being developed to guide UW–Madison Finance and Administration units.

Heller says Romero-González and Novak will bring strong leadership and innovative thinking to the work of the EID Council.

“Carmen and Jeff are dedicated members of the UW–Madison community and are committed to ensuring a respectful learning and working environment in which everyone can focus on achieving their full potential,” Heller says.

Novak and Romero-González succeed Karen Soley, a captain with the UW Police Department, as the leaders of the council. Heller thanked Soley for her exemplary service as council chair.

In addition to appointing the co-chairs, Heller announced the appointments of seven other members of the EID Council. They are: Sara Tate-Pederson, Administrative Information Management Services (AIMS); Maggie Higgins, University Housing; Ashley Lax, Recreational Sports; Stephanie Diaz de Leon, Wisconsin Union; Jason Whitney, UW Police Department; and Rachael Pressley and Maureen Petersen of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab.

Continuing members are: Bradley Thomas, Business Services; Linda Thao, Office of the Secretary of the University Staff; Liz Valentine, University Health Services; and Jennifer Hekman, Facilities Planning and Management.