Shirley Wilcher ’73

A leading authority on equal opportunity and diversity policy, Shirley J. Wilcher is executive director of the American Association for Access Equity and Diversity; president and CEO of the Fund for Leadership, Equity, Access and Diversity; and president of Wilcher Global LLC, a diversity management consulting firm. A leading authority on equal opportunity and diversity policy, Shirley J. Wilcher is president and CEO of the Fund for Leadership, Equity, Access and Diversity (The LEAD Fund). She is also president of Wilcher Global LLC, an EEO management consulting firm. She previously served as executive director of the American Association for Access Equity and Diversity.

After receiving her law degree from Harvard Law School, Wilcher became staff attorney for the National Women’s Law Center and later moved to Capitol Hill as associate counsel for civil rights for the House Committee on Education and Labor. She served as the principal staff person on major investigations of the civil rights enforcement activities of several federal programs and departments. After leaving the Hill, she worked as Director for State Relations and General Counsel for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). During the Clinton administration, Wilcher served for nearly seven years as deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in the Department of Labor. Following her service in the Clinton administration, she served as director of Americans for a Fair Chance.

Class year: 1973
Joined board in: 2021