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EACE 2025 Board of Directors Elections

Director, Diversity & Inclusion Candidate

J Nesenjuk PhotoJenny Nesenjuk
Senior Assistant Director for Employer Engagement & Corporate Partnerships
William Paterson University

1. Describe your interest in serving on the EACE Board in this capacity.

I joined the EACE Diversity & Inclusion Committee as a representative from the Conference Experience Committee in 2020 and it instantly changed my life. I’ve been working at William Paterson University, an HSI designated institution, for the past 9 years, with a population mainly comprised of first-generation students. I didn’t understand what either of these really meant until joining the committee and beginning to do this work. Students from all backgrounds have uniqueness’s and challenges and it is our responsibility to guide and provide resources to help them accomplish their goals. The knowledge I’ve gained, conversations I’ve had, trainings I’ve participated in, and the person I’ve become have inspired me to take my passion for DEI into my community. For 3 years I have been the Chair of the Inclusion and Belonging Committee at my synagogue, helping to educate and celebrate the different and unique people that make up our congregation (Interfaith families, LGBTQIA community, Jews of Color and community members with physical, emotional and intellectual challenges). If it wasn’t for my participation in D&I with EACE, I wouldn’t have found my passion and dedication to do this work.

I want to give back to EACE and inspire others to look at how they assist students, what steps their offices take to provide equity, access and inclusion for students and more importantly, how they show up for others in higher education, the workplace and out in the world.

 

2. What skills and experiences do you possess that have prepared you to be successful in this role?

I’ve been a member of EACE since 2019 and involved in numerous committees since 2020, including the Diversity & Inclusion Committee where I currently Chair the Religion & Spirituality Affinity group. Additionally, I chair the Webinar Committee and have previously co-chaired the Conference Programming Committee and the Conference Experience Committee. I’ve also attended every conference, both in person and virtual, since 2019, as well as webinars and professional development opportunities hosted by EACE. My experiences outside of EACE include attendance at Suffolk University’s Career Equity Conference in 2024, presenting at the EACE Annual Conference in 2022, 2023 and 2024, a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace certificate from University of South Florida, Muma School of Business Chairing the Inclusion & Belonging Committee at my synagogue for the past 3 years, and spearheading the ongoing initiative in my office to provide equitable and accessible career services for students.

Through these experiences, I’ve been able to hone my skills in active listening, the ability to accept other people’s perspectives, teamwork and collaboration, as well as the ability and desire to want to help others to develop themselves as people and professionals. I am an extremely organized individual with the ability to prioritize tasks to ensure successful outcomes. Additionally, I am an empathetic person who can relate well with others and at the same time be assertive to accomplish set goals.

 

3. What ideas and/or goals do you have for this position?

My goals for being in this role are centered around the elements of the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan.

  • Connect – Provide opportunities for professionals to share experiences and gain new information. Continue the Affinity Groups model and hold a virtual mini–Affinity Group Conference.
  • Develop – Create website page with resources for members that includes resources needed to better help our students, as well as resources for career professionals and employers to develop skills.
  • Empower – Provide workshops that pair identity work with the skills members feel they need to grow.
  • Sustain – Work with Membership to increase representation and membership from HBCU’s, HIS’s, Community Colleges and Universities with a large population of First-Generation students. Also identify a group of diverse members with potential to take on leadership roles and provide mentorship along the way.

 Additionally, I would like to continue the work of ALL the D&I Directors before and combine the work we are doing around diversity, equity, inclusion and access to focus not only on the internal components of EACE but on the needs of the membership.

 

4. EACE History

Years of Membership: 5 years

EACE Service History: 

2024-2025 Webinar Sub-Committee Chair

2024-2025 Religion and Spirituality Affinity Group Chair

2023 Conference Programming Committee, Co-Chair

2020 - Present Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Member 

2022 Conference Experience Committee, Co-Chair

2021-2022 Co-Chair, 1st Generation College Student Affinity Group

2021 Conference Experience Committee, Member