Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Shared Interest/Identity: Women of African descent, employed at all levels of the college

Mission: Our mission is to create a safe space for women of African descent to celebrate shared experiences, discuss issues that are specific to black women in America, and provide opportunities for personal growth and healing while working in academia. 

Contact: Nigeria Bell

Shared Interest/Identity: White-identified employees

Mission: The De-Centering Whiteness Affinity Group will intentionally create a community where we take ownership of our individual and collective education as it relates to whiteness as a racialized experience and commit to disrupting racism by taking action that contributes to TCC’s goal to become an anti-racist institution.

Contact: Adrienne Scarcella

Shared Interest/Identity: LGBTQ+ identities

Mission: To create and further a stronger community for LGBTQ staff and faculty at TCC.

Contact: Zoe Fine

Shared Interest/Identity: Ancestry from North America, Central America, South America, or the Caribbean regions and/or identify as a Latino/a/Latinx/Chicano/a/Chicanx/Hispanic

Mission: Mi Gente provides staff and faculty members professional development, networking, and mentoring to further enrich our employment and leadership experiences through supportive space, critical dialogue, self-reflection, healing, cultural awareness, and celebration. 

Contact: Sandra Galta & Liza Rendon

Shared Interest/Identity: Asian & Pacific Islander

Mission: The Significant Other Affinity Group provides support for TCC API employees through critical discussion, peer mentorship, and cultural celebration.

Contact: Mary Chen-Johnson

Heath Hayden is one of the Professional Development Coordinators at Tacoma Community College. They have been serving as a faculty librarian in the Washington State Community and Technical College system since 2008, first at Lake Washington Institute of Technology and then Bellevue College. In their previous roles, they also provided professional development opportunities around EDI topics of race, gender, sexuality, as well as general support to faculty around teaching and learning. Heath is committed to professional development and fostering a passion for lifelong learning for all. Heath loves to explore the coffee and beer of the Pacific Northwest, road trips, and spending time with their family. They live in the Southend neighborhood of Tacoma with their spouse, a toddler named Mars, and two orange and white cats named RePete and Percy.

Victoria Ichungwa is the Associate Director of Institutional Research. As an educational researcher, Victoria turns data into information while maintaining an equity-focused lens in her work. She is committed to changing lives through data-informed decision-making. Victoria believes that understanding the role data plays in decision-making and the proper use of data is key to enhancing equity, diversity, and inclusion. Victoria has worked for government, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations and enjoys working at TCC because of the college’s commitment to students success. During her time off work, Victoria enjoys reading books, spending time outdoors, playing games, and spending time with her family.

Roderick is the Vice President for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. He joined TCC after serving as the Senior Associate Director of Diversity, Equity & Admission at Seattle University School of Law. Roderick earned his BA in English from the University of Michigan and his JD from the University of Illinois College of Law. Roderick is a licensed attorney in the state of Illinois and has served in various teaching and administrative capacities at the University of Michigan, University of Illinois, and Seattle University. Roderick has a strong passion for social justice and equity is a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and has attended the NADOHE conference yearly. In 2019, Roderick was inducted into the inaugural National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Ujima Institute where he received intensive training regarding working in Student Affairs and DEI in higher education. In Roderick’s free time he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, reading, and taking part in any sporting activity available.

Jessica is the Associate Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. As the Associate Director, Jessica’s responsibilities include coaching, programming, and evaluating the College’s EDI goals while maintaining organizational accountability and effectiveness, compliance, momentum, and advancement towards becoming a more equitable and anti-racist institution. In her previous role at Centralia College she served as the vice chair of the justice, equity, diversity and inclusion council and moving the college forward in their EDI initiatives. She finds joy and finds a lot of value in spending time with her family and friends. In her free time she enjoys, streaming all the latest shows, trying different foods, and traveling.

Kelley Sadler is the Program Director of Institutional Research. She has been in various institutional research roles for a couple of decades. She has been influential in our equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts by advocating for data transparency, turning data into information to help inform decisions, and serving on various commissions and councils both internally at TCC and state-wide.  Kelley enjoys spends most of her free time reading, engaged in outdoor activities, or spending quality time with her family.

Marianna Watson is the Administrative Operations Coordinator. As an administrative professional, she works to directly support the Vice President for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in both day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives for the college. Marianna came to TCC from the printing industry, but has long held a passion for EDI work. She received her Master’s degree in Social Justice and Human Rights from Arizona State University and continually works to marry her professional experiences with her educational background in order to foster a more equitable and inclusive environment on campus. In her free time, Marianna enjoys watching all of her favorite shows, exploring Washington’s natural beauty, and spending time with her husband, two dogs, gecko, and plants.