MILWAUKEE, WI — HGA welcomes Terri Howard as Associate Vice President and inaugural Director of Equity. In this newly created executive role, Howard will serve as a thought leader to drive equity initiatives, develop hands-on programming, organize firmwide resources, and build external partnerships. She will be based out of the Milwaukee office while reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and stakeholders across the firm’s 11 national offices.

“The Director of Equity position is an important opportunity to further champion our strategic plan focused on three pillars of research, equity, and collaboration,” said Tim Carl, FAIA, LEED AP, Chief Executive Officer of HGA. “Howard will be instrumental in initiating a proactive, firmwide view of equity where all are embraced, valued, and included.”

Howard has extensive experience implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans for nonprofit organizations, government entities, and Fortune 500 companies, including Dane County in Wisconsin, the City of New York, Hyatt Corporation, University of Wisconsin System, and Harris Health Systems in Harris County, Texas.

Before joining HGA, she was Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Herzing University in Milwaukee, where she furthered the university’s mission to serve students across nine campuses and online. Previously, she was Senior Director for FEI Behavioral Health, where she led DEI, organizational resilience, and behavioral health programs serving organizations worldwide.

Howard is a Doctoral candidate in Emergency Management Leadership from Capella University. She has a Master of Public Service Leadership from Capella, a Bachelor of Human Services Administration/Education from Chatham University, and a Certificate in Workplace Diversity and Inclusion from Capella.