Melanie Harrington has spent more than 20 years in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) leading broad scale efforts designed to foster environments that build diverse talent pipelines; increase talent engagement; facilitate inclusive and belonging cultures; and build strong, strategic partnerships. Melanie has advanced the field of DEI as a lawyer, leader of a diversity management think tank, leader of an economic development organization, consultant, and adjunct professor. She is an expert panelist for the 2016, 2017 and 2021 versions of the Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Benchmarks and serves on the board of The Centre for Global Inclusion. She was a contributing writer for the Diversity Management Handbook, edited by Dr. Deborah Plummer and is a frequent speaker on economic development and DEI topics.Previously, she was the Senior Director for Affiliate Organizational Management, Equity and Inclusion team for the Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives department of ACLU National. Prior to joining the ACLU, she served as the first President and CEO of Vibrant Pittsburgh, a nonprofit economic development organization based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that was established by regional leadership to attract, retain and grow a diverse region. Before joining Vibrant Pittsburgh, Melanie served as the President of the American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. ("AIMD"), a national nonprofit diversity think tank founded by Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. and based in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to AIMD, Melanie served as the General Counsel for D.J. Miller & Associates, Inc. (DJMA), a national management consulting firm that specialized in advising federal, state and local government agencies on Equal Opportunity programs, practices and policies.