Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
8/29/2023 Update! Our updated Delaware County Women’s Resource Guide is now available. Visit our DEI Resources web page for a downloadable copy.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office provides leadership to dismantle the historic and contemporary barriers that prevent all members of our community from accessing opportunities and experiencing safe and healthy communities. This work is done through cultivation of strategic partnerships and education of internal and external stakeholders. We will do this by:
Supporting the development of a workforce that encompasses the diversity of the communities we serve while cultivating a culture that is rooted in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
Facilitating the creation of shared frameworks to ensure equity is considered in all aspects of our operations, including but not limited to program development and implementation, budgeting, procurement, and community engagement
Providing insight on training, coaching and technical assistance to internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to supporting working groups
Strengthening relationships with our community partners, to ensure they are reflected and respected within our operations, and have equitable access to services and resources
Lauren Footman - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department is led by Lauren Footman, a Yeadon native and a graduate of the William Penn School District and Bryn Mawr College where she majored in English and double minored in Political Science and African Studies. At Bryn Mawr, she chartered the school’s first collegiate chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and received the Thomas Prize for Diversity, an award that recognizes students with a demonstrated, lifelong commitment to learning around diversity. She expanded her education with a master’s degree in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Prior to assuming the role as Delaware County’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Footman served at the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence as the Director of Outreach and Equity. She serves as Chair of the Delaware County Women’s Commission and as a member of the Delaware County Chamber’s Board of Directors.
Jennifer Neidl - Community Engagement Specialist
Jennifer Neidl has lived in Delaware County for over 20 years and graduated from Upper Darby High School. She attended Delaware Community College and West Chester University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
As a mother of 2 boys, her love for helping people and creating change are important. Neidl worked at the Goodwill Job Resource Center in Lansdowne helping those struggling to find employment gain more access to job openings and interviews.
For the last 6 years she was an Events Coordinator for a cyber charter school where she consistently hosted events for students and families that were inclusive and provided an array of activities for a diverse population every week.
Neidl comes with background knowledge of underserved populations and hopes to continue to make efforts for change.
Sherrise Rowe, CGMP - Senior Project Manager/Supplier Diversity
Sherrise Rowe’s interests include culturally relevant pedagogical practices in urban education, first-generation immigrant experience, and Black female societal empowerment. She has advocated for race relations and social justice. She is an Anti- Racism training facilitator for the Anti-Defamation League.
Rowe, alongside Maya Gordon, Ph.D., developed and lead the R.O.S.E (Resilience, Outreach, Sisterhood, and Empowerment) speaker series previously sponsored by CCNYPA.
Rowe previously served on the Cabrini University Board of Trustees DEI Advisory Council and the University’s Inclusivity Council.
She is the grant author and project manager of the Keep It 100 program at Cabrini University, a civic and community engagement grant awarded by Campus Compact of New York & Pennsylvania. She has experience working in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors and has worked extensively with faith-based organizations.
Additionally, Rowe has fundraised and planned events for court-involved youth as a Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP). She earned a Bachelor of Science in Textiles and Product Development with a Business Administration minor from Florida State University, and is currently pursuing a Master of Business with a concentration in faith-based organizations at Regent University. She holds certifications in trauma-informed care from the Delaware County Intermediate Unit and is a certified Green Dot college Instructor (sexual violence and bystander intervention).
Check out our updated 2023 Women’s Resource Guide!
