As AARP’s Chief Diversity Officer, Edna Kane-Williams has the responsibility for driving AARP’s enterprise Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy encompassing our workforce, workplace and marketplace. She leads strategies for multicultural audiences and the age discrimination strategy work, and will also oversee the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council and AARP’s Strategic Enterprise Employee Resource Groups (SEERGs).
She brings to this position over twenty-five years of experience working in senior management position in both the nonprofit and for profit organizations, with an emphasis on strategic planning, targeted marketing, community outreach, media relations and program development. She has held a variety of other key positions, including as Senior Vice President of Communications and Social Marketing at IQ Solutions, Inc., Senior Vice President at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, and Senior Vice President of Multicultural Markets at AARP.
Edna holds a B.A, from Yale University and an M.A from George Washington University. She is the recipient of a Coro Foundation Fellowship, and was also a Diversity Executive Leadership Program fellow for the American Society of Association Executives. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for Legal Counsel for the Elderly and The Center for Responsible Lending. She previously served as a board member of the Black Women’s Health Imperative.
She has received numerous career awards, including the Spirit of Democracy Award from the National Coalition of Black Civic Participation, the National Markets Award from the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, and the Dorothy Height Humanitarian Award from the Conference of National Black Churches.