Following a comprehensive national search, the University of North Texas System has announced the appointment of Dannetta English Bland as Chief Diversity Officer, effective July 19, 2021.
Bland will join the UNT System after spending nearly 17 years at Deloitte, one of the world’s largest professional services firms. Bland brings a wealth of experience advising Fortune 500 companies on diversity, equity and inclusion and talent strategy, cultural and workforce transformation, as well as executive transition and alignment.
Bland worked closely with the chief inclusion and diversity officers while at Deloitte, analyzing data associated with root causes, assessing and enhancing the talent lifecycle, and architecting a long-term strategy to advance DEI through a culture of anti-racism and systemic changes.
“Dannetta English Bland is an accomplished trailblazer in DEI strategy, and we are excited to have her join our leadership team to help build upon the UNT System’s core belief that higher education should be accessible to everyone,” Chancellor Lesa Roe said. “Dannetta will help our system and member institutions find authentic ways to come together and affirm the value of our diverse students, faculty and staff.”
“I am honored to have been appointed and entrusted to serve the UNT System’s students, faculty, staff, families and communities – I wholeheartedly feel that this role was created especially for me at this exact moment in time,” Bland said. “I look forward to bringing bold innovative ideas and serving as a catalyst for promoting a culture of allyship, and an inclusive work and learning environment where all leaders belong and thrive.”
This is a new position for the UNT System that reports to the Chancellor.
With two minority serving institutions and a system-wide student body that is “minority-majority,” the UNT System’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion remains steadfast, the announcement said.
Bland is a graduate of the University of Houston and is Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control. She has served visiting professorships at the University of Houston, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin.
Bland has served on multiple nonprofit and advisory board inclusive of INROADS Inc., the National Association of Black Accountants, the University of Houston C.T. Bauer College of Business Accounting Advisory Board and the Louisiana State University E.J. Ourso College of Business Dean’s Advisory Council.
