Cook Children’s Health Care System CEO Rick Merrill announced Aug. 10 that Winifred King, Assistant Vice President of Public Relations, Corporate Communications and Social Media has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Diversity Officer.
As part of the executive leadership team, King will help guide Cook Children’s in building a more diverse organization, while furthering efforts of equity and inclusion.
This promotion comes after King’s more than 13 years of service to the system.
“I’ve always been impressed with Wini’s love for Cook Children’s and her desire to do the right thing for our patients, their families and our staff,” Merrill said in a news release. “She understands the importance of honest conversation and has always pushed for the integrity of this institution. I believe she will bring her passion for this place and its people to this new role.”
The creation of the Chief Diversity Officer position follows the organization’s statement issued in June saying in part: “Cook Children’s believes in a culture of inclusiveness and diversity. We encourage empathy and understanding of how others feel and guidance for issues we may not fully understand.”
“It is hard to put into words what this decision and investment means to people of color and anyone who has ever felt different or excluded,” said King. “For all of us who may have experienced inequities and mistreatment in our lifetimes, it is comforting to be a part of an organization that accepts our differences, our failures, and is willing to look inward and truly examine what is at the heart of our culture.”
Before joining Cook Children’s, King was employed by Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas, and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, where she worked in brand marketing, promotions and public relations for 11 years. She is also a former broadcast journalist and plans to use her storytelling skills in her new role.
“I believe stories have the power to create empathy and allow us to see others through a different lens than our own,” said King. “I want the entire health care system to be thinking about how their actions, their work, and their speech impacts others negatively and positively.”
King is a member and leader of the Greater Fort Worth Chapter of Public Relations Society of America. She has also served on the boards of Young Women’s Leadership Academy and TCU’s student-driven PR and ad agency, ROXO. She will maintain her position as leader of communications at Cook Children’s.
www.cookchildrens.org
– FWBP Staff