Institute Welcomes New Executive Board Members

The Institute for Inclusive Leadership Welcomes New Executive Board Members from Boston Children’s Hospital, Point32Health, RTX, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

The Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership recently appointed four new Strategic Advisory Board members: Peter Church, chief people officer at Point32Health; Shanda Hinton, chief diversity officer at RTX; Lori Spicer Robertson, vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; and Valerie L. Ward, MD, MPH, senior vice president and chief equity and inclusion officer at Boston Children’s Hospital.

“I am honored to welcome these four incredible, mission-driven leaders to the Strategic Advisory Board,” said Susan MacKenty Brady, CEO of the Institute for Inclusive Leadership. “They each bring a diverse set of skills and expertise and share a deep desire to foster equity, inclusion, and gender parity in organizational leadership. They join a global dream team of change-makers who help guide the direction and impact of the Institute, and our Institute is proud to be the catalyst that unites the members.”

Meet Our New Board Members

Dr. Valerie Ward, Boston Children’s Hospital

Valerie leads the essential work to make Boston Children’s Hospital a leader in pediatric health equity and inclusion, for all patients, faculty, staff and trainees. She provides leadership, vision and strategic oversight for the Boston Children’s Sandra L. Fenwick Institute for Pediatric Health Equity and Inclusion. The Fenwick Institute is focused on evidence-based knowledge creation from innovative pediatric health equity research that addresses relevant and important health inequities for children.

Shanda Hinton, Raytheon Technologies

In partnership with the RTX executive team, Shanda is responsible for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) across RTX and its three businesses – Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon – through strategies, programs, and initiatives focused on workforce diversity, community engagement, public policy, and suppliers. Shanda is a certified coach through the international Coach Federation and serves on the board of The Faith & Politics Institute.

Lori Spicer Robertson, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

A thought leader on women and mothers; diversity, equity, and inclusion; leadership and authentic joy, Lori is a creative change agent, always pursuing opportunities to transform lives and foster sustainable progress. In addition to her role at St. Jude, she’s the founder of The DEI Collective, an industry-agnostic collaborative of DEI leaders creating just work environments and communities, and the founder and chief joymaker of Wundher, an experiential membership community created to reconnect women and mothers to a life of joy.

Peter Church, Point32Health

Peter leads human resources and culture for Point32Health, which brings more than 90 years of service to 2.2 million members across New England. Peter provides strategic direction and oversight for all aspects of Human Resources including talent management, total rewards, organization effectiveness as well as diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Peter is a member of the Board of Directors for RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.