Today, HRC, named Nicole Cozier as Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, a new position dedicated to expanding HRC’s commitment to diversity and equity throughout its programs, activities and senior-level decisions.

“I'm extraordinarily proud to announce that Nicole Cozier has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and will join HRC’s senior leadership team,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “This is an organizational and structural shift I feel is crucially important to ensuring that a diversity, equity and inclusion lens is brought to every major organizational decision we make. Nicole has been a key leader in pushing our organization forward and making progress, and her perspective and advice has been invaluable to me over the last two years. Now she will expand on that role and advise on decisions we make across the board -- from budgets, to programs, to internal policy and operations -- and working with all of our key stakeholder groups, including our board of directors, board of governors, and our steering committees.”

For the last two and a half years, Cozier has served as HRC’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion. In that role, she was responsible for managing the D&I team and designing and implementing diversity and inclusion strategy and initiatives. Prior to joining HRC, Cozier worked for nearly two decades in direct service, advocacy and social change philanthropy.

Cozier began her career in women’s health and reproductive health and rights for organizations including Planned Parenthood, Cooper Health System and Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, where she led a national public education campaign – which included cultural competency work with member organizations across the country – and organizational development.

In 2003, Cozier joined Women & Philanthropy, a 30-year-old affinity group that worked to increase women’s leadership in the philanthropic sector and increase philanthropic dollars to programs addressing the critical needs for diverse communities of women and girls.  There, she served as the organization’s representative for the Joint Affinity Group (JAG) – a collaborative of identity based affinity groups working to pursue more equity for diverse communities. She also served on the board of Funders for LGBTQ Issues for 6 years, during which time she also served as the board chair. Cozier later joined the staff of Washington Area Women’s Foundation – the region’s only foundation dedicated exclusively to increasing the economic security of economically vulnerable women and girls – where she eventually served as Chief Operating Officer (COO).  As second in command of The Women’s Foundation, Cozier managed internal operations and the development and cross-organizational implementation of the organization’s strategic goals.

Cozier holds an MBA and MS from Temple University, as well as an honors bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto.  A resident of the metro Washington area for more than 18 years, Cozier has also lived in Philadelphia, New Jersey, USVI, Canada and Barbados. She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her wife and daughter.