Human Rights Campaign Announces Rebecca C. Hershey as New Senior Vice President for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

by Kathryn Smith •

Today, the Human Rights Campaign named Rebecca C. Hershey as the organization’s new Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). In this role Hershey will champion HRC’s vision for full equality, equity and liberation — without exception — by developing, implementing, and advancing strategies in support of this organizational imperative.


“Rebecca has displayed her incredible leadership abilities over her time at HRC, and especially so as she has stepped into the role of interim leader over the past four months. We are elated to have Rebecca Hershey serve as the senior vice president for our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging efforts, and we cannot wait to see Rebecca’s continued efforts in action.”

Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Right Campaign

A licensed attorney with a background in civil rights, Hershey has served as Director of DEIB at HRC since 2019, and has been Interim Head of DEIB since December 2022.

“Having been a part of HRC’s commitment to DEI, I am both humbled and excited to lead the DEIB team, which adds an active element — belonging — to our investment in our institutional and individual responsibility in this quest for justice for people in our workplace and our community.”


Rebecca Hershey, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the Human Rights Campaign

Hershey has spent the past 30 years working toward a more just and equitable community for all, starting as a young leader and trainer in her local NAACP chapter in Portland, Maine. She has spent her entire working career in positions with large nonprofit organizations committed to racial justice, economic opportunity, and safe and inclusive workplace and community ecosystems. A graduate of Cornell University and the University of Maine School of Law, Hershey is originally from Brooklyn, New York but spent much of her young life in rural Maine. She currently lives in Washington, D.C.

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