Bernett Williams has been named chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer and vice president for community initiatives at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio.
Ms. Williams stepped into the position July 12 after spending 11 years at the hospital in the role of vice president for external affairs. Her years at the system give her a deep understanding of its needs, as she has overseen external community partnerships and created relationships with business leaders, said Chris Gessner, president and CEO of Akron Children's.
"In her newly-expanded role, Bernett will lead our effort to make DEI a key strength and differentiator across all aspects of our organization," Mr. Gessner said. "We must expand our DEI efforts so they permeate throughout all aspects of who we are, what we do, and how we treat people both inside and outside of Akron Children's."