Stacy Davidson joins Marin IJ editorial board as public member

The director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Dominican University has joined the Independent Journal’s editorial board as its public member.

Stacy Davidson, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Dominican University, has joined the Independent Journal’s editorial board as its public member.

Davidson, 59, replaces retired Marin Public Defender Jose Varela, who served on the board since October.

In her leadership role on the San Rafael campus, Davidson, who lives in Pinole, is integral in developing and implementing campuswide social justice and cultural programming. She works closely with students as an instructor for the “navigating college” class.

Davidson is a Virginia native with degrees from the University of Virginia and Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Her career in academic affairs stretches back 30 years. The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority member is part of the Marin Shakespeare Company Board of Directors, where she leads the company’s DEI initiative. She is the mother of two children.

“The goal is the creation of an inclusive community where people are seen, show up as their full selves and are embraced,” Davidson said. “(Dominican students) are informed on what they’re thinking and what matters to them. It is rewarding to hear their concerns. (College students) expect (educators) to figure it out. We need to do our own work.”

Reserving a position on the board for a member of the public is a long-standing tradition at the IJ. Davidson joins IJ President and Publisher Rob Devincenzi, Managing Editor Jennifer Upshaw Swartz, Opinion Editor Dave Allen and editorial writer Brad Breithaupt. The board discusses local issues reported by the IJ and develops stands reflected in that week’s editorials.