WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., May 17, 2021 — West Liberty University hired Shemrico Stanley as its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) officer recently.
Stanley’s full title is Special Assistant to the President for DEI and Strategic Initiatives.
“I had the privilege of working with Mr. Stanley at Voorhees College and am aware of his work ethic,” said Dr. W. Franklin Evans, WLU president. “He is extremely organized with an analytical approach to handling issues. He knows how to get expected results.”
Stanley was formerly the chief of staff and executive director of Title III Programs at Voorhees College, Denmark, S.C. Additionally, he is an experienced educator who served as an adjunct professor of criminal law, also at Voorhees College.
He also completed the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certificate program through the University of South Florida Muma College of Business, Tampa, Fla.
“I’m pleased to join the team here at West Liberty University,” Stanley said. “My goal is to create common knowledge and a starting point for each of us as we move the DEI needle forward to eliminate barriers for faculty, staff and students.”
At WLU, Stanley will play a key role in the university’s long-range DEI plans such as fostering a culture of inclusive excellence while assisting with initiatives from the president, working with diverse stakeholders across campus and outside of campus.
Stanley will oversee international student services and will jointly oversee Title IX initiatives with current Title IX coordinator Kate Billings. Additionally, he will moderate and facilitate the university-wide Diversity Committee.
With the arrival of Stanley, West Liberty University is one of just a few state institutions of higher education that employ a cabinet-level leader focused on DEI.
Prior to his position at Voorhees College, Stanley was a compliance specialist and controller for Lane Construction Co., Charlotte, N.C. Before that, he worked for several years in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Legal Department.
Stanley earned a juris doctorate degree at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, Lansing, Mich. and earned bachelor degrees in both business administration and criminal justice at North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C.
He is a native of Vanceboro, N.C. and now resides in Wheeling.
West Liberty University is West Virginia’s oldest public university and it offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, plus a growing number of graduate programs, both online and on campus. For more information, please call 1.866.937.8542 (WESTLIB), visit westliberty.edu or follow WLU on social media. To view more about WLU, please visit westliberty.edu/youtube.