PRESIDENT

 

Dr. Alisa Warren, Ph.D., Executive Director, Missouri Commission on Human Rights. ​The advancement of equality in our society has been a career cornerstone for Dr. Alisa Warren. Since January 2008, Dr. Warren has served as the Executive Director for the Missouri Commission on Human Rights (MCHR), a state agency with four offices statewide. Under her strategic leadership, MCHR works diligently to prevent and eliminate discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Her dedication to fighting racism and bias against women and other marginalized communities is in her DNA. Promoting inclusion manifests itself in her extensive efforts, through education and outreach initiatives, to bring greater understanding about anti-discrimination laws to the four corners of her home state of Missouri and the nation. Building networks between government, business, and advocacy groups is a main focus for Dr. Warren; she believes that vibrant community partnerships are key to advancing social justice — and she strives to foster and strengthen those vital connections as a means to broaden fundamental freedoms.

 

Throughout her 20-year career, Dr. Warren has worn many hats, all fashioned after a common theme of equal opportunity for all. She has appeared as a subject matter expert on human rights and social justice on numerous television and radio programs, virtual webinars and podcasts, trained many thousands of people on human rights, racial justice and women’s issues, diversity and inclusion, and served as a keynote speaker at local, state, and national events. As a change agent, her executive level experience also includes such distinguished roles as: Director of Diversity Initiatives for the University of Missouri-College of Engineering; Executive Director for the Missouri Community Service Commission; Missouri Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity; and Director of the State of Missouri Supplier Diversity Program.

 

Dr. Warren has been actively involved over the years with a number of organizations such as the: International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies Board of Directors as 1st Vice President; St. Louis-FOCUS Board of Directors; the Missouri Supreme Court Commission on Race and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts- Public Engagement Co-Chair, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis Fair Housing Task Force; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Missouri State Advisory Council; U.S. President’s Initiative on Race; Missouri Human Rights Conference Chair; Governing Board for Central Missouri United Way; Girls Scouts of the Missouri Heartland Board of Directors; Strategic Leadership for State Executives at the Duke University Governor’s Center; the State of Missouri Diversity Council Chair; the Ferguson Community Forward Initiative; and the Governor’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiative.

 

A proponent of education for the advancement of civil rights, her own education uniquely establishes a strong basis for her expertise in the field. Dr. Warren holds a Ph.D. in Applied Social Sciences in the area of Community Development and Social Disparities; a Master of Public Administration; and a Bachelor of Science degree all from the University of Missouri- Columbia.​

 

1ST VICE PRESIDENT

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Diane Clements Boyd was appointed Executive Director of the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission in January of 2004. Prior to her appointment, she served as a Program Manager at the Evansville Black Coalition, Inc., from 1995 to 2004.

Diane has been in the forefront of advancing social justice and advocacy efforts in the City of Evansville for over 20 years. In addition to being responsible for enforcing municipal civil rights laws, Diane is responsible for administering several advisory boards. In 2009, she worked with disability advocates to create the city’s first Advisory Board on Disability Services. The board provides guidance to the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County in matters concerning individuals with disabilities and offers a public forum for members of the community to raise issues of concern. Diane advised city officials on the need for civil rights protections for the LGBT community and in 2011, the Evansville City Council passed an ordinance to include protections for LGBT individuals. Diane also advises the Evansville Commission on the Social Status of African American Males, whose mission is to create practical proposals and workable remedies in the areas of employment, education, health, and criminal justice to reduce problems that African American males face. Under her direction, the Evansville Commission on the Social Status of African American Males commissioned a report on the School-to-Prison Pipeline and continues to advocate for education equity.  She also spearheads the local Indiana Black Barbershop Health Initiative, the Million Father March and workshops on criminal record expungement. In 2021, she led an effort to establish the city’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. In 2022, the Evansville City Council passed an ordinance establishing the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council.

Diane serves as chairperson of the Indiana Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights; She is also a past president of the Indiana Consortium of State and Local Human Rights Agencies; member of the Evansville Commission on Homelessness; Evansville Women’s Equality Day Committee member and was recently appointed to serve on the Core Team of the Evansville Climate Action Plan Committee. In 2022, Diane received the “Woman on A Mission” award from the Evansville YWCA. She also received the Freedom Award from the State of Indiana Martin Luther King Commission in 2011, the Black Women’s Task Force Community Service Award in 2009, and the Evansville Chapter of the NAACP Lifetime Community Advocate Award. Diane is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and serves as the Social Action Coordinator for the Evansville Alumnae Chapter. Diane is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology.​

 

2ND VICE PRESIDENT

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Tamie Tatum-Dixon, Department Head, City of Anderson Human Relations. Tamie Dixon-Tatum has extensive experience in the fields of Office Management, Office Policies, Procedures, Payroll, Marketing, Human Resources, Public Relations, Radio & Television Broadcasting, Teaching, and Municipal/Community Partnerships. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Telecommunications and a master’s degree in Public Affairs.   Ms. Dixon-Tatum is a former employee of both DRA and Guide Lamp, as well as a former Union Member of Local 662 and Local 663. Her experience, expertise, and education make her a well-rounded individual and professional.

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Tamie is currently involved in numerous community programs such as the Strengthening Families Program through Intersect, and she is a youth, community, education, and equal opportunity advocate.   Currently, she works for the City of Anderson as the Human Relations director, and a guest radio personality for Vision for Success and the Bill Jackson Show for WHBU 1240AM/103.7FM. Previously, Tamie worked in Madison County Superior Court 2’s Juvenile Division as the Juvenile Case Manager for the Reclaiming Futures Program and the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office as Office Manager under Thomas Broderick Jr.  She has also worked for The Crossing Education Center as the Community & Business Development Coordinator which helped to match youth with job training and community service opportunities.

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In addition to her extensive employment and educational background, she has spearheaded the Ollie H. Dixon Back-To-School Picnic and Parade for nearly 25 years.  This program has provided school supplies for thousands of disadvantaged children throughout Madison County for over two decades.

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Tamie Dixon-Tatum works tirelessly to serve the community as a youth, education, community, and equal opportunity advocate as well as a multi-media professional.​

 

SECRETARY
 

Kenneth Gunn, First Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Commission on Human Relations. Kenneth (Ken) Gunn is a lifetime resident of the City of Chicago.  He is a graduate of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana where he received his B.A. in History and his J.D. 

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While in law school, Ken began his legal career with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office where he investigated and assisted in the resolution of consumer fraud complaints.  Upon obtaining his law license he joined the Office of the Cook County Public Guardian where he represented abused and neglected children.

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In 1990, Ken’s interest in civil rights law led him to the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.  The Commission serves as the city’s civil rights agency responsible for investigating and adjudicating complaints of discrimination, providing assistance to hate crime victims, mediating racial and ethnic tensions, and providing anti-bias training.

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Ken first served as the Assistant to the Commissioner helping to develop and implement procedures and protocol for the newly revamped Commission following the passage of the new Chicago Human Rights and Fair Housing Ordinances.  He is currently the department’s First Deputy Commissioner where he is responsible for the day-to-day management of the agency, which includes development and oversight of fiscal, personnel, and departmental policies. In this role, he also serves as the department’s Ethics Officer, Public Information Officer, and Legislative Liaison to the Mayor’s Office.

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Ken is also a certified court mediator and serves as a volunteer mediator for the Center for Conflict Resolution. He is on several boards and committees including the Cook County Commission on Human Rights (President), Housing Choice Partners of Illinois Inc. (Treasurer), Center for Conflict Resolution Board of Directors, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago Diversity Committee, Chicago Bar Association Judicial Evaluation Committee, Chicago Bar Association Civil Rights and Constitutional Law Committee, and the Emmanuel Baptist Church Board of Trustees (Vice-President).
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TREASURER (POSITION CURRENTLY VACANT)​

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​​ASSISTANT TREASURER (POSITION CURRENTLY VACANT)
 

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IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
 

Robin S. Toma is Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations Commission, appointed in 2000. He also serves as the head of the Human Relations Branch holding the position of Assistant Director of the Department of Community and Senior Services, County of Los Angeles. Under his leadership, the agency is working to transform prejudice into acceptance, inequity into justice, and hostility into peace. By building community capacity and focus in key areas, racialized gang violence has been lessened. Through demonstration projects in high schools, the power of integrating human relations strategies into school campuses has brought about greater inclusion, harmony, reduced fighting and conflict, and improved academic performance. The Commission’s signature annual report on hate crime in the county has shown a long-term trend downward in hate crime until recent years, while the Commission has invested in hate violence prevention community partnerships and training peacemakers through the countywide dispute resolution program.

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His published writings include A Primer on Managing Intergroup Conflict in a Multicultural Workplace, Day Laborers Hiring Sites: Constructive Approaches to Community Conflict (co-author with Jill Esbenshade), and he contributed a piece on racialized gang violence in the book Uncommon Common Ground: Race and America’s Future.

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Robin serves as First Vice President on the board of directors of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA), and was President of and is on the Board of the California Association of Human Relations Organizations (CAHRO). He’s been a Senior Fellow at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs since 2009 and had the privilege to be part of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government’s Executive Session on Human Rights Commissions and Criminal Justice (2006-2008), and the Kellogg National Fellowship/Leadership Program (1994-97). He was appointed by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to serve on the California State Advisory Committee (2012 to present) and helped create and serve on the L.A. Unified School District’s Commission on Human Relations, Diversity, and Educational Equity. He served three years on the national interim leadership team of the Within Our Lifetime Network for Racial Equity and Healing.

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In August 2014, Robin spoke in Geneva on the review of the U.S. Government’s compliance with the treaty to eliminate racial discrimination (CERD) and was an invited adviser to the Obama Administration’s delegation to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, for the U.S. first-ever presentation on its human rights record as part of the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review process in November 2010. He was also invited to serve on the official U.S. Delegation to the U.N. World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, in 2001.

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Robin is the son of Americans of Japanese and Okinawan ancestry; his mother and her family spent World War II imprisoned in the U.S. internment camps solely because of their Japanese ancestry. Robin’s paternal grandfather was an immigrant Okinawan sugar cane plantation worker in Maui. Robin grew up in the Echo Park/Silver Lake neighborhoods of L.A., attending LAUSD public schools. He received a B.A. with highest honors in Sociology and honors in Economics from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a J.D. degree and M.A. degree in Urban Planning from UCLA. Robin is fluent in Spanish, having studied and worked in Barcelona for two years, and was a teacher in L.A.’s public schools.​

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Prior to working at the Commission, Robin was a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California for almost 7 years and litigated a wide range of human rights and civil liberties cases in federal and state courts.
 

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE​

 

Rob Corbusier, Alaska State Commission for Human Rights, Anchorage, Alaska 

 

Cleveland L. Horton, serves as Deputy Director of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, serving the citizens of the State of Maryland as one of the leaders of the state’s leading civil rights agency. In this capacity, Mr. Horton is responsible for establishing and maintaining strategic partnerships and overseeing MCCR’s investigative efforts throughout the state. Throughout his years of experience as a leader in civil rights and fair housing, Cleveland has gained a keen understanding of the importance and impact that civil rights and equity for all individuals has on the community at large. Most notable is his recent work with the Baltimore Regional Partnership on the Regional Assessment of Fair Housing. Cleveland Horton is a graduate of the Community College of Baltimore County with an Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration
Specializing in Human Resources Management. Mr. Horton went on to continue his education at the University of Baltimore obtaining both a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s degree focusing on Human Resources Management.

Mr. Horton is the owner of The Homes by Horton Group, a real estate consulting firm that assists potential buyers and sellers achieve their financial goals and dreams of homeownership. He is also the owner and CEO of Venture Property Management which helps individuals and organizations develop and maintain residential real estate portfolios.
A strong connection to his community is extremely important to Cleveland as he participates in various civic and community groups. Mr. Horton is currently working on establishing a non-profit that will help transition homeless families out of homelessness and into hopefulness. 

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Anthony Lewis, is Director of the Community Engagement and Education Division for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR). He serves as part of the senior leadership team and has held previous roles as Community Relations Specialist and an Investigator with the department. 

 

Anthony leads the department’s community engagement programming and initiatives throughout the State of Michigan. Under his leadership the division has built statewide coalitions through creative initiatives like Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust (ALPACT), which includes the acquisition and distribution of $500,000 in grant funds to support local communities. Other impactful initiatives under Anthony’s division include the Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes (MIAAHC) and the MI Response to Hate, Hate Crimes and Bias Awareness Campaign. 

 

As a passionate advocate for the next generation, Anthony also leads the Department’s Education and Youth Initiatives, working with school districts on cultural awareness programming and policy development, and he was instrumental in developing the Michigan Civil Rights Youth Leadership Academy. Additionally, Anthony serves as a commissioner for the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES), the Gun violence Prevention Task Force and he is a highly requested trainer - facilitating numerous townhalls, community forums, presentations and administering programs on cultural competency and civil rights law. He began his career and ascended to management with FedEx Express Corp, serving in leadership roles at multiple locations across Michigan, New Jersey and Ohio. 

 

Anthony Lewis is a proud graduate of Florida A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in business economics/labor Relations and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.
 

Dr. Leah Raby is a dynamic leader with a fervent commitment to justice and equality. As the Executive Director at the Office of the Governor/Louisiana Commission on Human Rights (LCHR), she leads the charge in combating discrimination across the state, overseeing investigations and resolutions in employment, banking, lending, and public accommodations. With over two decades of experience, Dr. Raby’s expertise is rooted in her 17-year tenure as an investigator at LCHR, followed by her ascension to Executive Director in 2016. Her profound impact extends beyond her role at LCHR, as she is a certified mediator, trained by the Justice Center of Atlanta, with 21 years of experience in resolving disputes and fostering dialogue.

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Dr. Raby’s passion for human rights and education is evident in her 20-year career as an adjunct professor, where she has imparted knowledge in human rights, public policy, healthcare, and business across four universities, both online and on-ground. Her academic prowess is backed by a Ph.D. in Public Policy with a Healthcare Policy Concentration from Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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A sought-after speaker and trainer, Dr. Raby has presented at conferences nationwide, sharing her insights on Louisiana's Equal Employment Opportunity laws. Her leadership extends to her role as the former Diversity Director for the Louisiana Chapter of the Society of Human Resources Managers. She is also an active member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women of Metropolitan Baton Rouge and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

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Recently, Dr. Raby was elected as the Southern Regional Representative for the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies, further solidifying her influence in the human rights arena. Her career is a testament to her unwavering dedication to fostering equality, empowerment, and positive change.

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REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
 

Atlantic Region

 

Kyla Hanington currently serves as the Public Outreach and Engagement Division Manager with the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights. Under her leadership, the division has developed social justice conversations across the region, from holding both in-person and virtual panel discussion and guest speaker engagements to meeting with constituents and stakeholders to presenting bias awareness trainings. Kyla believes in a boots-on-the-ground, person-to-person approach to building understanding across diverse peoples. In addition to her work in the outreach division, Kyla serves as a mediator, the agency’s Public Information Officer, and other roles. Prior to her work with the Office of Human Rights, where she has been since 2016, Kyla worked as a family mediator (Family Justice Counsellor) for the Government of British Columbia, Canada, and is a certified family mediator through Family Mediation Canada. In addition to significant ADR and mediation training from the Justice Institute of British Columbia, Kyla holds an undergraduate degree in History, with a minor in First Nations Studies, from Vancouver Island University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mississippi University for Women. Kyla brings her expertise in strategic partnerships for social justice engagement to her role at IAOHRA and is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve the Atlantic region and the IAOHRA body as a whole in this role.

Midwestern Region Representative 
 

Angela Phelps-White assumed duties of Executive Director of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission on March 16, 2020. Director Phelps-White's professional and personal achievements demonstrate a commitment to public service and upholding the rule of law. She has broad experience in the public sector, including nearly seven years with the State Employment Relations Board, seven years at the Ohio Attorney General's Office, and thirteen years as a magistrate with the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Director Phelps-White also served as a Judge for the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. 

 

Director Phelps-White earned both her Bachelor of Science in Political Science and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Dayton. She has served on many boards and commissions, including Women Lawyers of Franklin County, Jack and Jill of America - Columbus Chapter, Amethyst, Inc., Kids Voting, and the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus. She has received numerous accolades and awards, including the Editor's Choice Award from the National Library of Poetry, Member of the Year Award from the League of Women Voters of Metropolitan Columbus, and Black Women of Courage honors. 
 

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Southern Region Representative

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Dr. Love Jones, Director, City of Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina. Dr. Jones currently serves as the Executive Director of the Human Rights Department with the City of Greensboro. Her role is dedicated to leading the arm of government focused on promoting community harmony, meeting the needs of marginalized populations, and directly addressing acts of discrimination. Specifically, the departmental focus includes discrimination investigation for Fair Housing and Public Accommodations, Landlord-Tenant mediation, Justice Served Support, International Support, and administrative support for five human rights focused boards/commissions. Additionally, she serves as the project manager for the City of Greensboro’s Five-year Strategic Framework.

Dr. Love Jones has dedicated her entire professional journey to understanding the personal and professional needs of people. She is a social science expert with a particular focus in the relationship between individual satisfaction and the establishment of healthy cultures. As a professionally trained systems thinker, with over 20 years of experience in seminar curriculum design and facilitation, she maintains a genuine interest in the way that people establish identity and build community. In addition to her experience as an executive leader, she continues to serve as a professor of social sciences for 15 years.  While not practicing at present, Dr. Jones is also a provisionally licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Dr. Jones earned a BA, as a double major in Psychology and Communication Studies, at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. She then earned an MS from East Carolina University in Marriage and Family Therapy from the School of Human Ecology. She returned to UNCG to earn a Doctorate in Cultural Studies with a concentration in Communication Studies. Her research focus includes political economy, most specifically, in the context of race, class, and gender. 

Western Region Representative 

Heather McVay is the Deputy Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission, whose mission is to eliminate discrimination and increase diversity by enforcing Hawaii’s laws prohibiting discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, public access, and access to state funded services.

Ms. McVay graduated from the William S. Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa during which time she worked in the compliance department of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and worked as a legislative researcher for Hawaiʻi State Senator (then Representative) Jarrett Keohokalole.

Prior to joining the Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission, Ms. McVay worked as a law clerk to the Honorable Keith K. Hiraoka focusing on civil trials and administrative appeals, and the Honorable Jeannette H. Castagnetti focusing on foreclosure. 

Prior to attending law school, Ms. McVay worked as an insurance defense litigation paralegal. Ms. McVay holds a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
 

Updated January 15, 2025