Jolene A. Lane has built a career in education promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Ms. Lane is currently Vice President for Inclusion and Equity, Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at the University of Akron. A seasoned educator, she has worked in higher education, elementary and secondary education, and in the non-profit sector. Prior to the University of Akron, she held the position of Senior Director for Diversity and Community Affairs at Teachers College, Columbia University. She was previously Executive Director at Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA), an educational not-for-profit organization whose mission is to provide college access and leadership development for public high school students from underrepresented backgrounds nationally, and to prepare young scholars for admission to the nations most highly selective colleges. She was Founding Principal of Leadership Public Schools’ first charter high school near San Francisco, CA, and Director of Education at Community Preparatory School in Providence, RI. She has also worked in student affairs at Wellesley and Simmons Colleges, in adult education, and as a Director of Resource Development for a community development corporation in Boston, MA.

Ms. Lane studied mathematics and pre-med at Harvard University, earned a Master of Education degree from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education in Administration, Planning and Social Policy with a focus in Higher Education and is currently completing her dissertation from Teachers College, Columbia University in Adult Learning and Leadership. Her doctoral research is focused on how women of color in the academy balance the complex issues of their professional and personal lives, and additional research interests include mentoring, recruitment and retention, and the academic success of students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Ms. Lane is actively involved in community initiatives supporting inclusivity and building relationships that foster community involvement impacting race and gender equity. She is a member of the Leadership Akron Class 35, Athena Akron, and WUTNGA. She serves on the Akron Racers Foundation Advisory Board, the Akron Latino Network, the Summit County Executive’s Diversity Advisory Council, the Advisory Council for the Summit County Office of Minority Health, and the Elevate Akron: Opportunity Akron Strategy Team. She also serves on several Boards including the Board of the Akron Urban League, the American Heart Association Board of Directors, the Athena Akron Board of Directors, the Greater Akron Chamber Board of Directors, and the Soap Box Derby Board of Directors. She is currently serving her eighth term as a trustee of the Fountain Valley School of Colorado. Ms. Lane is a recipient of the 2020 Athena Leadership Award. She is a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education. Ms. Lane is especially interested in providing access for students at every academic level to an excellent education and to the cultural capital necessary for success.