WTIA is pleased to announce that Yolanda Chase has joined the senior leadership team as Chief Diversity Officer.

Yolanda will spearhead diversity, equity and inclusion programming for WTIA, including the launch of its new DEI office. As head of the DEI office, she will be responsible for developing and implementing the Anti-racism in Tech Pact, the coalition WTIA announced in November to dismantle systemic racism in the tech industry by 2025. 

To help ensure the Pact’s success, Yolanda will work with Pact members to increase the diversity of the tech workforce in Washington state and beyond, encourage progress on roadmap goals, share access to resources and best practices, and manage monthly and quarterly pact member check-ins.

An expert leader in DEI, Yolanda brings to WTIA more than 30 years of human resources and organizational development experience. She is the founder and principal of her own HR strategy and consulting firm, Diversity Way-Maker Consulting, which provides strategic solutions to facilitate inclusion and belonging in workplaces worldwide. Before joining WTIA, Yolanda led global diversity and inclusion efforts at Colorado-based Arrow Electronics, a Fortune 100 company with nearly 20,000 employees and more than 300 locations.

WTIA has maintained a steadfast commitment to diversity as an integral part of its mission for years. Bringing Yolanda on board is a turning point for the organization, and reaffirms the association’s commitment to help make careers in tech more accessible to women, veterans and people of color while creating a culture of equality, inclusion, and diversity across the industry.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Yolanda said, “and I’m confident that my experience in driving DEI efforts forward with complete alignment will allow me to hit the ground running and deliver measurable success for the Pact, its members and our communities.”

To date, more than 50 companies and educational institutions in Washington have signed the Anti-Racism in Tech Pact.

Pact signatories include firms such as BitTitan, Blink UX, Convoy, Remitly, ExtraHop, Flying Fish Partners, Lyft, Neu and Vimly Benefit Solutions. All organizations across the United States are welcome to join the Anti-racism in Tech Pact. View the full list of signatories, sign the Pact, and download the Pact Roadmap.