Overview

Dr. Tricia Brand is an organizational development and inclusive leadership professional with extensive experience in education, college access, student success, people and culture, public administration, equity compliance, and strategic organizational diversity and inclusion. As the inaugural Vice President of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the California College of the Arts, Tricia has demonstrated unwavering dedication to social transformation through narrative change and designing for equity.

Past roles include Chief Diversity Officer (Portland Community College), Associate Dean of Student Engagement and Director of Multicultural Affairs (Lewis & Clark College), and Associate Director of the Division of Multicultural Affairs and Student Success (University of Arizona). She has also served as faculty for the Higher Education Administration Program at Lewis & Clark.

Tricia has a 20-year background in education, spanning flagship research universities, private liberal arts colleges, and community colleges. She advances human-centered practices in educational and workplace cultures, emphasizing mission fulfillment through transformational design. Leveraging a collaborative process, data-informed decisions, and innovative practices, Tricia is committed to cultivating strong systems support and cultural integration.

Tricia consults on various topics, including higher education policy, DEIB capacity-building in government, creating cultures of belonging, community-based research, strategic planning and assessment, digital identity and well-being, post-crisis response, and psychological safety in the workplace.
Tricia has a Master's degree in Learning, Cognition, and Development from Rutgers University’s College of Education and a Bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis.