Getting to know Charles Gibson, the new chief diversity officer

From the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Charles E. Gibson, III hopes to broaden people’s horizons when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion in his new position as chief diversity officer at Lees-McRae, the first position of its kind.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion work is important not just here at Lees-McRae, but in higher education in general because everybody is unique, and each individual person makes a community what it is,” Gibson said.

Gibson considers the High Country home because of his family connections and because he earned his master’s degree from Appalachian State University. Before coming back to the area to work at Lees-McRae, Gibson worked in corporate human resources, specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. He also previously worked in a DEI position for Penn State. His interest in the field started earlier, however, when he was inspired by the chief diversity officer at Wake Forest University, who was his mentor during his undergraduate career there.

“My job is really to help students figure out what makes them unique, and then use that in order to connect with the community in meaningful and new ways,” Gibson said. “My door is open to everybody. I want to be a resource in any way that I can.”

Watch the video to learn more about Gibson and what he envisions for the future of diversity, equity and inclusion at Lees-McRae.