Sandra Whitmore Receives the Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Staff Pluralism Award | May 2023
“I believe Sandra Whitmore moves through this world using a diversity and inclusion lens and we are all the better for it.”
That’s what one person wrote in a letter recommending Sandra Whitmore for the 2022-2023 Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Staff Pluralism Award. Whitmore is the senior director of operations in the Division of Diversity and Inclusion (DDI).
She wears a lot of different hats. You might find her behind the wheel of a golf cart, helping new students move-in on campus or developing detailed, strategic plans to manage and support search committee chairs hiring new employees. Always mixed in with whatever she does is a keen sense of promoting cultural awareness.
The award is named after RIT’s first chairman of the President’s Commission on Pluralism.
Whitmore says,” I’m humbled and honored to receive this prestigious award. Although I never had the opportunity to meet Mr. Jordan personally, as I reflect on my 23 year career at RIT, his legacy has provided a roadmap for the ways in which I’ve been able to hopefully make an impact.”
Another person who wrote a letter of recommendation for Whitmore shared the following: “What impresses me about Sandy is that with all that she juggles on her plate to positively impact RIT students, employees and the greater Rochester community in various ways, it can be concluded, “She makes it look good” because she handles these myriad responsibilities exceptionally well and with a smile.”
Whitmore says she first learned of diversity and inclusion as a child—though she didn’t realize it at the time. She credits her family and the way she was raised with how she views the world.
“I was comfortable with people who looked different than me. See I was brought up in the city of Rochester on Remington Street. It was what I would refer to as a fruit salad of sorts. There were so many people from different countries, religions, traditions, etc. that it was normal for me to hear different languages spoken, smell diverse foods, music, and we played games in the street. I went to Baptist church, Ukrainian church, Catholic Church, Temple and probably some other ones. My mom was just happy I went to any church.”
Sandra holds a Master’s Degree in Service Leadership & Innovation, Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Administration (Honors), a Minor in Communications, Certificate in Organizational Change and Leadership from the College of Applied Science Technology, an Associate’s Degree (High Honors) in Business Administration, all from Rochester Institute of Technology. But she first came to campus to work as a divisional secretary in the College of Liberal Arts in 1999. Her work with diversity and inclusion began in 2003, when she started working with the Presidents Commission on Pluralism, led at that time by Alfreda Brown, her first mentor.
Whitmore says, “She took the time to really teach me about diversity, equity and inclusion. I remember, like it was yesterday, when we went to New York City for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE). This was the first time, I was able to see her in action outside of RIT and it was incredible. She has such a calming presence in the way she presented and shared in her workshop that left people wanting more. I said, I want to be like her.”
She also worked with DDI leaders like Kevin McDonald and now Keith Jenkins. She remembers when the division became “official” in 2009. She says, “The University moved departments under this umbrella and soon we became the division of Diversity and Inclusion. I’d like to say that I had a major role as we developed from a two person office to now a division of close to 40 staff. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think of how far we have come in twenty years. The work is far from done, but we now have the people in strategic positions to make a greater impact for the lives of students, families, staff and alumni at the university.”
That “impact” is felt across campus. She is a co-founder of DDI’s “College, Accounting and You (CAY) Program” offered in partnership with Saunders College of Business and PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Accounting Firm. It brings area high school students together with professionals to learn about careers in auditing and accounting. In 2017, she helped found WOCHA-Women of Color, Honor and Ambition. She teaches RIT 356 First Year Courses, leads the DDI marketing and communications team and helps plan major signature events like Expressions of King’s Legacy, Let Freedom Ring and the Power Your Potential program, which a third letter of recommendation referenced.
“In her role on the committee, Sandy has been a strong advocate to bring in diverse speakers for this event and has helped the team identify some outstanding presenters over the years…. Sandy is someone that walks her talk and truly lives her passions, as demonstrated by all she has accomplished at RIT.”
Whitmore received the Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Staff Pluralism award during the Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff on March 22, 2023.