JUANITA SIMMONS

Juanita M. Cleaver Simmons , PhD, Diversity Consultant, specializes in training and designs for diversity, equity, climate, workplace civility and inclusion, and Equity Coaching with theoretical and practical  strategies.  Her passion is facilitating seminars in leadership development for cultural competency and excellence in equity. She is the former Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Northwest Missouri State University.  She was awarded emerita associate professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she served in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis division of the College of Education. She earned her PhD in Urban Superintendency and Public Affairs, a Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas-Austin. Her research agenda focuses on race, gender, class, and equity in organizations and institutions. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and diversity training manuals.  She is a former school teacher and administrator who continues to work with leaders in public institutions. Among her numerous awards, she was featured in the January 2018 issue of Ingram’s business magazine as one of “50 Missourians You Should Know.”
Her work as a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant include University Cooperative Extension System’s Foundation, Engage & Empower Webinar Training – Diversity and Inclusion Three-Part Series: 
Foundation & Program Design for Diversity Infrastructure; Implicit Bias, Civility, and Microaggressions in the Workplace;  Civility II, Institutional Inequities, Organizational Socialization.
Thompson Coburn’s Annual Employment, and Employee Benefits Law Seminar - Deep-Seeded: Understanding Implicit Bias. 
Persisterhood Organization – St. Joseph Missouri, Implicit Bias: Crisis, Courage and Current Conversations.
Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas Women in Computing Organization. Recruiting, Retaining, and Promoting Women and Minorities in STEM.
Missouri Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Program - Interpersonal Continuing Education Trainer – Implicit Bias – Social Justice Institutes.
National Juvenile Justice Advocate Annual Trainer – Disparities in Youth Residential Assignments. 
Missouri Juvenile Justice Association Trainer - Quarterly Training – Implicit Bias; Prison Pipeline.