Colby-Sawyer College has hired Ron Price of Atlanta as its vice president for human resources and chief diversity officer.

Price, who will begin his role June 20, comes to Colby-Sawyer with more than 20 years of experience in higher education and an extensive history of leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion-based initiatives. The position of vice president for human resources and chief diversity officer was created in 2021 in response to a recommendation from the college’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Task Force.

“We are thrilled for Ron Price to join us as chief diversity officer and vice president for human resources,” Colby-Sawyer President Susan D. Stuebner said. “Ron brings extensive knowledge as a chief human resources officer at several institutions and will make an immediate impact in that aspect of his work. He also has been very active in diversity, inclusion and equity work at the state and national level in leadership with a number of organizations and I am confident he will help move the institution forward in that sphere as well.”

As part of his position, Price will manage the college’s staffing procedures while also playing a key role in further developing Colby-Sawyer’s ongoing initiatives to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, with the goal of increasing the proportion of underrepresented groups within the college community. He will also collaborate with faculty and administrators to promote the development of an inclusive and effective learning environment and evaluate and develop policies and hiring practices to advance equitability.

“Colby-Sawyer College has taken an important step by creating the role of chief diversity officer and vice president of human resources together,” said Price, a father of three. “This role and office will play an important part in assuring that our college is a more supportive and engaging place to work and that we learn by understanding the perceptual, institutional, and psychological processes that impact the ways people interact with each other.”

Prior to Colby-Sawyer, Price spent seven years at Chattahoochee Technical College in Marietta, Ga., where he served as vice president of human resources and professional development. During his time at Chattahoochee, Price was the chief human resources officer for the college’s nine campuses, overseeing a staff of 15. He has also held upper-level positions in human resources at the University of Virginia, Utah Valley University and the College of William and Mary, as well as the Atlanta Public School District.

Price holds a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in public administration, both from the University of Virginia, where he has also completed doctoral work. He was also the executive leader of Chattahoochee Technical College’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Leadership Committee, a co-founder of 100 Black Men of Central Virginia and has held senior roles in various other community organizations.

“As the college continues to commit to making progress in diversity, inclusion, and equity work, Ron’s hire is a major step forward,” Stuebner said. “As a senior officer, he will keep the conversation about DEI work present among the senior team’s endeavors and he will be able to collaborate with all constituents on identifying our strengths and addressing our weaknesses. The connection to HR will enable him to assist the institution in recruiting and retaining a more diverse employee base, but his focus on DEI will be much broader than that. Importantly, DEI work is everyone’s job at the college, but it will be extremely helpful to have a senior officer leading and guiding this work in a strategic manner.”