Dr. Lawrence A. Q. Burnley serves as the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office for the Shaker Heights Schools. Previously, Dr. Burnley served as Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Dayton, and Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Asst. Professor of History at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. He is also president and co-founder of Inclusive Engagements, LLC. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Burnley holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in History of American Education from the University of Pennsylvania, a Masters of Divinity from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Indiana, and a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in African American Studies from the University of Cincinnati, and is a proud graduate of Shaker Heights High School. Dr. Burnley was ordained as a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in June of 1990 at Fifth Christian Church in Cleveland, Ohio. His first book, The Cost of Unity: African American Agency and Education, in the Christian Church., 1865-1914, is published by Mercer University Press (2008).
Ms. Kim Davis has been an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in education for over twenty years. Currently, she is the Executive Assistant to the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for the Shaker Heights Schools. In this role, she provides leadership in coordinating, advising and supporting the ongoing needs and development of the department, to support the goal of providing diversity, equity and inclusion for Shaker Heights Schools. Ms. Davis’s career in education began with serving as the Parent Policy Chairperson for the Catholic Charities Head Start Program in Cleveland, Ohio. She then became the City-Wide Representative for the Council of Economic Opportunities of Greater Cleveland (CEOGC) Head Start program for three terms. She has been driven to help the economically disadvantaged and underserved populations in private and public school settings in various capacities and has supported administration, teachers and students throughout the preK-12 school system. Ms. Davis’s passion for equal opportunity education is also evident and continues through her children’s lives as they have pursued careers in providing service to others through the United States Navy and as teachers in preK-12 education school settings.
Dr. Nicole Sherman Patterson currently serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Professional Learning for the Shaker Heights Schools. She previously served as the District’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Learning Specialist. During her 27 years in education, she has taught primary through intermediate grades in both the Cincinnati Public Schools and Shaker Heights Schools. Dr. Patterson has also been an adjunct professor at Miami University, Notre Dame College and Baldwin Wallace University, teaching courses on curriculum theory, diversity in education, educational research and teacher leadership. She received her B.S. in Elementary Education in 1997 from Miami University, an M.Ed in Curriculum and Teacher Leadership in 2001 from Miami University and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration in 2010 from Miami University. While at Shaker, Dr. Patterson has served as the District’s MAC (Minority Achievement Committee) Scholars advisor and a Regional Practitioner Council member of the Multicultural Student Action Network (MSAN). She has also served on the Educational Equity Round Table, the Equity Advisory and Action Team (EAAT) and was the co-chair of the Black Teacher’s Task Force (BTTF).
Mr. Keith Langford currently serves as the Supervisor of the Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE) for the Shaker Heights Schools. Mr. Langford previously served as the Educational Support Specialist at Lomond Elementary School for three years prior to creating the structure and foundation for FACE. Prior to education, Mr. Langford spent more than eight years in the business world as a finance manager and sales representative for Wells Fargo, Citizens Bank and Mercedes Benz. Mr. Langford also worked as a Rehabilitation Technician for over 12 years at Parma Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic. He has contributed his time and energy to volunteering in the community for multiple non-profits like the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American Red Cross and Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Langford has spoken nationally on Family and Community Engagement and Youth Engagement. Mr. Langford attended both Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland State University. Mr. Langford has recently started a new mentoring project for Shaker Heights Schools called M.I.T. (Motivate, Inspire, Teach).
Mr. William Warren is the District’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program Coordinator. In this position, he serves as the adviser of the Student Group on Race Relations (SGORR), the District advisor for the Minority Achievement Committee (MAC) Scholars Program and provides District support for the Shaker Heights High School Bridges Program. A 2007 graduate of Shaker Heights High School, Mr. Warren earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Business from the University of Mount Union in 2011 and a Master of Education in Sport Management from Cleveland State University in 2014. Prior to joining the District, Mr. Warren worked in higher education as a campus recreation professional at Baldwin Wallace University and Miami University. He then spent several years in the insurance sales industry, working for National General Insurance, AAA and Allstate. Most recently, Mr. Warren was an Associate Dean of Culture at E-Prep Woodland Hills, a tuition-free choice school within the Breakthrough Public Schools network.