Leslye Steptoe – How I Got Here

How I Got Here

I have been in the Diversity & Inclusiveness field for nearly 20 years and consider myself very lucky to have found my professional “happy place” early on. For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed engaging on issues of social change, and moving around a lot. While growing up,I nurtured an enduring interest in different cultures. Diversity & Inclusiveness work has always felt custom-made for my talents and interests. My educational background is in sociology and education (BA and MA in Sociology; PhD in Educational Foundations, Policy & Practice) and the bulk of my career has been in post-secondary education. I began as a Graduate Assistant for two academic support programs in 1998 and finished my time in higher education in 2011 as a Director of Student Diversity Programs at a mid-sized university. In between, I worked with several university-based programs that aimed to increase the retention of ethnically and economically underrepresented students.

I transitioned into healthcare in 2012, when I served as a Senior Diversity Specialist for a mid-sized hospital system. I’ve been in my current position as Vice President of Diversity & Inclusiveness at Mental Health Center of Denver since 2014. I absolutely love working at Mental Health Center of Denver! I am challenged and energized by the opportunity to weave Diversity & Inclusiveness into our organization in ways that support the well-being of our staff and community.