James E. Page, Jr. was appointed vice chancellor for equity diversity and inclusion at Vanderbilt University. Prior, he served as vice president and chief diversity officer at Johns Hopkins Medicine, since 2014, where he contributed to an increase in the number of women in senior leadership positions from 44 to 55 percent, and the launch of the Center for Transgender Health.
A trained engineer, Page has held new numerous positions in a variety of disciplines including roles in human resources, government relations, technology, community engagement and health care. He has held senior positions at Dell, Inc. and DAVITA as well as Penn Medicine, Lancaster General Health and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
“I am humbled to be invited to join the Vanderbilt community, an organization committed to being the leader in equity, diversity and inclusion. Smart organizations embed equity as their currency for trust, allowing all voices to not only be heard but also respected,” Page said. “They proactively leverage their various aspects of diversity as a strategic advantage to exceed expectations and push themselves to be better. They position inclusion as an operational value, necessary to remain relevant in the face of changing environments. Vanderbilt has demonstrated that it is committed to following this path.
In his new role, Page, who is a board member at Baltimore Education Scholarship Trust, will be a key ambassador for Vanderbilt in Nashville and beyond, focused on fostering important relationships with a variety of constituents, in addition to his diversity & inclusion responsibilities.
“Success in our academic and research mission demands an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture,” said Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos. “James brings a wealth of experience advancing diversity and inclusion in both higher education settings and at Fortune 500 companies. I look forward to working with James, our senior management team and the entire Vanderbilt community as we continue the important work of building and sustaining a richly diverse and welcoming community.”
Page holds a bachelor’s degree in computer technology from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association and has served on the boards of the United Way of Central Indiana, the Milagro House Women’s Shelter and the Texas NAACP.
