L’Tonya Davis
L’Tonya Davis served as the first-ever Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the US Department of Agriculture, appointed in March 2023. In this role, Ms. Davis was responsible for leading USDA in its ongoing efforts to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) across the Department and will oversee the implementation of USDA’s first-ever DEIA Strategic Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB).
Ms. Davis worked closely with executive leaders, employees, and staff experts to advance and sustain committed leadership and employee engagement for a high-performing and innovative USDA workforce. This work required an engaged team that reflects the diversity of our nation and embodies USDA’s values across headquarters and its field offices around the country and the globe.
Prior to joining USDA in March 2023, Ms. Davis was the director of the Office of Communications and Project Management in the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA). She led ORA’s strategic communications, web and digital media, public affairs, project management, and executive secretariat activities. She also served as ORA’s official executive champion for inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
Ms. Davis has a proven track record of advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. She developed the first diversity and inclusion three-year action plan for FDA’s field organization, ensuring its alignment with strategic priorities; developed the first agency D&I program manager position; led the first-ever diversity and inclusion assessment to serve as a baseline to inform future actions; formed and led a geographically dispersed workgroup of more than 100 individuals to integrate and advance diversity and inclusion efforts across the country; and led the first six-month inclusive leadership cohort for more than 600 managers.
She has received numerous awards and recognition for her thought leadership in diversity and inclusion including FDA’s Diversity in Action Awards for leading Courageous Conversations and for her contributions to the FDA D&I Strategic Plan.
Ms. Davis holds a Master of Public Management and a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Maryland, College Park. She completed the University of South Florida’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion certificate program, the Strategic Diversity and Inclusion Management program at Georgetown University as well as the New Inclusion Quotient, an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) diversity and inclusion program. She also completed the Leadership for a Democratic Society program at OPM’s Federal Executive Institute.
Ms. Davis is the Co Vice-Chancellor of the African American Federal Executive Association. In her spare time, Ms. Davis enjoys real estate, traveling, cooking, and practicing yoga. She lives in Howard County, MD, with her teen daughter.
