Meet the innovators!

Lesa Clark currently serves as the Executive Director for the Office Intercultural Relations and Student Enrollment and Engagement Services Diversity Liaison at Old Dominion University. With her team, this unit creates learning and cultural opportunities that promotes an inclusive and equitable university climate that values and respects the diversity and identities of all university members. A strategic visionary, her commitment has resulted in the development and implementation of hundreds of programs, initiatives, and events that prepare students for global participation and equitable leadership inclusive as it pertains individual, regional, national, and global perspectives and experiences. She has developed cultural learning labs whereby student participants are challenged and equipped to operate from a cultural intelligence framework. She recently created a training seminar that focus on cultural humility as the framework for cultural competency. Having served clients within the corporate, educational, non-profit, and faith communities, her role as a consultant has resulted in training services designed to develop internal skills required for authentic, and equitable cross-cultural engagement. Her published work focuses on cultural learning styles and its impact within the learning environment. As her role as a certified Cultural Intelligence practitioner, Conflict Mediator, Qualified Administrator for the Intercultural Developmental Inventory, and Ph.D candidate in the Organizational Leadership & Social Change program at Antioch University, her research and passion centers around positive organizational leadership and organizational effectiveness that integrates and sustains diversity, inclusion, and equity within organizational and societal structures.

Dr. Josh Steinfeld is Director of the Graduate Certificate in Public Procurement & Contract Management and an Assistant Professor of Public Service in the Strome College of Business at Old Dominion University. Dr. Steinfeld’s work has been focused on procurement and government contracting for federal, state, and local government. His research is geared towards the strategic and socio-economic orientation of public organizations and the formation of public-private partnerships. He majored in Organizational Behavior at Boston University, earned a Master’s in Finance at Johns Hopkins University, a Master’s in Leadership at University of Denver, and a Ph.D. in Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University. His favorite part of the job is mentoring students toward pursuing their career endeavors while advancing organizational efficiency and effectiveness.