Institutional Equity Officer joins UM-Dearborn

February 13, 2012

It’s Wednesday afternoon and an unusual phrase echoes through the hallway. “Happy Wednesday.” More than likely, it’s coming from Anita Green.

Anita Green sitting at desk

“I’ve been saying that for so long,” said Green, who alters her greeting by day. “It’s important to greet everyone with some type of happiness.”

Green, who earned a master’s degree in public administration at UM-Dearborn, recently returned to campus as the University’s assistant to the chancellor for institutional equity/human resources consultant.

She began Feb. 6.

“It’s like a dream come true,” she said.

In her new role, Green plans to drive employee engagement, diversity and training initiatives to foster innovation, inclusion and organizational success. Workplace concerns, suggestions and feedback will be handled with a great sense of urgency, confidentiality and fairness in order to make UM-Dearborn a “phenomenal place to work, learn and grow,” she said.

Prior to UM-Dearborn, Green worked in human resources for CVS Caremark Corporation, Delphi Automotive Systems, Fifth Third Bank and Lawrence Technological University.

And although she loved working in the corporate sector, Greens admits she strived for a more “grassroots” opportunity with an organization like UM-Dearborn because it plays an integral role in the strategic turnaround plan for the state of Michigan.

“It’s time for me to do what I wanted to do, not what I had to do,” she said.

The University’s progressive stance on affirmative action also made her decision to return to UM-Dearborn much easier.

“They’ve been on the cutting edge,” she said. “I want to be a part of this.”

The campus community is invited to meet Green during a welcome reception at 2 p.m. Feb. 15 in the University Center’s Kochoff Hall.