The city’s diversity, equity and inclusion manager has accepted a job at Cal Poly to help execute the university’s own DEI efforts, according to a campus-wide email sent Thursday.
Beya Makekau, the city’s DEI manager, has accepted the position of assistant vice president for strategic planning and networks in the Office of University Diversity and Inclusion (OUDI).
As assistant vice president, Makekau will work to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion across campus and the greater San Luis Obispo community by providing “strategic leadership and planning across the university,” OUDI wrote in a campus-wide email. According to the email, Makekau will also help create a staff-centered DEI Professionals Campus Network.
Makekau formerly served as Cal Poly’s director of Student Diversity and Belonging before being appointed San Luis Obispo’s first DEI manager on Feb. 17 of this year.
“We are committed to making San Luis Obispo a welcoming, inclusive, and safe community for everyone and Beya has already proven herself as a local leader in those efforts,” City Manager Derek Johnson said of Makekau in a city news release.
In September and October, Cal Poly held open forums for two finalists for the position, where the candidates presented in front of and answered questions from the campus community. The other finalist was Araceli Espinoza-Wade, the associate dean of Student Equity and Special Programs at Cuesta College.
Makeaku received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in ethnic studies and doctorate degree in education from California State University, Fresno.
Makekau will start her new position at Cal Poly on Nov. 18. For more information about OUDI, visit their website at diversity.calpoly.edu/about.