DEAI Staff Council

This Council was formed to analyze policies and practices that currently exist within the Field Museum and to use our collective voices to push the Museum to be diverse, equitable, accessible, and inclusive. We will promote change by addressing and undoing a normalized culture of colonialism, misuse of power, invisibility, and racism. We are facilitating reconciliation and restoration of respect which takes a commitment to radical culture change.

We commit to holding ourselves & leadership accountable so we can move forward to heal our workplace.

For more information on the Staff Council and members' roles and responsibilities, please see the Inaugural Year DEAI Staff Council Charter.

In order to ensure mutual understanding and respect, our Council always lists Collaborative Agreements for Productive Conversations before every meeting--feel free to take a look for your own organization or department.

Sara Furr, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Bethany Johnson, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion Coordinator

Bridgette Russell, Public Relations Director, Public Relations

Caleb McMahan, Head of Zoology Collections, S&E

Daniel Breems, Exhibitions Production Director, Exhibitions

Isabel Distefano, Molecular Laboratory Technician, NIRC

J. Kae Good Bear, Conservation Technician, Anthropology Collections

Jacob Shuler, Manager of Visitor Services & Analytics, Visitor Services

Michelle L. Brownlee, Collections Manager, North American Anthropology

Stanley Banks, Jr., Membership & Visitor Services

Ylanda D. Wilhite, Youth & Community Partnership Organizer, KSAC

Chris Ochoa, Security Officer, Protection Services

Alejandra Varley, N.W. Harris Learning Collection Administrator

Get Involved!

The Council would love to hear from you on any ideas, thoughts, or questions you may have. You can contact any Council member or all of us at DEAI@fieldmuseum.org or the office of the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Inclusion@fieldmuseum.org. We also welcome staff members to join us for our weekly meetings every Wednesday @ 12-12:30pm. For the link or location of these meetings, send us an email!