Tomya Watt is recognized as a Notable Black Leader in today’s Crain’s New York Business special editorial feature. This piece spotlights exceptional Black individuals from various industries who have had a positive impact on New York City through their professional, communal, and philanthropic achievements. Ms. Watt joins Carol Brown, MD, and Mike Czumak as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center executives recognized by Crain’s for their commitment to leading and expanding diverse initiatives in their line of work.
As Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Mobility, Ms. Watt has restructured MSK’s traditional recruiting operation into a bold, strategic, and innovative team. Since starting her career at MSK in 2009, Ms. Watt’s goal has always been to design and implement a workforce strategy to attract and retain top diverse talent and ultimately ensure that patients feel welcomed and cared for.
Ms. Watt and her team manage the recruitment of thousands of new hires each year and develop programs designed to encourage more opportunities for people of color. The Office of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) — which operates under her strategic leadership — provides educational workshops and programs that play an imperative role in fulfilling MSK’s commitment to creating a sense of inclusion and belonging. The Office of ED&I has also launched a mandatory ED&I learning program for more than 20,000 MSK staff members and partnered with multiple workforce diversity development programs, including OneTen, New York Jobs CEO Council, and CareerWise.
Outside of MSK, Ms. Watt has dedicated herself to these same goals, and over the years has prioritized uplifting and creating a sense of belonging within the Black community. She is a strong advocate for children and currently serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors at The Children’s Law Center in New York City, an organization that aims to give children strong and effective voices in legal proceedings that have a critical impact on their lives.
Ms. Watt has aligned her passion for creating a sense of belonging through celebration and education with her role at MSK and strongly believes that it is everyone’s responsibility to continue to learn from one another and hold each other accountable as we look to build a more inclusive workforce.
To read the latest ED&I news items, click here.
