Crissy Ortiz, PhD applies 20 years of leadership and practical experience in leading the diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIa) efforts of small, mid-sized, and large organizations (i.e., muti-billion-dollar). Her efforts result in strategic, sustainable, and measurable outcomes that support organizational profitability while nurturing a culture of belonging through proven inclusive and experiential experiences.

Dr. Ortiz completed her doctoral studies in Global Organizational Leadership and Human Resources Development at Regent University. Her research “Engaging Untapped Talent: Supporting Autistic Employees in Meaningful Employment” explored what supports effectively engage autistic employees in meaningful work. She obtained a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources Management and Management from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Charleston Southern University.

Dr. Ortiz currently serves as an assistant professor, with Charleston Southern University (CSU). She influences our next generations of leaders (undergraduate level) and current strategic leaders (graduate level) in areas including but not limited to DEI, employment law, talent acquisition, on-boarding, learning and development, leadership and management. She also serves on several strategic university committees to include her recent appointment as diversity chair for the institution’s newly formed diversity council.

Moreover, Dr. Ortiz is founder and chief executive officer of The Autism Platform Project, which seeks to create equitable employment opportunities by transforming how leaders source, acquire, onboard, develop, and engage neurologically diverse individuals.

Prior to these functions, Dr. Ortiz worked with the Medical University of South Carolina in partnership with the Simons Foundation, in launching an autism research clinic in support of the world’s largest autism genetics study, the Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research study, better known as SPARK. The study seeks to accelerate research and progress regarding improving supports for autistic individuals.

Finally, Dr. Ortiz served as executive director for one of the largest credit unions in the country, $2billion-dollar financial cooperative, South Carolina Federal Credit Union. One of her roles included supporting the sustainability of the credit union industry through servicing the human resource needs of small and mid-size credit unions across the country through the organization’s consulting agency.

Relevant volunteerism duties include but are not limited to diversity chair of Tri-County Human Resource Management, vice-chair of the South Carolina Credit Union League’s diversity committee, and chair of Trident United Way’s, Financial Community Investment Review Team. She was also a 2010 Charleston Regional Business Journal “Forty Under 40” award recipient.

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