Valaida (Val) L. Wise, Ed.D is the president and principal consultant of her firm, Dr. Valaida Wise Consulting Inc., which supports schools and other organizations in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, governance, and leadership. Wise has been a faculty member for five years at Johns Hopkins University where she teaches diversity, equity, and inclusion in the graduate program. Her research interest centers on exploring the lived experience of families of color in independent schools and the application of a broaching framework in organizations. Wise has served as the head of school of several independent schools in the Washington, DC region. She is the chair of the board at the McLean School in Potomac, Maryland, and sits on the boards of the Nora School and the Sheridan School. Dr. Wise is also a board member of the Association of Independent Schools of Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS).