November 15, 2023
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
I am writing to share the news that Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Nsombi B. Ricketts will be leaving Pratt for a new role at The Rockefeller Foundation. Nsombi will serve as the Foundation’s inaugural vice president, diversity, equity and inclusion. This is an especially meaningful transition for Nsombi since her father worked at this important philanthropic organization when she was growing up.
As I have seen Nsombi’s significant leadership and career flourish at Pratt, I know how she will be deeply missed. Nsombi brought ambitious goals, best practices, and strategic vision to Pratt as the Institute’s first vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. We have been fortunate to have benefited from her expertise as an accomplished leader with significant corporate and higher education experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
In her five years at Pratt, Nsombi implemented a comprehensive diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plan and created the infrastructure for the Institute’s DEI efforts. She established the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, expanded the Center for Equity and Inclusion’s efforts to serve students, faculty, and staff, and built a strong team that collectively has worked to create supportive spaces for the Pratt community.
Under her leadership, the DEI team established and launched several initiatives including the Pratt DEI Council, the Student Diversity Advisory Board, the Native/Indigenous Working Group, the DEI Allies Training Certificate Program, anti-racism and racial healing workshops, the DEI Faculty Fellows Program, and Pratt’s Living Land Acknowledgement, to name a few. In addition, Nsombi has chaired the Pratt DEI Council, supported the Board of Trustees DEI Committee, and served on the Accessibility Committee and Strategic Plan Steering Committee. She has also served as an executive sponsor for the Staff Council and represented Pratt externally as a member of the AICAD DEI Task Force.
Nsombi will remain with us through the end of the fall semester; her last day at Pratt will be January 4, 2024. The President’s Office will announce plans for the leadership in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion shortly and I will be working closely with Nsombi and the DEI team to ensure a smooth transition of her responsibilities.
I hope you will join me in wishing Nsombi heartfelt congratulations on her new position and appreciation for how she helped to shape diversity, equity, and inclusion work at Pratt. The Institute has benefited greatly from Nsombi’s leadership, passion for DEI, incredible energy and insight, and the many unique initiatives that she brought to our community.
Sincerely,
Frances Bronet
President