Makeba Clay
PROFILE
Makeba Clay leads organizational culture and engagement for The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Pew Research Center, overseeing efforts to foster a more cohesive and inclusive environment that helps employees thrive and build common ground with others. Clay’s work helps inform Pew’s vision, programs, policies, and communications; encourages learning from colleagues and partners; increases understanding of Pew’s mission and values; and fosters respectful, collaborative and transparent relationships. As a member of the executive team, Clay works closely with leaders across Pew to promote and improve the organizations’ welcoming and respectful culture.
Before coming to Pew, Clay worked for two decades with leaders from government, nonprofits, and educational institutions—including Princeton University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution— to develop strategies that build and sustain an inclusive workforce. She joined Pew from the Phillips Collection, where she was the first chief diversity officer—a position without precedent among American art museums. During her time at Phillips, Clay shaped a comprehensive strategy across its staff, board, partnerships, programs, and policies to increase mutual understanding and inclusion. Her professional affiliations include serving as a senior diversity fellow with the American Alliance of Museums and as a member of the board at ArtTable, an organization dedicated to advancing the leadership of women in the visual arts. She is a past national president of the Association of Black Women in Higher Education and is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Clay serves her Montgomery County, Maryland, community as a chaplain, mediator, and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Clay holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Albany and a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University. She also earned professional certifications from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.