At a time when some are rolling back DEI initiatives and programs, The Legal Aid Society is proud to support this important work. We are excited to announce that DK Bartley has joined our executive leadership team as our new Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Officer. DK will accelerate Legal Aid’s efforts to build a more diverse, equitable, and best in class, inclusive culture at the organization.

DK is author of the upcoming book, “Boom to Backlash” which chronicles the success of DEI in a post George Floyd world, and the backlash that currently exist. He is uniquely suited to advance DEI at an organization of over two-thousand lawyers. He has a distinguished career marked by leadership and innovation in the DEI space.

Most recently, DK served as the Global Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at WPP, Hill & Knowlton, where he drove DEI strategy and led significant advancements in client relationships, employee engagement, overall business priorities, and Environmental, Social, and Governance initiatives.

Prior to that, he was the Chief DEI Officer at Moody’s, where he made remarkable strides in fostering diversity across the organization, exceeding publicized goals and metrics. Before Moody’s, DK was the Senior Vice President & head of Diversity and Inclusion at Dentsu International, where he revitalized talent acquisition strategies for prominent clients, including Microsoft, American Express, Procter & Gamble, Mastercard, Facebook, Jaguar Land Rover, and LVMH.

DK’s influence extends beyond the corporate sphere. He serves on national boards, including the for-profit board of Mogulai as a corporate director and the not-for-profit boards of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), Urban Word, and Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). He also serves as an advisor to the New York Climate Exchange and holds significant roles in global DEI organizations such as Education Africa and The Executive Leadership Council.

DK has a Master’s degree in Communications from the New York Institute of Technology, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Stony Brook University, and a Diversity & Inclusion Management certification from Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.