Valeisha Butterfield Jones, co-president of the Recording Academy (RA), in charge of the Grammys, initially joined the RA in 2020 as its first-ever chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.
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When former President Obama was a senator, Butterfield Jones volunteered on his campaign; she believed in his platform. Then, while working at the Alzheimer’s Association, she received a call from the Obama campaign for a full-time position. In her last two years with the administration, she served as the national youth vote director.
After the campaign wrapped up, Butterfield Jones took a year off to stay at home with her child. Then, having time to decompress, she started contemplating her next move. She wanted a new challenge, something that would take her out of her comfort zone. So she applied at major tech companies, all for D&I-focused roles. Google offered her a position as the global head of inclusion.
Initially, she joined the organization as the chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. In August 2021, she joined Panos A. Panay as co-president.Live! 2022 Rainmaker Panel in Beverly Hills at the Beverly Hilton on February 8, 2022 in Beverly Hills, California.“Leadership is a lonely sport when you do it alone,” she states. “If you look at how a lot of companies and organizations are building a more modernized structure, a lot of organizations are starting to move in this direction.