Staff Bios

ELIZABETH PATHY SALETT, MSW: President

Liz is the Founder and President of the National MultiCultural Institute (NMCI), a national non-profit organization that sponsors diversity conferences, conducts organizational consulting and training, develops resource materials on multicultural and diversity issues and works to increase the level of competence and credibility in the diversity field. She is co-editor of Crossing Cultures in Mental Health and Race, Ethnicity and Self: Identity in Multicultural Perspective and producer of two videos on adolescent refugees.

Born in Budapest, she grew up in Alexandria, Egypt and came to the United States as a teenager. She was an early participant in the Peace Corps where she worked on staff in Venezuela and as Brazil Desk Officer in Washington, DC. She has lived, worked and traveled extensively in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East and speaks several languages.

Liz has also worked as a psychotherapist in Columbia, MD, and directed statewide health and family planning programs for the Department of Community Affairs in New Jersey. She has a B.A. from Wellesley College, an M.A. in International Education from Columbia University, Teachers' College, a Certificate from the University of Paris in Economics and Sociology and an M.S.W. in Clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland.

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GWENDOLYN K. CRIDER: Executive Director

Gwen became Executive Director of the National MultiCultural Institute in October 2005. She is adept at developing and implementing strategic initiatives that support organizational growth and sustainability as well as creating successful collaborations and partnerships to achieve common goals.
Prior to joining NMCI, Gwen held a number of senior level positions in the museum field including Executive Director of the Austin Children’ s Museum, Executive Director of the Science and Technology Museum of Atlanta (SciTrek) and Deputy Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. Her experiences in the field range from the creation of exhibits and educational programs to the planning and design of new facilities. While with the National Air & Space Museum’s, she served as executive producer of its academy award-nominated film, Cosmic Voyage.  As a board member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers, she spear-headed the formation of and co-chaired the Equity & Diversity Committee and also served as a board member and co-chair of the Diversity in Action Taskforce for the Association of Children’s Museums.

Gwen holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Public Administration degree from The George Washington University. She is active in several community and professional organizations.

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EVELYN P. BOYER, PhD: Senior Associate

Dr. Boyer’s areas of specialty are Change Management, Diversity, and Business Ethics. A strong facilitator, speaker, and researcher, Dr. Boyer’s original curriculum designs, including diagnostic and inventory instruments, interactive activities, lecture materials, and organizational studies have been requested by a number of major U.S. corporations and government agencies. Dr. Boyer’s organizational culture and change consultations and research activities provide creative and innovative solutions for clients.

Evelyn brings to this position over twenty years of experience in all facets of organizational development. As co-founder of an educational and health care firm in 1979, Dr. Boyer served as Executive Vice President and oversaw hundreds of contracts in direct health care services and organizational consulting. Dr. Boyer was EVP of this organization for seventeen years, before starting her own firm in 1996. A licensed psychologist, Dr. Boyer maintains a small psychology practice, and brings a behavioral and systems perspective to her organizational work.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Howard University, a Master of Arts in Developmental Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychology from Howard University. She is the author of the articles "Value Clarification as an Approach to Moral Development," and "Ethics and Diversity: A Correlation Enhanced Through Corporate Communication," which was published in the March 1992 issue of IEEE Transactions.

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MANNY BRANDT: Lead Trainer

Manny designs, develops and conducts organizational diversity initiatives for a wide range of clients. He facilitates training and interactive technical assistance to promote diversity awareness and cultural competence. Mr. Brandt also works with diversity councils to facilitate strategic planning and change management. He is a regular presenter for training of trainers workshops at NMCI's twice annual conferences. In addition to diversity training, his areas of expertise include systems planning, community organizing, and substance abuse. In his previous position, Mr. Brandt served as the Director of Prevention Systems Planning and Development for Circle, Inc., and coordinated the strategic planning component of the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention Training System. He has a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Iowa.

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EVA YOUNG, MS: Senior Associate

Ms. Young is an Organizational Development (OD) Practitioner who works independently and in collaboration with management consulting firms to design and deliver strategic interventions. Ms. Young provides technical assistance, small and large group interventions, facilitation and training in areas such as: Leadership Development, Managing Diversity, Retreat Facilitation, Team Training and Development, Anti-Racist and Anti-Homophobic Work, Community Capacity Building, Train the Trainers, and Cultural Competency.

Ms. Young has provided consultation to profit and non-profit companies interested in creating productive, inclusive and culturally effective workplaces. She values a participatory and appreciative approach to planned change; she helps organizations assess their readiness for change through cultural audits. Ms. Young engages small and large groups in individual and collective learning processes with a commitment to action.

Ms. Young has a Masters in Social and Organizational Learning from George Mason University, and she is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) Community Fellows. Some of the clients Ms. Young has worked with independently or in collaboration with other consultants include: Monsanto, SodexhoUSA, National Parks Conservation Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the Fairfax County Public Schools, Texaco, District of Columbia Public Schools, The National Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York State Health Department AIDS Institute, the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Montgomery County Health Department, and the United Nations.

Ms. Young’s sample publications include Spirit of Diversity (SodexhoUSA, 2004); Diabetes: La Comunidad en Acción (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000); Hispanic Latino Leadership Institute (Center for Substance Prevention, 1993); and Women United in Action/Mujeres Unidas en Acción: A Popular Education Process (Harvard Educational Review, 1990).

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AUDREY MAY: Director of Finance and Operations

As Director of Finance and Operations, Audrey is responsible for the financial management of the organization: maintaining financial goals and planning, performing accounting activities, preparing financial statements, and assisting the President in the preparation of the annual budget. Ms. May brings to NMCI over ten years of experience as a corporate accountant as well as several years as a social worker. She earned her B.A. from Goucher College, an M.S.W. from University of Pennsylvania and a Certificate in Accounting from University of Virginia. In a continuing effort to combine her social work interests with her accounting skills, Audrey's free time is spent providing accounting support to a hospice organization.

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LAURA HUERTA MIGUS: Program Manager

As a Program Manager, Mrs. Huerta Migus is involved in the design, development, and delivery of diversity initiatives in the Organizational Training and Consulting program. She collaborates in the preparation and planning of conferences, manages client development, and researches for NMCI's publications. Mrs. Huerta Migus' professional experience includes conference planning and management, fundraising, grants management and providing technical assistance in the areas of organizational development and project management. In addition to support across all of NMCI's project areas, she has expertise in the fields of education, with a special emphasis on bilingual education, and the arts. Mrs. Huerta Migus earned her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University in Spanish and Anthropology.

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MARIA MORUKIAN, MA: Program Manager

As Training and Consulting Manager, Ms. Morukian is involved in the design, development, and delivery of diversity initiatives in the Organizational Consulting and Training program. She conducts organizational needs assessments, designs training curricula, and facilitates cultural competence building workshops.  Ms. Morukian also provides consultation to clients on the design and implementation of their organizational diversity strategic planning processes, and works closely with senior leadership and Diversity Councils to implement systemic culture change. She also collaborates in research and development of new publications, preparation and planning of conferences, new client development, and marketing and public relations activities. Prior to joining the NMCI team, Ms. Morukian completed her Master’s degree in International Communication at American University, with a focus on intercultural communication. Ms. Morukian’s professional experience includes research and consultation on international affairs, business development and retail and corporate banking. Ms. Morukian has extensive experience living abroad and investigating cultural and societal issues. She studied and taught English as a Second Language in Spain and participated in an exclusive research project at the Instituto Superior de Relaciones Internacionales in Havana, Cuba. Ms. Morukian earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Organizational Studies and Spanish.

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