Leadership and Staff

Julissa Gutierrez
She/Her/Ella
Chief Diversity Officer
Julissa Gutierrez is a public servant, workforce equity champion, and diversity and inclusion practitioner. As New York State’s Chief Diversity Officer, Ms. Gutierrez designs and implements statewide programs and initiatives increasing diversity within the State’s workforce and the participation of women and people of color in all areas of State Government. She has led the State’s efforts to raise the minimum wage, implement the strongest Paid Family Leave program in the nation, pass GENDA, and more. Most recently, she was recognized for her efforts to improve the lives of all New Yorkers in amNY Metro and PoliticsNY’s Power Women list and was listed in City & State’s 2022 Power of Diversity: Latino 100 List. In May 2021, Ms. Gutierrez was named #1 on City & State New York’s MWBE Power 50 list for her contributions to minority and women-owned business enterprises.
In her years of service, Ms. Gutierrez has earned a reputation as a sought-after expert on Latino issues and civic participation and has been featured by several national and local press outlets. Previously during her time in State service, Ms. Gutierrez served as leader of NYS’ Vaccine Equity Task Force and as Deputy Director of Constituency Affairs for New York State. Prior to joining the State, Ms. Gutierrez served in leadership roles at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development.
A proud Queens-born Colombiana, Ms. Gutierrez is a Board Member of the New Immigrants Community Empowerment, a Trustee for the Queens Public Library, and a Board Member of the Queens Public Library Foundation.
Ms. Gutierrez holds a Master’s Degree in Social Service Administration with a Community Organization and Development Concentration from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, with a Minor in Women’s Studies, from the University of Delaware.

Priya Nair
They/Them/Theirs
Deputy Chief Diversity Officer
Priya Nair is a strategic diversity, equity, and inclusion leader, public servant, and LGBTQ policy expert. Priya currently serves as the Deputy Chief Diversity Officer for Governor Kathy Hochul where they advance diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across New York State government. Prior to Governor Hochul’s administration, Priya was the Associate Director of Gender Equity for NYC Health + Hospitals, managing the award-winning LGBTQ program for the largest public health care system in the United States.
In 2018, Priya was appointed as the Inaugural Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Edie Windsor New York State LGBTQ Fellow where they served as the policy advisor and project manager to advance the Governor’s LGBTQ initiatives, including successful campaigns to enact GENDA, ban conversion therapy, legalize gestational surrogacy, and ban the gay and trans panic defense. In this role, Priya also led initiatives to introduce non-binary gender markers on State identity documents and expand insurance access to gender-affirming care. Priya began their government career in the New York City Council as the LGBTQ Liaison for New York City Council Speakers Melissa Mark-Viverito and Corey Johnson.
Priya has been named on Crain’s New York Business list of 2023 Notable LGBTQIA+ Leaders and City & State’s “Pride Power 100” list. Priya is a lifelong New Yorker with a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College.

Shakera Tems
She/Her/Hers
Senior Policy Advisor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Shakera C. Tems (she/her) serves as a Senior Policy Advisor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is a distinguished public policy leader specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), maternal and child health (MCH), and public management. Previously, Shakera served as an Excelsior Service Fellow at the New York State Department of Labor’s Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility, where she helped shape the department’s DEI Foundations training for employees, led the development of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and worked collaboratively to create a more inclusive work environment through communications, employee engagement and research development. She also played a key role in planning the agency’s census campaign to collect employee demographics that inform the department’s DEI programs, initiatives, and strategies to improve workplace culture and enhance belonging.
During her fellowship, Shakera also served as Interim Director of Women’s Affairs for Governor Hochul’s Office of Constituency Affairs. There, she focused on strategic community engagement, particularly in policy areas such as domestic violence, reproductive health, maternal and infant health, and workforce development. She acted as a primary liaison with community leaders, advancing the Governor’s policies and facilitating critical discussions on New York State’s resources and services.
In her belief that diversity, equity, inclusion, and access should be incorporated from the womb to the tomb, Shakera advocates for understanding critical socio-political issues affecting historically marginalized groups' treatment through intersectional and Black feminist lenses. She has garnered various experiences in the non-profit sector, public health, education, public policy, public relations, research, and project operations, working with organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ), March of Dimes, and New York Midwives. These varied professional and personal exposures have motivated her to examine and challenge society on issues of women's rights and civil and human rights.
Shakera holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, where she specialized in Health Policy and Public Management and earned Graduate Certificates in Maternal & Child Health from the UAlbany School of Public Health and Women and Public Policy from Rockefeller College. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with minors in Entrepreneurship and African and African American Diaspora Studies.

Daniel G. Dobies
We/Us/Ours
Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and Edie Windsor LGBTQ+ Fellow
Daniel Glenn Dobies (we/us/ours) is the Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and Edie Windsor LGBTQ+ Fellow placed in the Executive Chamber with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, where we further the diversity and inclusion efforts of New York State. A New Yorker through and through, Daniel was born and raised in Buffalo, and had called New York City home for the last 15 years until moving to the Capital Region for this opportunity. Prior to state service, Daniel was a lawyer specializing in criminal law, which most recently included working with the transgender community residing in DOCCS facilities. After over a decade in the law, Daniel went back to school in the deep pandemic to pursue an MSW, during which we worked with the queer community through Callen-Lorde. Daniel holds a Juris Doctor from Berkeley Law at the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Social Work from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.
Find a Job in New York State Government
New York State Government is always looking for talented and passionate people who want to make a difference for their communities. For more information about the state exam process and how to apply, please visit Find a Job in New York State Government. For a listing of open positions with New York State, please visit StateJobsNY.
Resources
The Governor’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion works across portfolios, agencies, and offices in New York State government to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded throughout the State’s policies and services. Learn more about other New York State initiatives.
New York State Office of Language Access
The office oversees New York State’s language access services for millions of New Yorkers with limited English proficiency. For more information, visit the New York State Office of Language Access website.
Office of the Chief Disability Officer
The office advocates on behalf of people with disabilities and represents the issues that all people with disabilities face. For more information, visit the Office of the Chief Disability Officer website.
Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development
New York is home to the highest minority & women-owned business (MWBE) utilization rate in the country. Learn more about MWBE success on the Division of Minority and Women's Business Development website.
New York State Commission on African American History
Established by an Executive Order in 2022, the Commission serves to highlight contributions by Africans and African Americans to our country and to New York State. Learn more about the Commission.
New York State Nonprofit Unit
The New York State Nonprofit Unit works to strengthen the relationship between all aspects of State Government and the Nonprofit Sector. Learn more about the Unit.
Stay Informed and Connect with Us
Sign up to join the Governor’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s mailing list and receive our email newsletter or contact us directly by email at [email protected].
News and Updates
Find press releases and news related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in New York State:
Second Annual New York State Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Workforce Symposium - October 9, 2024
Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Support LGBTQ+ New Yorkers and People Living with HIV/AIDS - June 28, 2024
Governor Hochul Announces Initiatives to Help Members of Every Community Grow and Thrive in New York - January 9, 2024
Governor Hochul Releases First-of-its-Kind Report Detailing Employment Experiences of Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Non-Binary New Yorkers - January 5, 2024
Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Establish Task Force on Missing BIPOC Women and Girls - December 21, 2023
Governor Hochul Continues New York’s Leadership on Racial Equity, Signs Legislation Establishing Commission to Study Reparations and Racial Justice - December 19, 2023
Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Protect the Rights of Seniors Living with HIV and Members of the LGBTQIA+ Community November 30, 2023
Governor Hochul Signs Legislation Making Diwali a School Holiday - November 14, 2023
Governor Hochul Celebrates Historic Elimination of Certification Backlog for New York’s Minority- and Women-owned Businesses - November 14, 2023
Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Develop an Outreach Program About the Impact of Medical Treatments on Intersex Individuals - November 8, 2023
In Honor of Transgender Awareness Month, Governor Hochul Announces Actions to Support Transgender New Yorkers - November 3, 2023
Governor Hochul Holds Second Annual Disability Rights and Employment Awareness Month Symposium - October 4, 2023
Governor Hochul Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of State’s Expanded Statewide Language Access Policy and New York State Office of Language Access - October 2, 2023
Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Declare Lunar New Year a School Holiday - September 9, 2023
During Pride Month, Governor Hochul Announces $33.5 Million Investment to Support New York's LGBTQ+ Community - June 29, 2023
Ahead of Annual NYC Pride March, Governor Hochul Signs Nation-Leading Legislation to Protect and Affirm the LGBTQ+ Community - June 25, 2023
Governor Hochul Announces New York State Workforce Inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Symposium - June 21, 2023
Governor Hochul Appoints Dianne T. Renwick as Presiding Justice of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department - June 21, 2023
Governor Hochul Announces Civil Service Exam Fees Now Waived Through 2025 - June 20, 2023
Governor Hochul Announces Expansion of Nation-Leading Fully Paid Parental Leave Program, Covering More Than 150,000 New York State Employees - June 13, 2023
Governor Hochul Announces Appointments to the New York State Court of Claims - June 7, 2023
Governor Hochul Announces Law Expanding the Rights of Parents in the Workplace is Now in Effect - June 7, 2023