Staff Biography
Charmaine Utz, LCSW
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Strategist
cutz@sdsu.edu
(619)594-1175
Charmaine Utz is the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Strategist at the Academy for Professional Excellence, where she plays an integral role in bringing the Academy together to help us achieve our commitment to holistically integrate culturally responsive and recovery-oriented practices into our work that nurture healing, healthy relationships, and changed behaviors. Charmaine oversees and operationalizes the Academy’s DEI strategic goals, and engages all staff in communal development of heart, mind, and practice which are essential for cultivating a safe and healthy work culture.
Charmaine has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years, during which she served as a subject matter expert on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her work has focused on leadership & administration, program development, staff training and coaching, leadership development, and team building. She blends organizational health and strategic planning with a clinical approach that invites people to engage in courageous conversations to re(build) relationships, trust, and safety between all levels of employees.
Charmaine founded Living Unapologetically, a “Relational DEI” consulting agency that empowers people and organizations to embrace discomfort and believe in their ability to change systems and behaviors at the root of inequity. She is the creator of the BiasWork™ self-exploration curriculum and author of Bias-Conscious Leadership: A Framework for Leading with Action and Accountability. Charmaine is also an Adjunct Faculty member at CSU Dominguez Hills and actively contributes to the field of mental health by facilitating conference workshops/community trainings, and coaching practitioners across industries who want to establish their own inclusive, relational approaches. She owns a small private practice based in Long Beach and San Diego, CA where she provides therapy to adults and partners.
Charmaine Utz has a BA in Psychology from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master’s Degree in Social Work, with an emphasis on community mental health, Critical Race Theory, and Intersectionality from California State University, Dominguez Hills.