Sesha Joi Moon, a Richmond native and co-founder of a Richmond-based nonprofit, has been named the director of the House of Representatives Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Dr. Moon, a DEI expert, currently is the chief diversity officer and director of diversity, equity and inclusivity at the Department of Commerce’s (DOC) National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced Dr. Moon’s appointment this week.

“Dr. Moon brings the skilled leadership this essential office needs to continue empowering diverse voices and building more open, welcoming workplaces on Capitol Hill,” Ms. Pelosi said in a press release.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion works to improve “the recruitment, retention and development of a diverse House workforce.” The nonpartisan, independent office was established in 2019.

Dr. Moon’s prior posts include senior talent management strategist at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and human capital officer and senior policy specialist at the D.C. Department of Human Resources.

She earned a Ph.D. in public administration and policy from Old Dominion University, as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Black studies from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Dr. Moon’s DEI expertise has landed her in various roles with several organizations, ranging from mentorship to shaping policy. She is a board member with the St. Jude 5K Walk/Run D.C., and is co-founder of The JXN Project, a Richmond non-profit that she started with her sister, Enjoli Moon, to illuminate Jackson Ward’s rich history and its “often under-told narrative in the evolution of the Black American experience.”

As part of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ summit on STEM Innovation, Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Moon was the strategic lead in forming a partnership between the Merck Foundation and the United Negro College Fund.

While at the DOC she has received the Commerce Spirit Award and Spotlight on Commerce for LGBT Pride Month.

Dr. Moon currently resides in northern Virginia with her wife, Janice Pritchet, and their cockapoo, Benji.