Port Authority of Allegheny County fills director of diversity and inclusion position

Human resources veteran Fonda Dusé has been chosen to fill the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s newly created position of director of diversity and inclusion. 

She began her role on Jan. 11.  

Dusé is charged with implementing and leading Port Authority's agency-wide equity and inclusion strategy and program development; bringing external and emerging trends into the agency's cultural environment; analyzing current programs and policies to present recommendations for improvement; and developing and promoting training programs to enhance employee understanding on inclusion issues.  

She reports to Inez Colon, Port Authority's chief human resources officer, as well as CEO Katharine Kelleman.  

"The creation of this role was a critical step toward identifying, addressing and improving equity within our organization, and it will not be the last,” Kelleman said. “Through Fonda’s work, we will initiate meaningful change that we hope will foster a safe, supportive and productive environment for all of our employees and the community we serve.  We are very excited to bring Fonda on board. Her success is our success.”  

Dusé has nearly two decades of human resources experience. She has successfully created, developed and implemented diversity and inclusion initiatives for 11 organizations in five different industries, including transportation and other government-regulated companies, and has developed multiple training programs, including a program on Diversity Awareness. Prior to joining Port Authority, she served as principal of her own company, iHR Pro LLC.  

Dusé earned her bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and her master’s degree in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations from Saint Francis University. She also holds several certifications in HR-related areas.