The City of Alexandria welcomes Dr. Emerald Christopher as its new Race and Social Equity Officer, effective Tuesday, February 20.  

Dr. Christopher will direct the City government’s race and social equity programs and continue to build a framework to ensure policy decisions advance race and social equity for all Alexandria residents. 

“I am delighted Dr. Christopher will be joining the City of Alexandria. I look forward to seeing her collaborate with City departments, employees, community members, and other stakeholders to help the City continue its effort to become an even more equitable community,” said City Manager James Parajon.

With over 19 years of experience spanning across higher education and U.S. policy related to equity, Dr. Christopher’s professional journey has been driven by a passion for building a community of inclusivity and belonging.

As an Associate Professor of Women and Gender Studies at the University of Delaware and Director of the Anti-Racism Initiative, Dr. Christopher put her academic understanding of policy and social issues into practical use. As Director of the Anti-Racism Initiative, Dr. Christopher led faculty, staff, and students to take definitive action in addressing systemic discrimination in education, the arts, housing, health care, mass incarceration and criminal justice, the environment, and any other dimension of the human experience. 

Additionally, as a long-time educator and world traveler, Dr. Christopher has served as the Au Pair Weekend Program City Director for New York City and Washington, D.C., for over 14 years. In this role, she actively oversaw the development of policy and cultural awareness course content and the overall education of au pairs working in the United States.

Prior to her tenure in the professoriate, Dr. Christopher served as a Congressional Fellow on Women and Public Policy in the House of Representatives, where she aided in the creation of the Women’s Economic Agenda and worked to address gender inequality. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, a Master of Arts in Women's Studies and Higher Education Administration from the George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Women's Studies from the University of Delaware.

If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3960.