Deborah (Augustine) Elam is Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer at GE. She works at the Corporate Headquarters in Fairfield, CT, and leads efforts globally to ensure that all GE employees feel they have an opportunity to contribute and succeed. Deborah is a native of New Orleans, LA and an alumna of Ursuline Academy. She attended Xavier University in New Orleans, received a B.A. degree in sociology at Louisiana State University and a Masters of Public Administration at Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. Her professional story started over 20 years ago in 1986 when she worked at GE as an intern while still in graduate school. Upon graduation, she joined GE’s Human Resources Leadership Program in 1987 and had assignments at GE Global Exchange Services and GE Transportation. Upon completion of the training program, Elam was promoted to successively larger human resources roles in GE Consulting Services, GE Capital Mortgage Corp., GE Capital Insurance Services and GE Capital Markets Services. In June of 2000, Deborah became Managing Director, Human Resources at GE Capital Commercial Finance and was promoted to her current role in September 2002. In February of 2006, GE’s Board of Directors appointed Deborah an officer of the Company, making her one of the most senior women in the Company. Deborah holds leadership roles in GE’s African American Forum and the GE Women’s Network. She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) – an organization of the top African Americans in Corporate America and the National Black MBA Association. Outside of work, Deborah is on the Board of Advisors of Working Mother Magazine Multicultural Women’s Initiative and is VP of the Board of Trustees at her alma mater, Ursuline Academy. She is a member of The Links, Incorporated, Fairfield County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and Jack and Jill of America. Deborah has received numerous awards and was featured on the cover of the March 2005 issue of The Network Journal Magazine where she was named one of Twenty-five Influential Black Women in Business. She is also a recipient of the prestigious EPIC (Enhancing Perceptions in Culture) award given by The White House Project and a recipient of the Brava Award given by the YWCA of Greenwich, CT to women who are achievers at work and also give back in their communities. Deborah resides in Stamford, CT with her husband, Archie who is a retired Army officer and their two daughters.