“A Mosaic of True Stories” recounts real, though anonymously told, experiences of Washington University students, staff, and faculty in short monologues.

Facilitator

Denise DeCou, Director, Diversity and Inclusion/Continuing Development and Program Delivery for Human Resources

Denise DeCou has been a leading figure in diversity awareness and anti-bias efforts in the nonprofit sector of the St. Louis community for more than 25 years. At Washington University, she has conducted highly popular diversity training sessions with more than 7,500 employees and supports efforts to improve the university’s workforce diversity.

DeCou has dedicated her professional life to healing divides as an effective administrator and anti-bias educator. She was executive director of the National Conference for Community and Justice of Metropolitan St. Louis, ran the largest training program of the Anti-Defamation League–St. Louis for 10 years, and held positions with the United Way and East-West Gateway Coordinating Council. She founded and still runs the consulting firm Loretta’s Work, aimed at developing young leaders.

As a nationally certified diversity trainer, DeCou has facilitated anti-bias/anti-oppression trainings for children, youth, community-based organizations, community leaders, the workplace, law enforcement, and institutions of higher education here in the United States and abroad.

DeCou graduated from Fordham University, Rosehill Campus in New York with degrees in modern languages and is trilingual.