Rev. Loris Adams Named First Head of DEI and Ethical Leadership 

Rev. Loris Adams will join National Cathedral School in July as the school’s first Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Ethical Leadership, Head of School Dr. Elinor. M. Scully announced on Friday.
 

In this newly created role, Rev. Adams will lead strategic initiatives in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), oversee the Center for Ethical Leadership and Service, and supervise the newly expanded DEI office as well as the community service and global programs offices. The new DEI office will include Rev. Adams as head, a director, and three DEI and Belonging deans for each division.  

“The opportunity to develop NCS’s work in DEI and ethical leadership drew a strong pool of applicants in a national search,” Dr. Scully wrote in a message to the community. “Rev. Adams’s reputation as a thought leader in DEI, her experience leading schools as a member of the Glasgow Group consortium, and her relevant connection to Episcopal schools stood out during the search.” 

Rev. Adams will join NCS from the Hewitt School in New York City, where she serves as director of equity and community life. Prior to Hewitt, she was the director of community and equity affairs at St. Mark's School in Southborough, Mass., and served in a number of roles at Trinity Episcopal School in Charlotte, N.C., including as Lower School dean of community life and chaplain.  

She brings significant experience in independent school leadership, including as a consultant at the Glasgow Group, which assisted NCS last year in support and strategic planning for DEI initiatives. Rev. Adams has presented at multiple conferences, including the National Association of Independent Schools’ People of Color Conference and the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools annual gathering. She also serves as a faculty member for the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, an event which many NCS students attend each year.  

Rev. Adams received a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and a certificate in diversity and intercultural competence from Wake Forest University. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree at Limestone College.  

Rev. Adams is the mother of one adult son, Asa, and a rambunctious “lab-pei" named Lola B. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing poetry and prose, and spending time with friends and family—particularly her ten nieces and nephews. Growing up in the hills of Tennessee provided ample opportunity for camping and hiking, pastimes she hopes to reconnect with soon. 

In the announcement, Dr. Scully thanked the members of the advisory committee for their feedback and insights.