We interviewed Judith Harrison is senior vice president, staffing and diversity & inclusion at Constituency Management Group and, co-vice president, Student Affairs, and Foundation Liaison to the NYWICI Board of Directors.

How she got there "For almost four years now, I've been at CMG, the business unit of Interpublic that houses Weber Shandwick, GolinHarris and other agencies. I lead a national multi-agency recruiting team, partner with colleagues on talent management, and lead diversity and inclusion across the network.

"Prior to that, after years of being a public relations/marketing communications practitioner at companies including Burson-Marsteller, CBS and Media General, and a sole practitioner with clients including Random House and the Italian Trade Commission, I switched to recruiting professionals for the industry. Although I loved recruiting, it wasn't enough for me; I needed the bigger-picture view of HR and the strategic contributions it could make to an organization. I first got the opportunity to make those contributions at Ruder Finn, where I stayed nine years, becoming SVP of HR. I also led the HR Roundtable of the Council of Public Relations Firms for three years while there."
 
Diversity is defined "in terms of race/ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, expertise and education. All of these factors underlie the sum of our experiences and affect our beliefs, our values, the challenges we face in our professional and personal lives, how we face them and, for the group as a whole, how we work together to influence and serve others."

Bliss "I remember being amazed that an organization would pay me to read Harvard Business Review every month; this was my idea of heaven."

Are students too focused? "Some are incredibly motivated and well-prepared for the workforce. They've had multiple internships, all of them relevant, and a wide range of extracurricular activities. This is a double-edged sword: While focus and determination are terrific assets, I wonder if a love of learning and thinking for no reason other than intellectual growth has been diminished by the relentless competition for higher test scores, admission to more prestigious schools and a leg up into the world of work. Becoming who you're meant to be takes time and room to make mistakes; I hope this generation is afforded these things."

2 sweeties "I love spending time with my husband and my dog, both of whom are absolutely certain that they're the loves of my life. They're both right. We (those of us who are admitted) go to plays, museums, parks and concerts/nightclubs, or just walk through our West Village neighborhood."

Let's do it again "January 20, 2009, the day Barack Obama was inaugurated. I grew up watching the Civil Rights movement play out on television: Churches were bombed, people trying to exercise their right to vote were attacked with fire hoses and dogs and the National Guard had to be called to protect children who were simply trying to go to school. I only wished that my father had lived to see how America has changed."

What friends say about Judith "She has flats? Really? Who knew?!!!"

Mantra "Dare to dream, dress to kill."