Dr. Anita Hicks is an organizational leadership expert whose professional career has included leadership positions in four distinct industries— corporate law, aviation, professional sports, and higher education. She has earned a reputation as a brilliant administrator, a creative problem-solver, and a leading strategist for building organizational readiness for workforce change in response to societal trends.

Dr. Hicks is a powerful and engaging public speaker, corporate trainer, and workshop facilitator on leadership, resilience, generational trends, negotiations, and communication and relationship strategies. For the past thirteen years, Dr. Hicks has worked in higher education in various leadership positions. Currently, she is the Associate Director of the Oakland Center, at Oakland University (Rochester, MI). The Center is a self-sustaining auxiliary operation where she oversees operations, including over 8,000 annual events.

Dr. Hicks has served as an integral member of the Oakland University Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council. She is a diversity advocate and chairs an employee pathways initiative with a focus on advancing women, underrepresented minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, persons with disabilities, and military veterans. She has lent her expertise toward the establishment of high impact employee resource groups on campus.

Dr. Hicks made history as the first graduate of the Oakland University Doctorate of Education program. In recognition of her professional accomplishments and productivity, she has been selected as a Michigan Chronicle Women of Excellence, University of Phoenix Faculty Research Scholar of the Year, and Michigan American Council on Education (MI-ACE) Women’s Network institutional representative. She has also been awarded a Micro Grant for establishing an employee job shadow program entitled “Half Day in the Life of Another”.