Smith College Names Matthew Grimes Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

Matthew J. Grimes, a nationally recognized leader in equity, inclusion, and organizational belonging, has been named vice president for equity and inclusion at Smith College. 

Grimes has more than a decade of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Most recently, he served as head of engagement and belonging for the Cleveland Guardians Major League Baseball team, where he led enterprise-wide efforts to advance inclusion among players, staff, fans, and community partners. Grimes was appointed after a national search led by President Sarah Willie-LeBreton and assisted by JM Search.

“Matthew Grimes brings a deep commitment and creativity to fostering belonging and ensuring that, as community members, we have what we need to acknowledge and genuinely engage each other and that everyone at Smith experiences the opportunity to be seen, included, valued, and supported,” says Willie-LeBreton. “Matt Grimes’s leadership will strengthen the inclusive community that is at the heart of a Smith education,” she adds. In announcing the appointment, Willie-LeBreton praised the thoughtfulness and care with which the search committee—Javier Puente, Valerie Joseph, Sirohi Kumar, ej seibert, Daphne Lamothe, Heather Johns, Anne-Marie Szmyt, and Gretchen Groggel Ralston, assisted by Joanna Olin—carried out its charge.

In his new role with the Office for Equity and Inclusion (OEI), Grimes will lead the development and implementation of the college’s equity and inclusion strategy. Working in close partnership with academic, student-facing, and administrative leaders he will support the recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty and staff, and strengthen Smith’s longstanding commitment to equity, access, and belonging.

As a member of the president’s senior leadership team, Grimes will serve as a strategic adviser to the president, the board of trustees, and campus leadership, helping to align institutional priorities with Smith’s mission of educational access.

“I am honored to join Smith College, an institution with a long-standing commitment to equity, access, and academic excellence,” says Grimes. “I look forward to partnering with students, faculty, and staff to build on that legacy and to advance a campus culture where everyone feels a deep sense of belonging and opportunity.”

When Grimes worked with the Cleveland Guardians, he designed and implemented strategies to foster an inclusive organizational culture, positioning the franchise as a leader in advancing equity in professional sports. His work focused on building systems of belonging that engage individuals across all levels of the organization and throughout the broader community.

Before entering professional sports, Grimes spent more than a decade in public education as a teacher and systems leader, where he developed programs to expand opportunity and improve educational outcomes. Throughout his career, he has helped organizations build cultural competence and inclusive leadership practices that strengthen institutional effectiveness.

Grimes has been widely recognized for his leadership in advancing equity. He received Siena College’s Alumni of Excellence Award in 2022, was a Cleveland Crain’s Business 40 Under 40 honoree in 2023, and received the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education Inclusive Excellence Award in 2026.

He holds a master’s degree in education policy and leadership from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and race and ethnic studies from Siena College (now Siena University). He is currently a doctoral candidate at Kent State University, where his research examines how place-based education shapes connection and belonging in organizations. He also holds executive certifications in diversity, equity, and inclusion from Cornell University, the University of Southern California, and Case Western Reserve University. He is a former Fulbright scholar, a Teach For America alum, and recently completed the Obama Foundation Leaders USA program.

Grimes succeeds former vice president Floyd Cheung—professor of English language and literature and of American studies—who has served as head of OEI for seven years and for whom Willie-LeBreton expresses her enduring gratitude. Grimes will begin his role at Smith on July 1.