BSA's chief diversity officer departs for new role outside of Scouting

Elizabeth Ramirez-Washka, who served as the BSA’s chief diversity officer, has left the organization for a new role at Duke University.

“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made on our DEI journey and very much look forward to seeing the progress the BSA continues to make,” she told Aaron on Scouting last week.

Ramirez-Washka joined the BSA as an employee in 2017, first as an associate general counsel; she became the chief diversity officer in July of 2020, according to her LinkedIn. She began a new role as associate general counsel at Duke University in February.

In the Scouting blog post, she pointed to the creation of the Citizenship in Society merit badge as one of her main accomplishments in the role. She also helped introduce DEI training for employees and volunteers, and expanded the BSA’s workforce groups, which now include VIEW, a group supporting Scouting's LGBTQ+ employees.

Ramirez-Washka didn’t come to the role with any Scouting background. She told Aaron on Scouting that, during her time as chief diversity officer, she came to believe that DEI work is not “controversial,” but rather clearly aligned with the Scout Oath and Law.

Her ascension to the role of vice president of diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer also made her the first Hispanic woman on the BSA’s executive team.

“It’s been a pleasure and privilege to be part of this incredible organization and help BSA continue to grow and evolve with the changing times — while always holding true to our core ideals and values — such as kindness, integrity, respect, courtesy and care for others,” she said in the Scouting blog post.

It’s hard for me to come to my own conclusions about what Ramirez-Washka was able to accomplish. I never had the chance to speak with her during her tenure. I tried many times over the course of this newsletter to contact her and her colleagues, but I never managed to secure an interview.

With so little visibility into her time as chief diversity officer, I can only observe what I see on the outside, much like anyone else. As for the Citizenship in Society badge—which she listed as one of her major achievements—I’ve already spilled plenty of ink on the topic. Beyond that, most of the DEI progress I’ve written about has been led by volunteers, and taken place on the local level.

If you’re curious to read more of Ramirez-Washka’s own reflections, you can do so here at Aaron on Scouting. The article does not say who will succeed her in the role.