Yesenia Gutierrez

Yesenia Gutierrez is a collaborative leader with 20 years of experience. While overseeing the development and implementation of policies and programs in the non-profit and higher education settings, she has worked to address inequities in resources, systems and opportunities, with a particular focus on civil rights and discrimination. Prior to joining the University of Washington School of Law as their Director of Professional Development, she served as Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action for Portland State University and for Oregon State University, where she supervised the university's civil rights and Title IX compliance obligations while also striving to create transparency of process and meaningful trainings, to increase reporting and the resolution of workplace conflicts and to cultivate a climate of respect for all.

Yesenia is trained in the neurobiology of trauma as it relates to both racial discrimination and sexual violence. Yesenia deployed these tools when working with parties during a process especially when examining (under)reporting of discrimination and harassment. Yesenia has been responsible for either investigating or supervising several hundred cases of discrimination in both university settings and for the Civil Rights Division for the State of Oregon. Prior to her career in civil rights compliance, Yesenia had an extensive career working as a civil legal services and non-profit attorney practicing in the areas of administrative law, housing, disability, voting rights and employment.