Columbia GS Alumna Named to Presidential Advisory Committee

Denise Louise Pease ‘83GS, a disability advocate and government leader who has served in roles at the New York City and State level as well as in the Obama administration, has been appointed to the Biden administration’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans. The commission's mission is to work with the Secretary of Education to identify and raise awareness and support for educational initiatives that address disparities faced by Black Americans. Following her appointment earlier this year, Pease was officially sworn in on October 26 alongside nearly two dozen other luminaries, with expertise ranging from business, to academics, to community leadership.

Pease’s commitment to education stretches through her whole life, and has roots in her family history. “I firmly believe that I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors, who laid the foundation for me to succeed,” she said. Pease’s mother was one of the first African American graduates of the Fashion Institute of Technology before becoming an elementary school teacher, and her father, who served as a Tuskegee Airman in World War II, was a professor of electrical technology and eventually the first African American assistant dean of Suffolk Community College. 

Pease’s own academic journey brought her to Columbia GS where she earned her degree in American history and biology. She was also a National Urban Fellow at the Bernard Baruch School of Public Administration where she earned her MPA. Beginning as a community organizer, Pease would go on to serve as the New York State Deputy Superintendent of Banks, the New York City Assistant Comptroller for Commercial Banking, and Northeast and Caribbean Regional Administrator at the General Services Administration in the Obama Administration. During her tenure as Regional Administrator, Pease successfully implemented policies which increased minority business participation, in keeping with her earlier work in New York which focused on increasing banking services in under-banked communities, and was an active leader in the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort. 

Amidst her meaningful professional success, Pease has also been a stalwart disability advocate, both as a breast cancer survivor and as one of three million Americans with epilepsy. In 1995, Pease suffered a traumatic brain injury due to a car accident and went through more than five years of therapy to regain her cognitive and communication abilities. Said Pease of her activism and open-ness in sharing her experiences, “I want my blessings of recovery and employment to inspire others living with a disability.” Pease’s appointment to the Biden administration’s Advisory Commission is the newest vehicle through which she can honor her lifelong commitment to advocacy by helping lead the way towards educational equity.