Karrah Herring
{{Short description|American lawyer}}
{{Multiple issues|
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{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Karrah Herring
| office = Office of the Chief Equity, Inclusion, and Opportunity
| image = Karrah Herring.jpg
| appointer = Governor Eric Holcomb
| country = United States
| term_start = November 2020
| term_end = January 2025
| title = Chief Equity, Inclusion, and Opportunity Officer
| alma_mater = Purdue University Valparaiso University
| occupation = Lawyer
| birth_place = South Bend, Indiana
}}
Karrah Herring is an American lawyer who was appointed as Indiana's first Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity Officer (CEIOO) by Governor Eric Holcomb and served as CEIOO from November 2020 until January 2025.{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Brandon |date=November 19, 2020 |title=Holcomb Names Karrah Herring First-Ever Equity And Inclusion Cabinet Officer |url=https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/holcomb-names-first-ever-equity-and-inclusion-cabinet-officer |access-date=May 20, 2025 |website=WFYI Public Media |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=COOPER |first=BREANNA |date=February 18, 2021 |title=New diversity czar takes office |url=https://indianapolisrecorder.com/new-diversity-czar-takes-office/ |access-date=May 20, 2025 |website=Indianapolis Recorder |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Mack |first=Justin L. |title='Nothing mystical': How Indiana's 1st equity officer hopes to remove barriers for all |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2021/10/08/karrah-herring-indianas-1st-equity-officer-wants-remove-barriers/5451210001/ |access-date=May 20, 2025 |website=The Indianapolis Star |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Michelle |first=Felicia |date=March 7, 2024 |title=South Bend woman making history as Indiana's first chief diversity officer |url=https://www.wndu.com/2024/03/07/south-bend-woman-making-history-indianas-first-chief-diversity-officer/ |access-date=May 20, 2025 |website=WNDU.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Atkeson |first=Allie |date=October 22, 2021 |title=Establishing a Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity Officer in Indiana |url=https://nashp.org/establishing-a-chief-equity-inclusion-and-opportunity-officer-in-indiana/ |access-date=June 16, 2025 |website=NASHP |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=November 20, 2020 |title=Holcomb names Indiana's first chief equity, inclusion and opportunity officer |url=https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana/holcomb-names-indianas-first-chief-equity-inclusion-and-opportunity-officer/531-f6106f1a-74b2-4f8c-aa3f-00136c5833ca |access-date=June 26, 2025 |website=wthr.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Team |first=WLKY Digital |date=November 20, 2020 |title=Indiana governor names state's first ever chief equity, inclusion and opportunity officer |url=https://www.wlky.com/article/indiana-governor-names-states-first-ever-chief-equity-inclusion-and-opportunity-officer/34733645 |access-date=June 26, 2025 |website=WLKY |language=en}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=November 28, 2020 |title=Gov. Holcomb Announces State Equity Chief |url=http://buildingindiana.com/stories/gov-holcomb-announces-state-equity-chief,1201 |access-date=June 26, 2025 |website=Building Indiana Business |language=en}}
Early life and education
Herring was born in South Bend, Indiana.{{Cite web |date=February 17, 2021 |title=Your Morning Boost: Karrah Herring 'honored' to be Indiana's first-ever diversity chief |url=https://www.wndu.com/2021/02/17/your-morning-boost-karrah-herring-honored-to-be-indianas-first-ever-diversity-chief/ |access-date=June 26, 2025 |website=WNDU |language=en}} She earned a Bachelors of Arts in Communications/Public Relations from Purdue University in 2005 and a Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University in 2011.{{Cite web |title=Karrah Herring, J.D. - College of Liberal Arts - Purdue University |url=https://www.cla.purdue.edu/alumni/awards/distinguished-alumni-archive/2022/karrah-herring.html |access-date=May 20, 2025 |website=www.cla.purdue.edu}}
Career
For a decade, Herring worked at the University of Notre Dame. She was the Director of Public Affairs in the Office of Public Affairs and Communications at the University. Then prior to this role, she was the Director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator. As the Director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX Coordinator, Herring oversaw workplace compliance with federal and state laws. This included Title IX, Title VII, ADA, EEO, and affirmative action.
In November 2020, Governor Eric Holcomb appointed Herring as Indiana's first Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity Officer. This position was created after Holcomb announced in an address to the state on August 2020 actions that would be taken to "reduce racial inequity in the Hoosier State".{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Brandon |date=2020-08-18 |title=Holcomb Announces New Cabinet Officer For Equity, Mandates Body Cameras |url=https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/holcomb-announces-new-cabinet-officer-for-equity-mandates-body-cameras |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=WFYI Public Media |language=en-us}}
In her first year in the newly created position, Herring was stated to have "engaged with more than 200 stakeholders" from around the state which included businesses, government agencies, higher education, non-for-profits, and faith communities.
Most notably, her office created the state's first [https://web.archive.org/web/20241009080038/https://www.in.gov/equity/data-portal/ Equity Data Portal]. This portal was a resource that Hoosiers could use to track equity throughout the state of Indiana as it related to Health, Public Safety, Social Services, Education, and Workforce. It was meant to reveal shortcomings across the state.
Under her leadership the state's Office of the CEIOO oversaw the [https://web.archive.org/web/20241015214552/https://www.in.gov/equity/pathways-to-purpose-work-based-learning/ Pathway to Purpose] initiative, the Next Level [https://web.archive.org/web/20241015060045/https://www.in.gov/equity/workforce-engagement/next-level-teams/ TEAMS] training program, and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20240909184940/https://www.in.gov/equity/workforce-engagement/efrgs/ Employee and Friends Resource Groups] (EFRGs), the [https://web.archive.org/web/20241107202759/https://www.in.gov/equity/external-engagement/ehb/ Elevating Hoosier Businesses] campaign.
In partnership with the Small Business Development Center, the Office of the CEIOO published 4 [https://web.archive.org/web/20240909185348/https://www.in.gov/equity/external-engagement/small-business-development/ SBDC Quarterly Impact Reports]: Q1 2023, Q4 2022, Q3 2022, and Q2 2022.
Then in 2023, the Office of CEIOO created three [https://web.archive.org/web/20241102141726/https://www.in.gov/equity/external-engagement/regional-impact-reports/ Regional Impact Reports] that focused on North, Central, and Southern parts of Indiana.
It was in January 2025, that incoming Governor Mike Braun signed a series of 9 executive orders. One of those executive orders eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in state government. This executive order shuttered the state's Office of CEIOO and removed Herring's position from the governor of Indiana's cabinet, along with four other employees.{{Cite web |last=Selfridge |first=Chris |date=2025-01-15 |title=Indiana Gov. Mike Braun eliminates DEI initiatives in state government - CBS Chicago |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/indiana-gov-mike-braun-dei-executive-order/ |access-date=2025-06-30 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}
Since 2015, Herring has owned and operated Lucy Mina Consulting.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025}}
Selected awards
- 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University.
- 2022 Forty Under 40, Indianapolis Business Journal. {{Cite web |title=Forty Under 40 – 2022 |url=https://www.ibj.com/forty-under-40-2022 |access-date=May 20, 2025 |website=Indianapolis Business Journal |language=en-US}}
- 2023 Key to the City, South Bend, IN.
- 2023 Indiana 250 - Civic Leadership, IBJ Media.{{Cite web |title=Civic Leadership |url=https://www.indiana250.com/2024/civic-leadership |access-date=May 20, 2025 |website=Indiana 250 |language=en-US}}
- 2023 Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award, Indiana Minority Business Magazine.{{Cite web |last=Stratton |first=Meghan |date=January 3, 2023 |title=Meet Karrah Herring: 2023 Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award recipient |url=https://www.wishtv.com/beo-show/meet-karrah-herring-2023-rosa-parks-trailblazer-award-recipient/ |access-date=June 26, 2025 |website=Indianapolis News {{!}} Indiana Weather {{!}} Indiana Traffic {{!}} WISH-TV {{!}} |language=en-US}}