“You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne

Dr. Sharon Perry Fantini is a Partner at TNG Consulting. She serves on the Advisory Board for the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA). She is an experienced administrator with over 20 years of service in higher education and expertise in Title IX, diversity, equity, and inclusion. With her extensive experience in leadership and strategic planning, she has successfully developed campus-wide programs focused on prevention, awareness, bystander intervention, investigation, and response to discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct. Her commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion has been instrumental in creating these impactful programs. Additionally, she has worked on initiatives related to Section 504 and ADA compliance and policy development.

Dr. Perry Fantini brings extensive experience in speaking, training, and consulting with local, regional, and national organizations on diversity, inclusion, and best practices. She accepts speaking, training, and consulting engagements focusing on diversity and inclusion, implicit bias, gender-based violence, cultural awareness, and Title IX. She has facilitated education and training aimed at Title IX coordinators, Civil Rights investigators, and educators teaching multicultural students.

In 2023, she presented to the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU) on connecting and embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and research, as well as how to establish relationships to build the capacity to thrive, not just survive. In 2022, she was selected to serve as a panelist for the Chronicle of Higher Education and University Innovation Alliance (UIA) to discuss socioeconomic burdens that can derail college careers. In 2022, she was an invited speaker at an internal Congressional briefing on Title IX for ATIXA. Additionally, she presented a talk at the Ohio Department of Higher Education Statewide Title IX Coordinator Meeting in January 2021 called “Exploratory Look at Balancing the Current Era of Title IX: 34 CFR Part 106.45(b)(5)(vi).”

She previously served as a Title IX expert for the College and University Professional Association in Higher Education (CUPA). The Ohio Department of Higher Education also selected her to serve on the Chancellor’s Special Committee. The committee’s main objective was to review the RFP proposals for services for annual campus climate surveys, allowing colleges and universities to focus on underrepresented or marginalized communities. Dr. Perry Fantini served on the public policy committee of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), affiliated with the American Council of Education (ACE). In this role, she submitted a briefing to Congress on Fisher v. University of Texas.

Her work with the Student Athletic Association Committee (SAAC) contributed to earning an honorable mention during the 2021 Award for Diversity and Inclusion from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA). Her achievement was recognized for “Creating a Culture of Shared Responsibility” through implementing “Bringing in the Bystander” training, student forums, revising the Peer-to-Peer Ambassador training, and programming including Implicit Bias and Understanding Cultural Differences. Her work was also recognized for “Creating a Culture of Shared Respect” with awareness campaigns including “These Hands Don’t Hurt,” “Spread the Word to End the Word,” “Black Lives Matter,” Safe Zone training, “Critical Conversations,” and “Unheard Voices for a Cause” silent march.

Before joining TNG, she served as Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Iowa State University. She led the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, fostering unity and collaboration while exemplifying the university’s Principles of Community. Her dedication extended to preparing students for success in a global community. Additionally, she was the liaison between Iowa State and the University Innovation Alliance, a prominent national coalition of public research universities committed to expanding college graduation rates and promoting diversity. Furthermore, she served as a member and secretary of the Big 12 Conference Chapter of Diversity Officers, Inc.

Prior to joining Iowa State, she held various faculty and administrative positions at Tiffin University. After serving as a faculty member in the School of Business, she assumed the role of Tiffin’s first Chief Diversity Officer. Later, she was appointed as Tiffin’s Vice Provost for Equity, Access, and Opportunity, overseeing the responsibilities of Title IX and 504 Coordinator. In this capacity, her primary focus was ensuring compliance with Title IX, Title VI, VAWA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and the Office for Disability Services. Additionally, she provided oversight to the Deputy Title IX Coordinators, a team of Civil Rights investigators, the Civil Rights Advisory Council, and the Diversity Celebrations and Prevention Education Committee.

Working with the Office for Advancement & Public Affairs, she helped secure various grants to create a safe and welcoming setting. Some of the grants received included $37,800 to purchase assistive technology for students with disabilities, $116,500 to provide trauma-informed counseling, advocacy, and support services to student victims of sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking, and a $300,000 grant for strategic programming to mitigate sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

She stays up-to-date on national trends in higher education through participation in scholarship, publication, and professional memberships. Notably, she has presented on diversity commitment in higher education for Noel Levitz. She has served as a Peer Reviewer for esteemed organizations such as SAGE Publications, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, and the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.

Dr. Perry Fantini earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Management from Capella University. She holds two degrees from Tiffin University: a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management and Organizational Management. She has obtained multiple professional certifications, including Professional Human Resource Management from the University of Toledo and the Society of Human Resource Management in 2000. Additionally, she holds credentials in Global Mindset, CQ – Cultural Intelligence Trainer-the-Trainer Certification, ACUE/ACE Effective Teaching, Bias and Cultural Competencies, Title IX Administration, Civil Rights Investigations, and Quality Lead Auditor for ISO 9000 from the British Standards Institution.

She currently demonstrates her leadership in community engagement through several notable roles. These include serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Board of Story County United Way and being actively involved with Story County College Access Network. Additionally, she is Secretary for the BIG 12 Chapter of Diversity Officers, Inc., where she contributes to the Bylaws Committee. Furthermore, she lends her expertise to Clarkson University as a member of their External Advisory Board for Diversity & Inclusion.