Four years after its formation, the Western Pennsylvania Diversity Initiative has named its first executive director. And it did not have to look far. Dina Clark, who began her new job duties yesterday, has been a member of the group's board for the past year and a half.

Urban League President and CEO Esther Bush responded with enthusiasm to the news of the appointment.

"From everything that I know about her, she is going to be perfect for the position," she said, citing Ms. Clark's work not only as a presenter, but also as a trainer.

The Initiative's stated mission is to promote regional economic growth by providing resources to employers in the Pittsburgh region to attract, hire and retain employees from a variety of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Toward that end, it has hosted conferences and seminars on diversity, as well as networking events. While most of its funding comes from dues paid by member organizations such as the Bayer Corp.and Carnegie Mellon University, a grant from the Heinz Endowments helped to get it started. The Allegheny County Bar Association is donating office space Downtown.

For Ms. Clark, the appointment represents the capstone to date of a career devoted to diversity. Since 1996, she has worked primarily with the Anti-Defamation League, the group devoted to fighting anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination. Beginning as a training facilitator in New York, she rose to become a regional education project director in 2005, responsible for the group's training and educational events in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.

"I'm really happy that I'm in one place now, not 31/2 states," she said with a laugh.

Her introduction to the Diversity Initiative came in August 2007, when she was asked to present at a WPDI-led diversity symposium as part of the 2007 Pittsburgh DiverCity Festival. Later that year, she was invited to join the board.

Board chair J.W. Wallace said that the decision to hire Ms. Clark was based on more than her meeting the group's criteria for the position.

"She also comes with a passion for diversity and inclusion," he said.

"It was very evident that the commitment was there, and that she understood the challenge and opportunity that come with the role as the first executive director."

Ms. Clark credits her interest in diversity to her parents, both educators, who still live in her native Squirrel Hill. Her father, Harry Clark, was the founding principal of the High School for the Creative and Performing Arts; her mother, Barbara, was a Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher who retired from East Hills Elementary School.

"I grew up crisscrossing the city, meeting all kinds of people," she said. That early exposure to all kinds of people has shaped an approach to diversity that sometimes draws fire. "I get criticized for this sometimes, but I still believe it: I assume goodwill first in people and in situations," she said. "I guess it's that 'innocent until proven guilty' thing."

When discussing diversity, she often makes the word part of a phrase, "diversity and inclusion," that helps to take the discussion beyond usual boundaries.

"People hear 'diversity,' and they think race relations," she said. "We're beyond that. This is about everybody.

"Diversity is not just black and white. It's size, age, socioeconomic backgrounds, abilities, religion, gender, sexual orientation. It's all of those things ... all of those things that really impact the quality of life for people. It goes beyond what's traditionally been addressed." Warming to her subject, she added, "It also shouldn't be about your victimization is greater than mine."

While not denying that some people may justly claim to have been victimized by discrimination, Ms. Clark said that her approach when working with them is, "Let's take whatever those experiences are and apply them in a positive way."

After working in the diversity field for 14 years, she says of her new job, "I feel like I just put the final piece in the puzzle."

"I would love to see this go beyond Western Pennsylvania," she said. "It's needed everywhere."

Asked if there is any aspect of the new job that makes her especially nervous, she replied that she was worried about fund raising in the current economic climate -- but not discouraged.

"That just means I have to roll my sleeves up higher."