Heitman LLC, a global real estate investment management firm, today announced that it has appointed Chasity Boyce as the firm’s Head of Inclusion & Diversity (I&D), where she will be responsible for setting the firm’s global I&D strategies and initiatives.

“One of the pillars to our strategic plan is to operate within a global work environment to be admired,” said Maury Tognarelli, Heitman CEO. “As our Head of Inclusion & Diversity, Chasity will guide us in the development of initiatives and policies that will assist our community in achieving this aspect of our strategic plan, a goal which is embraced by all Heitman professionals and aligned with our clients.”

In the newly-created role, Chasity will report to Darrah Bixler, Heitman’s Chief People Officer.

“We are pleased to welcome Chasity to Heitman as our Head of I&D,” said Ms. Bixler. “Her extensive experience and knowledge acquired throughout her career as a leader in diversity will help drive a culture of inclusion as we continue to leverage the insights, experiences, and diverse backgrounds of our global team.”

Prior to joining Heitman, Chasity was a Diversity and Inclusion Manager for Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. In that role, she was responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring diversity and inclusion initiatives focused on attorney retention and development, recruitment, internal pipeline, and social responsibility. Prior to her work at Skadden, she served as Associate General Counsel to Illinois Governor, Bruce Rauner, where she advised the Governor and senior Illinois state leadership on public safety, child welfare, and educational agencies’ legal issues and oversaw the Governor’s clemency process. She also practiced law as an associate attorney with O’Hagan LLC and SmithAmundsen LLC.

Chasity has a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Duke University and a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law. She has co-authored several diversity-related articles, and is actively involved in numerous professional and community organizations including her current senate-confirmed appointment to, and role as chair of, the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission. She is the co-founder of the Diverse Attorney Pipeline Program, a program created to increase the pipeline of women of color to the legal profession, and a former president of the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago. Chasity also serves as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

About Heitman

Founded in 1966, Heitman LLC is a global real estate investment management firm with approximately $43 billion in assets under management. Heitman’s real estate investment strategies include direct investments in the equity or debt capitalization of a property or in the securities of listed and publicly traded real estate companies. Heitman serves a global client base with clients