Bristol Colón will share message of inclusivity with Penn State Berks graduating class at the college's 2024 fall commencement ceremony.
WYOMISSING, Pa. — A new class of nearly 120 Penn State Berks students will receive their baccalaureate and associate degrees at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, at the Santander Arena in downtown Reading, when Berks hosts its fall 2024 commencement ceremony. Penn State alumnus Norman Bristol Colón, commonwealth chief diversity officer and founder and chairman of the Pennsylvania Latino Convention, will deliver the keynote address.
Bristol Colón was appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro as commonwealth chief diversity officer on May 30, 2023. In this position, he is charged with leading diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across commonwealth agencies by partnering with senior leaders and employees across the commonwealth to continue to build a capable, accessible and diverse administration that represents all Pennsylvanians.
Previously, Bristol Colón was the first appointed chief diversity officer for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. In this position, he was the principal architect of the agency’s diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) programs.
His extensive career in public service includes serving as executive director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, director of special projects for the PA Department of State, assistant to Secretary of State, executive director of the Governor’s Census 2020 Complete Count Commission, and special assistant to Deputy Secretary for Community Affairs and Economic Development.
As a student at Penn State, Bristol Colón was a junior founding father and president of Phi Delta Psi-H Hispanic Fraternity, the first Hispanic/Latino fraternity at the University.
Born in Puerto Rico, Bristol Colón is the founder and chairman of the Pennsylvania Latino Convention, the most comprehensive initiative covering all aspects of Latino life, community, policy and agenda in Pennsylvania. This convention is creating the statewide agenda for the more than one million Latinos in the state in areas such as business and entrepreneurship, education, health, housing, social justice, politics, the environment, civil rights, immigration, workforce training and leadership/professional development.
In addition, Bristol Colón is an author and writer, strategist, international speaker and coach.
Bristol Colón is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including Pennsylvania Person of the Year by Talk Magazine and Torch of Global Enlightenment Award by the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, just to name a few.
In 2015, he was the recipient of an honorary doctoral degree in community service from the Colegio de Formación Teológica Ministerial for his outstanding professional commitment to the development of fair practices and equitable policies in the implementation of data-driven and research-based programs geared to serve disadvantaged communities, businesses, and individuals.
