Elsie Y. Cross, an influential pioneer in organizational development (OD) and a trail blazer in the field of diversity for Fortune 1000 companies, and founder of Elsie Y. Cross Associates, Inc. died at 81 on December 7 of a of a heart attack in Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.
“This is a very sad loss for me and my family,” said Barry Cross, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Elsie Y. Cross Associates (EYCA), which is based in Philadelphia.
“But it is also a greater loss for the world as a whole. My mother was diversity’s champion and a courageous leader—totally dedicated to the amelioration of oppression, such as racism, sexism and heterosexism. Her vision and leadership profoundly impacted thousands of people who are active change agents in the fields of diversity, inclusion and social justice.”
For more than 35 years, Cross guided critical change initiatives in major corporations, government agencies, universities and financial institutions in the U.S., Europe and the Caribbean. She also contributed to President Clinton’s Initiative on Race and Harvard Business School’s case study collection. Through her tireless work, Cross gained a reputation as one of the nation’s top organization development and diversity consultants. She was former chair of the National Training Laboratories Institute for Applied Behavioral Science (NTL) board of directors and a founding member of the Women’s subgroup in the Organization Development Network; an advisory board member of The Poynter Institute; and. Cross also led managing diversity seminars at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Executive Education Center and was a speaker for many professional organizations.
Cross authored Managing Diversity—The Courage to Lead; was the publisher of The Language Guide; and founded The Diversity Factor, a quarterly e-journal, which is recognized as a leading source of information for people facing the deeper issues of diversity. She was also frequently interviewed by leading publications and on radio/television programs, such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Cross is survived by her son, Barry Cross, Jr., of Philadelphia, and her grandson, Barry Cross, III, and a granddaughter, Alexandra, stepson, Kevin Cross, sister Muriel Allison, brother William Yancy and a host of nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held during the Martin Luther King, Jr, weekend at a place, time, and date yet to be determined. Donations may be made the NTL Institute for a scholarship in her name.
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