National Technical Institute for the Deaf

Essie Calhoun was Chief Diversity and Community Affairs Officer for Eastman Kodak Company from 2003 until her retirement in 2011.  In this role, she directed Kodak’s global diversity and inclusion strategies. She also served on the Senior Executive Diversity and Inclusion Council and worked with the company’s senior leadership team to champion the benefits of inclusive work environment.

Ms. Calhoun also was the director of Community Affairs and President of the Eastman Kodak Charitable Trust, overseeing Kodak’s corporate philanthropy and community involvement worldwide.

A graduate of Leadership America, she is the founder of several organizations focused on leadership development, including the United Way of Rochester’s African American Leadership Development Program and the Kodak Youth Leadership Academy. 

Her current board affiliations are Rochester Institute of Technology, the Greater Rochester Health Foundation (Chair), Rochester Business Alliance, Urban League of Rochester, and University of Toledo Foundation. 

Ms. Calhoun served as the 2001-2002 distinguished Minett Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology.  Other honors includes: the National Urban League Northeast Region Volunteer of the Year Award, Women’s History Month Award, Network North Star’s Annual Leadership Award, the NAACP Outstanding Leader Award, and About Time Magazine’s Exemplar Award.  She also received the Martin Luther King Commission’s Individual Award “In recognition of her lifelong personal and professional dedication, commitment and strength to help create a better community for all people.”

She received a B.Ed. degree in social science from the University of Toledo, and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from Bowie State University.