Stefen J. Welch (he/him) serves as Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) for the NBA's Detroit Pistons. A Detroit native, Welch focuses on the team's strategy to attract and acquire diverse talent, professional development opportunities for employees and identifying strategic business initiatives. Previously, Stefen led DEI for national retailer Saks OFF 5TH and the country's largest mortgage lender, Rocket Mortgage.
Stefen's unique take on local and national initiatives has led him to various panels and conversations regarding DEI, including the Black Fashion Movement, Deloitte Bersin IMPACT Conference, Center for Automotive Diversity Inclusion and Advancement (CADIA) Rev Up Conference, Detroit Policy Conference eTail West and headversity's Upstream Summit.
To promote life as a Detroiter, Welch has blogged for the Detroit News' - DVoice. He has also appeared on Huffington Post Live as a guest panelist covering various topics in the Motor City. Additionally, Welch has served on multiple boards and committees, including Black Family Development, Inc., CHASS (Community Health and Social Services) and the Oakland University Black Alumni Committee.
In 2011, Welch was recognized by Oakland University (Rochester, MI) for his community involvement, receiving the Oakland University Alumni Association Community Service Award. Welch was also recognized by DBusiness Magazine's 2021 class "30 in their Thirties" issue.
Welch earned a Bachelor of Arts from Oakland University (Rochester, MI), a Master of Community Development from the University of Detroit Mercy (Detroit, MI) and a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University (Ithaca, NY). He has also studied at Howard University (Washington, DC) within the Executive MBA program. Stefen is married to his wife Kaniqua and the proud father to their daughter Aria.
Terms
Date of Appointment: December 22, 2022
Date of Term Expiration: August 11, 2030