The Seattle Symphony has announced that Dr. Paul Johnson will now be its Vice President of People & Culture and the first Chief Diversity Officer in the organization’s history.

In his new position, he will oversee human resources and work to amplify “the unique and diverse voices that have gone unheard in the symphonic setting for too long.”

“Leading the Seattle Symphony’s People & Culture department over the past year has been a wonderful experience and I’m excited for the opportunity to expand my role to greater emphasize DEIB,” said Johnson in an official press statement issued by the company. “As a BIPOC leader from a historically marginalized community, DEIB is personal for me, and I have spent much of my career working to establish greater inclusion and diversity within organizations. I look forward to working with the Symphony to facilitate change, and hope to see more BIPOC musicians and leaders emerge to occupy spaces where we have historically been absent or underrepresented.”

Prior to coming to the Seattle Symphony last year, Johnson worked with such companies as Boeing, Microsoft, and Starbucks Coffee Company. He also worked for non-profit organizations and the public sector.