Fowler Alumnae Embraces Her Passion For Leadership, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to Transform and Empower Others

Channelle McNutt is a principal consultant with Jones & Associates Consulting.

Few students who attend San Diego State University get as involved in extracurricular activities as much as Channelle McNutt did. Not only is McNutt a “triple Aztec” (’13, Political Science, ’13, Communication, ’17, MBA), but she was also an executive vice president and diversity and inclusion commissioner at SDSU’s Associated Students, president of SDSU’s Afrikan Student Union, founder of the National Association of Women MBAs at SDSU and SDSU’s 2012 homecoming queen. She also worked in SDSU’s University Relations and Development department for three years while earning her MBA.

A Choice to Make

McNutt initially wanted to attend Howard University in Washington D.C. but was faced with a choice when she was accepted to both Howard and SDSU. “I ultimately chose San Diego State because of the proximity to family, diversity of the student population and the Veterans Affairs program,” said McNutt, a San Diego native whose father served in the U.S. Navy. “Ultimately, my parents were the driving force behind my choice of SDSU and I think they were more excited than I was when we got my acceptance letter.”

Initially, McNutt entered SDSU planning to become an attorney, but she plotted an alternative career choice during her junior year. “My experience as a student leader exposed me to new opportunities, specifically within leadership and management consulting,” she said. “I knew having my degrees in political science and communication could benefit me regardless of what my career aspirations were, but I knew I wanted additional skills and that earning my MBA could help me launch a business career.”

McNutt finds out that she is named homecoming queen for 2012 (Photo Credit: Ernie Anderson, SDSU Athletics).

Empowerment Sparks Activism

It was also during her junior year that McNutt became more involved in student organizations which empowered her. “As a first-generation college student, I really didn’t know what to expect from my college experience and the adjustment was overwhelming at times,” she said. “Once I got involved with the Afrikan Student Union and Associated Students, I truly felt like I was part of a community. And that’s where my journey in activism, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) began — as a student leader. I’ve held on to those campus experiences.”

Immediately after earning her bachelor’s degrees, McNutt began a full-time job at SDSU in the department of University Relations and Development while simultaneously enrolling in the MBA program at SDSU’s Fowler College of Business. What she learned during the pursuit of her MBA degree provided her with lessons that she could use on her job both at SDSU and beyond. “Sometimes, I was the only woman of color in my classes, and I learned the importance of building relationships from people of all walks of life,” said McNutt. “I also learned that sometimes you need to create or build what doesn’t exist.”

Blazing Her Trail

In McNutt’s case, she was able to work with faculty and staff at both the Fowler College of Business and SDSU’s College of Education to optimize her MBA experience so that she could receive the educational tools she needed to succeed, even though it hadn’t been done before. While in the MBA program, she was able to take two Ed.D. courses — ED895 (Seminar-Student Equity) and ARP813 (Strategic Planning in Community Colleges) — as electives to provide her with the instruction she needed to help her in her job as an SDSU development officer, DEI consultant and future career endeavors.

“It may sound like a cliché, but my daughter inspires me every day. She helps me learn about selflessness, compassion, love and purpose are.” 

- Channelle McNutt, (’13, Political Science, ’13, Communication, ’17, MBA)

As a development officer for SDSU, McNutt was focused on generating philanthropic gifts for the Fowler College of Business before being promoted to the role of assistant director, where she met with SDSU alumni and managed volunteer boards in the Dallas-Fort Worth/Austin regions of Texas. Shortly after earning her MBA in 2017, McNutt got the opportunity to follow her passion for organizational development, DEI and leadership development as a principal consultant at Jones & Associates Consulting, “DEI is at the core of who I am,” said McNutt. “From my passion for helping and developing others to serving my community, to being a woman of color (Black and Filipino), I’ve always made it my mission to ‘create space and opportunity’ for others — especially individuals that feel like they don’t have a voice, don’t feel seen or valued.”

Making a Difference Every Day

In her current role, McNutt provides training, coaching and consulting services to executives and organizations on a global basis in the areas of leadership development, and organizational change and diversity, equity and inclusion. “The best part of my job is the fact that I get to make a difference every single day,” she said. “Being a management consultant and DEI practitioner is meaningful work that truly transforms people and organizations. Whether that’s one-on-one with an executive or facilitating leadership training to thousands of people, I truly believe that the work I do helps leaders, communities and organizations.”

McNutt and Tom Rivera immediately before they crowned homecoming royalty for 2013.

Although McNutt may have physically left SDSU, the memories and lessons from her work, degree programs and student activities are with her to this day. “I loved my time as a student leader,” she said. “My experiences as executive vice president, and diversity and inclusion commission for Associated Students, and the president of the Afrikan Student Union were truly life changing. Every important person in my life that wasn’t a family member (though they are now my family) was someone I met while I was at SDSU.”