2021 Tillman Scholar

LeNaya Crandall Hezel

Military Spouse
George Mason University
Ph.D.

“Let’s quest together to go beyond saying the right thing to doing the right thing to make our diverse world equitable and inclusive.”

LeNaya Crandall Hezel (she/her) is a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) organizational strategist. While pursuing her  Ph.D. in Sociology at George Mason University, she founded NayceQuest LLC in 2020 to guide organizations as they explore, dive into a deeper understanding, and discover meaningful ways to shift our culture to be equitable and inclusive.

LeNaya is a 2021 Stand-To Veterans Leadership Program Scholar with the Bush Institute. She is a classically trained soprano where her music background paved the way to use her voice to advocate and create DEI culture changes. Whether it is presenting to board leadership, facilitating a training seminar, or pitching an idea to potential collaborators, she uses creativity to build equitable communities. LeNaya has over a decade of experience as a higher education professional supporting underrepresented student populations.

Previous to George Mason University, she served as the inaugural Veterans Office Director at Georgetown University and a Certifying Official at The George Washington University. She holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Maryland, College Park. LeNaya is a proud military spouse to a U.S. Navy Officer and mother to three spirited children.