Desireé Chang serves as the Director of Education & Outreach for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Desireé has been with the PHRC for over four years. Prior to becoming the Director of Education & Outreach, she worked as a Civil Rights Mediator with the PHRC Mediation Division. During her tenure at the PHRC, Desireé has received the Director of Excellence Award (2020), PHRC Social Justice Team Award (2021) and the Employee of the Year, Central Office (2023). Most recently, she was recognized as one of the 2024 PA City & State Above & Beyond honorees. She is a graduate of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Institute (2021) and the Commonwealth Leadership Institute (2023). Desireé has been recognized for her participation on several committees and community social justice collaborative efforts.  

Desireé’s educational acquisitions include an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice, summa cum laude, obtained from HACC Lancaster. As well as, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Legal Studies from Drexel University, both magna cum laude. She is a member of several academic honor societies.

Prior to the PHRC, Desireé worked as an adult Probation and Parole Officer with a specialized caseload of individuals with neurodevelopmental and mental health disabilities. In addition, she has a background in substance abuse counseling. She has served as a facilitator for trauma informed responses and has been a certified trainer in Motivational Interviewing and Moral Recognation Therapy. She enjoys public speaking and volunteering at women’s shelters.

 Much of Desireé’s professional career has been in roles that include assistance for, or advocating of, special interest groups. Her passions are married at the PHRC with the ability to educate Pennsylvanians and actively work towards eradicating discrimination both inside and outside of the Commonwealth.