Tawara Goode is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.  She has been on the faculty of the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD) for over 35 years, has served in many capacities, with degrees in early childhood education and education and human development. Professor Goode has extensive experience as a principal investigator for federal and private sector grants/contracts. Her areas of focus are national level efforts to advance and sustain cultural and linguistic competence (CLC) within an array of settings including institutions of higher education, health, mental health, disability, and other human service systems.  She is the director of the National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC). She is acknowledged as a thought leader in the areas of CLC, diversity equity, and inclusion and for building the NCCC into a nationally and internationally recognized and award winning program. She has developed curricula, assessment instruments, professional development series, and other resources that support CLC.  She is an invited scholar, lecturer, and visiting faculty nationally to schools of medicine, public health, education, research institutes, professional associations, and state and national government; and internationally in Australia, South America, and the United Kingdom.