Dr. Cherry is vice president of Global Impact and Belonging and Maximus Foundation president and chairperson of the Board of Directors. She joined Maximus in September 2020 and has served the Foundation as president and as chairperson since October 2022 and May 2023, respectively. As vice president, she is responsible for developing, leading, and implementing our comprehensive Global Impact and Belonging strategy in alignment with the company’s mission and strategic initiatives. In this role, she partners across the business to support and deliver programs and initiatives that attract, retain, and grow the talent pool. Dr. Cherry provides services and solutions to enable a more engaged workforce and work environment that benefits all employees.
Dr. Cherry’s lens and previous experience in the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors help to inform her role as president and chairperson of the Maximus Foundation. She leads corporate giving for the company and is instrumental in increasing social impact through thought leadership, engagement, and support of charitable organizations that actively uplift communities and improve the quality of life of the same populations served by Maximus.
Dr. Cherry is a sociocultural and educational anthropologist. As a scholar and consultant, she has worked on social justice issues for over 19 years, supporting nonprofit and for-profit organizations, museums, philanthropy, and education. She has designed and taught many undergraduate and graduate courses and is on the faculty at American University as a public anthropologist in residence.
As a sociocultural and educational anthropologist, Dr. Cherry has worked on social impact for over 20 years, providing support to nonprofit and for-profit organizations, museums, philanthropic initiatives, and educational institutions. She has designed and taught numerous undergraduate and graduate courses and currently serves as public anthropologist in residence at American University.
Dr. Cherry earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in anthropology, graduating with the highest honor of distinction from American University. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in public anthropology from American University and a graduate certificate in nonprofit studies from Johns Hopkins University.
Additionally, she obtained a Master of Teaching degree in middle and secondary biology and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Hampton University. Dr. Cherry has completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in the Department of Africana Studies and the Language, Literacy, and Culture Program, as well as completed a distinguished Scholar-in-Residence Program at the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center.
She loves to read, watch documentaries, travel, do genealogical research, and is a Peloton enthusiast. Arvenita is married to Richard Cherry, and they have two sons, a daughter, an English bulldog, and a French bulldog.
