Growing a Rewarding Career
By Renée Bacher – American Counseling Associaiton
Dempsey started his career working at a nonprofit, then earned his PhD. For 15 years, he taught counseling as a professor at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon, moving up through the ranks to associate dean of the School of Counseling. He also maintained a small private practice — something that was expected of all professors.
As his practice grew, Dempsey decided to leave teaching in 2020 and concentrate on his business. As a Black man, he says he realized that the further he climbed the ranks in the university, the further he would be getting from his community, which especially needs Black male counselors. “I made the decision to retire from academia and go with my community,” he says. “And I haven’t looked back.”
Counselor Keith Dempsey encourages progress and healing for OSU’s Black community
“Are you on the football team?”
That was the question Keith Dempsey, ’93, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’10 got asked the most when he was an undergraduate student.
“Are you on the basketball team?”
That was the second-most frequent question.
The third: “If you’re not on the football team, and you’re not on the basketball team, what the heck are you doing here?”
Years later, a representative of the OSU Alumni Association invited Dempsey to lunch and asked why Black alumni aren’t connected and are hesitant to give back.
By Brittany Falkers – KGW
Dr. Keith Dempsey is a Portland clinician, speaker, and community advocate. It is his mission to create spaces for these types of conversations to foster hope and healing.
Three-time alumnus recognized for pivotal advocacy for Black community-building and student success at OSU
On Jan. 16, 2023, Dr. Keith Dempsey, ’93, M.S. ’96, Ph.D. ’10, was awarded the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alumni Legacy Award at Oregon State University’s 41st annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Peace Breakfast. The award recognizes alumni role models who demonstrate a deep and abiding commitment to causes of social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and who exemplify and enrich OSU’s values of community, diversity, respect and social responsibility.