Deidre Melton is the Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Associate Vice President for Enterprise Risk Management at Florida A&M University, where she leads enterprise risk strategy and advises executive leadership on institutional risk, resilience, and operational performance. She is a leading voice in AI governance and digital transformation in higher education, currently spearheading FAMU’s Human + AI initiative and serving as their Chief AI Officer. Her work focuses on integrating AI responsibly across teaching, research, and operations while establishing strong governance and risk frameworks. With a distinguished career spanning internal audit, investigations, and risk management, Deidre has deep expertise in fraud prevention, cybersecurity, risk, compliance, and internal controls. She has led high-impact initiatives addressing financial oversight, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and institutional resilience, while building risk-aware cultures that empower leadership to make informed, strategic decisions. Deidre holds multiple industry-leading certifications, including Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE), and Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA). Deidre is a sought-after speaker on topics including AI governance, cybersecurity risk, enterprise risk management, digital transformation, career development, leadership and operational excellence in higher education and beyond. Her work centers on helping institutions turn risk into opportunity while building resilient, future-ready organizations. Deidre is passionate about helping organizations transform risk into strategic advantage and preparing institutions to thrive in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world.