The Minority Corporate Counsel Association announced Monday that the general counsel of The Hershey Co. will become the next chair of the organization's board of directors.

Damien Atkins, who first joined the MCCA's board of directors in October 2016, will begin his role as the chair of the board in April 2021 and will serve in that role until March 2023.

"This is a great opportunity to have an impact with an organization whose mission is dedicated to building a pipeline of diverse attorneys," Atkins said in an interview.

He said that he supports the mission and initiatives put forth by MCCA president and CEO Jean Lee.

"I'm really there to support her and the rest of the team. My job is to help move the big rocks in her path whether that be by fundraising or by leveraging my own network," Atkins said.

Atkins replaces the current chair of the board of directors, Stuart Alderoty, who is the general counsel of Ripple in San Francisco. He will continue to serve as a member of the board when his term is up next year.

"It's been a privilege to work with Damien on the board, he is an innovative and strong leader. I am proud of the work we have been able to accomplish together on the board, and am looking forward to how he will advance MCCA as the next chair of the board of directors," Alderoty said in the press release.

Before joining The Hershey Co. in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Atkins served as the general counsel and corporate secretary of Panasonic Corp.

The MCCA also announced Monday that Seth Krauss, the chief legal officer of Endeavor in New York, has been named as a member of the board of directors. Krauss has previously served as the general counsel of Take-Two Interactive Software and has worked in-house Morgan Stanley.

"I'm very proud to join the MCCA board and humbled to be asked. I have long admired and supported the organization's work and look forward to being a part of it moving forward," Krauss said in a statement to Corporate Counsel.

With the addition of Krauss, there are now 18 members of the board of directors of the MCCA. The members of the board include legal leaders from Intel Corp., General Motors Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb.