Battle Creek seeks community feedback on candidates for new diversity, equity and inclusion role

Greyson Steele, Battle Creek Enquirer
·2 min read
Battle Creek City Hall is pictured on Monday, Nov. 25, 2019 in Battle Creek, Mich.

Two finalists to become Battle Creek's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer are scheduled to attend a public meeting next week at which residents can hear from and speak with them.

Residents will have an opportunity ask questions of the candidates during a community forum at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Burma Center, 765 Upton Ave. in Springfield.

American Sign Language, and Burmese and Spanish language interpreters will be available. The event will be streamed live on the city's YouTube channel with American Sign Language interpretation visible.

The city will not disclose the names of the finalists in advance of the event "out of respect for their current employment," city communications manager Jessica VanderKolk said.

The DEI officer position was a recommendation from MGT Consulting, which completed an equity audit of the city's human resources and police departments earlier this year. The firm gathered community feedback and drafted a report, with recommendations on how to improve the city's DEI efforts.

The Battle Creek City Commission approved the creation of the position as part of the city's 2023 budget.

"We felt it important to act on this position sooner rather than later so our work towards being a more inclusive, equitable and diverse organization can continue," City Manager Rebecca Fleury said. "The equity audit was the first step on our DEI journey. This is not about checking a box, it is about embedding these practices into our organizational DNA. We want to work toward using an equity lens in all our decision-making."

Once in place, the DEI officer will "guide our efforts as a city organization, and champion the importance of a diverse, equitable, and inclusive Battle Creek community," officials said.

In-person attendees and online viewers of Thursday's session will be asked to share feedback about the candidates, with forms available during the event and on the city website afterward.

All feedback must be submitted by 5 p.m. Aug. 15.

For more information, visit battlecreekmi.gov.

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-501-5661. Follow him on Twitter: G_SteeleBC

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek seeks community feedback on new DEI position