Sedgwick County to hire diversity officer in wake of George Floyd, BLM race protests
Amid the ongoing controversy sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, Sedgwick County is accelerating plans to hire a diversity officer.
Movement toward hiring a staffer to advance diversity and inclusion was a priority identified last year in a strategic planning process involving almost every employee, the County Commission and outside stakeholders, County Manager Tom Stolz said.
But when the coronavirus pandemic hit, Stolz said he pushed it onto his list of “after COVID” issues.
The urgency changed May 25 when Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the country and prompted some calls to “defund police.”
“Minnesota happened, and a series of other events across the country which I think took a COVID pandemic stress on society and pushed it over the edge, almost,” Stolz said. “If you look at the state of our country — and we’re no different than the rest of the nation — we have divisiveness in our community, there’s an exclusion of ideas, there’s a focus on law-enforcement and criminal justice tactics and policies.”
Of the call to defund and replace police, “I think we all know that cannot happen,” said Stolz, a former Wichita police lieutenant with 30 years in law enforcement. “But there’s always an opportunity to do business better, more smartly and more inclusively.”
Stolz’s recommendation won unanimous support from county commissioners at their Wednesday meeting.
“The main message is we truly value diversity and inclusion and we need to be at the forefront of the organizations that say this is a critical time to let everyone know that we’re going to value that with our employees and in the community,” said Commissioner David Dennis, who made the motion to create the new position.
The diversity and inclusion officer’s duties will include:
▪ Promote opportunities for employees to be valued, respected and heard.
▪ Enhance recruitment, hiring and retention of a diverse workforce.
▪ Review and advise on county procedures to be accountable for diversity and inclusion.
▪ Work with independently elected officials including the district attorney and sheriff.
▪ Suggest ideas for improved employee training.
▪ Enhance connections between the county and an increasingly diverse population.
Salary and benefits for the position will total about $107,000, to be funded with savings from deferring hiring or eliminating an open position in the county government, Stolz said.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 12:31 PM.
