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Humboldt County Vouches For DEI · KMUD News

• 0:00
  Speaker A: With a change in national leadership, workplace programs on diversity, equity and inclusion are targets of new policies and presidential executive orders. But Humboldt county is committed to its DEI program and finds it helpful. The benefits of the county's ever evolving DEI program were described to the Board of supervisors at its Jan. 28 meeting. The county launched what it calls the Great Workplace Culture Change Initiative in the summer of 2020. Since then, the program has expanded to include formation of staff, affinity groups and drafting of a DEI strategic plan. Dr. Isaac Carter, the consultant hired to assess the effectiveness of the county's program, details how the county's DEI effort has progressed and how it can continue to.
• 0:56
  Speaker B: The long and short of it is that we have you all as a county have seen improvement. There's improvement in the increased perceptions of DEI's importance. There's improvement in terms of policy awareness and accountability improvements. There is improvements on how people feel about the supervisory support they're receiving as it relates to dei. And there have been some cultural and behavior shifts with the activities and educational opportunities that you have provided for your team over the past few years to try to build out your DEI efforts. Areas that continue to provide some opportunities for growth are questions around how supervisors may handle DEI matters. Also looking in terms of career options and diversifying of of different departments throughout the county, as well as having a clear career path for all employees so that they feel they have an opportunity for themselves to continue their growth and development in their chosen profession.
• 2:03
  Speaker A: Carter added that the program is a work in progress, saying these results are promising, but I want to make sure we do not mistake improvement for achievement. Dr. Jeremy Michael Clark, the county's DEI manager, briefed supervisors on a series of recommendations. They include executive staff coaching, creating robust communication and training systems, and expanding professional development opportunities. Supervisors vouched for the program's necessity. Supervisor Natalie Arroyo related her experience here. Hearing from community members A lot of.
• 2:43
  Speaker C: Times I hear from community members who feel comfortable expressing to me that they're experiencing racism or sort of inexplicable actions that make them uncomfortable in our community. Sometimes they don't know how to name it or what is going on, but I hear about it a lot. I'm not sure if it's that people feel more comfortable with reaching out to me for some reason or why that might be. And I think if a lot of times when people think everything's fine, it's because they're not necessarily part of the group that's feeling like they're not having an inclusive and positive experience.
• 3:25
  Speaker A: Nationally, there's a trend of ridiculing and criticizing DEI programs, and some corporations have made news by ending theirs. One of the criticisms of DEI is that it discourages merit. But Supervisor Mike Wilson said one way to get more and better job applicants is to create a workplace that people interpret as welcoming to everybody. Supervisor Steve Madrone said Humboldt hasn't swung politically as the nation has, but can improve.
• 4:00
  Speaker D: There's a lot going on at the national level right now and like earlier with our legislative platform, you know we're going to have to revisit that based on what may or may not be happening at the federal level and things like that. But regardless of what happens, just looking at the most recent election, Humboldt didn't make a big shift one way or the other. It stayed pretty much true to its, you know, diversity, equity and inclusion and the way we try to behave here. And it really is all of us, with every action we take, every day that makes this all work. So I'm very, I feel very honored to live here in Humboldt County. I know it isn't perfect, as was mentioned, but I think we're trying hard to try and move in the right direction and it is kind of a day to day effort, right? We gotta keep at it. It's never gonna be done. We're never gonna achieve it, so to speak, but we can make progress.
• 4:52
  Speaker A: The DEI presentation included a quote from a county employee who said the county's formation of staff affinity groups has, quote, made all the difference for me with feeling more secure, grounded and comfortable at work in Eureka. For KMUD News, this is Daniel Mintz.