CITY OF OMAHA DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

Keith Station

• Omaha native:
• North Omaha🡪 Central HS 🡪 Univ. of NE-Lincoln 🡪Indiana Univ.🡪 Orlando, FL🡪 Dallas, TX🡪 Omaha 2011

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• 4 ½ Years at Heartland Workforce Solutions as Director of Business Relations

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• Appointed by Mayor Jean Stothert as Deputy Chief of Staff; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion on July 23^rd / Started Sept. 8^th

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What Does It Mean To Be An Inclusive City?

• Companies that are more ethnically diverse are 35% more likely to be profitable.
• Retention of 18 – 34 y/o population.
• NE ranked 10^th worst state in ‘Out-Migration’ of people age 25+ with at least a Bachelor’s degree.
• Omaha ranks 220^th overall and 52^nd among large cities in terms of ethnic diversity.
• Omaha is the 38^th most segregated city in the country.
• Omaha ranks 93^rd out of 100 largest metros for earnings gap between Caucasians and People of Color.

July 23, 2020…

Objectives for the Role:

• Delineation between internal and external objectives.

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• Develop a strategic plan for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for city government.

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• Expand Representation on City Boards & Commissions

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• Name and serve as a liaison for new (2) DEI advisory boards
• Community DEI Advisory Board – Strategic Plan for D&I
• Employee DEI Advisory Board – From Employee Engagement Perspective

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Objectives, cont:

• Expand racial diversity in all departments including Police & Fire

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• Implement bias training for all city employees

(Framed as opportunity to learn about implicit bias as valuable, unique perk/opportunity)

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Objectives, cont:

• Partner with City Human Resources Dept. & Human Rights & Relations Dept.

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• Align with existing initiatives and momentum such as Omaha Chamber’s CODE (Recent ‘CEOs for CODE’ statement and efforts to encourage Omaha businesses to adopt inclusive hiring practices).

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• Respectful, Responsible conversations and public relations about issues related Diversity & Inclusion, Equity, Belonging, Culture, Bias.

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�https://mayors-office.cityofomaha.org/boards-and-commissions

• Applicants must submit a résumé and a description of their goals and objectives for the position and finish the application for all city board members available on cityofomaha.org. Submit the required materials to getinvolved@cityofomaha.org or by mail to: Get Involved, City of Omaha, Mayor’s Office, 1819 Farnam St., Omaha NE 68183.

Community DEI Advisory Board – Strategic Plan for D&I Mayor’s Community Advisory Board:

Engages community members to advise the Mayor on matters related to Diversity & Inclusion. This committee collaborate to help the City of Omaha develop and refine a strategic plan for Diversity & Inclusion.

Employee DEI Advisory Board – From Current City Employee Perspective:�Our vision is to develop, foster, and sustain an inclusive, diverse culture in city government by recognizing the past, present, and future implications of systemic inequalities, and strive to create a professional culture in which these realities are acknowledged and improved upon. We seek to elevate oppressed voices in the City of Omaha by providing resources that promote equal access and opportunity for all employees in order to achieve a prosperous society, and we advocate for policies that promote diversity and inclusion in the City of Omaha workforce.

Human Rights and Relations Board: Promote mutual understanding and respect among all racial, religious and nationality groups and work to discourage and prevent discriminatory practices against any such group. Disseminate information and educational materials which assist in the elimination of prejudice, intolerance, intergroup tensions and discriminations or which will promote good will and programs of community education and information with the object of promoting better human relations.

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Three-Year Strategic Plan

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EMPLOYEE DEI TRAINING AND EDUCATION: Establish an ongoing training on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for all staff, starting with elected officials, and heads of each department.

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EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT AND ENRICHMENT: Establish diversity, equity and inclusion expectations for the director and managerial levels within City government using DEI training techniques, and provide opportunities of career and professional development for city staff.

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WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT: Recruit a diverse workforce.

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CITY EMPLOYEE CULTURE BRANDING: Establish a Public Relations or Marketing Brand that demonstrates a culture within the City of Omaha that develops, fosters and sustains an inclusive, diverse culture in city government that desires to responsibly serve and relate to the public it serves. Complete by December 2023

City Employee Advisory Members

• Christian Espinosa Torres – Human Rights and Relations Dept.
• John Ashford- Law Dept.
• Shawn Peoples – Parks & Recreation
• Jasmyn Goodwin – Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Anna Wilcoxin – Libraries
• Galat Toang – Omaha Police Dept.
• Lt. Sherie Thomas – Omaha Police Dept.
• Katie Swanson – Parks & Recreation
• Frank Reida – City Planning Dept.
• Sara Lara-Toney – City Council
• Captain Wyvie Jones – Omaha Fire Dept.
• Bridget Hadley – Omaha Planning Dept.
• Donna Waller – Finance Dept.

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Community Advisory Board Members

• Jen Rae Wang – (Omaha Public Libraries Co-Representative)
• Echohawk Lefthand – (Native Advisory Board Co-Representative)
• Luper Akough – (Millennials Advisory Co-Representative)
• JohnCarl Denkovich – (LGBTQ+ Advisory Board Co-Representative)
• To Be Named – (Human Rights & Relations Board Co-Representative)
• To Be Named – (Mayor’s Commission for Citizens with Disabilities)
• Calvin Jones
• Gina Ponce
• Ryan Tefft
• Nicky Clark
• Ugochuku ‘Jude’ Okolo
• Shelly Mann
• Elizabeth Ajongo
• Demetrius Watson

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Better Alignment…

• Native American Advisory Board
• South Omaha Community Activity
• Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board
• Mayor’s Commission for Citizens with Disabilities (MCCD)
• Omaha Refugee Task Force

In the first 12 months…

Help to guide the City’s policies and practices impacting several critical areas:

Alignment with other Boards & Commissions

• Omaha City Council Members (all 7 districts) + City Council Staff & City Clerk
• Presentations to affiliated groups/ boards/ coalitions
• “Listening Tour:” City Meetings/ Councils/ Boards
• Projects: Public Safety Recruitment Strategy & Community Relations, Restorative Justice Program
• Trainings & Conferences
• Recommendations:
• Address the Culture
• CEO Pledge,
• Adoption of Articulation Statements,
• Internal City Department Objectives & Diversity Goals lead by Department Leadership,
• National League of Cities for Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion,
• Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s)

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Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s)

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups that foster a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with organizational mission, values, goals, business practices, and objectives. Other benefits include the development of future leaders, increased employee engagement, and expanded marketplace reach.

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• Inter-Departmental
• Inclusive
• Supported by Organizational Policy/Standards

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Examples of ERG’s

• LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group.
• Black Employee Resource Group.
• Empowering Employees with Disabilities Employee Resource Group.
• Refugee Employee Resource Group.
• Latinx Employee Resource Group.
• Veterans-focused Employee Resource Group.
• Women’s Network Employee Resource Group.
• Working Parents Employee Resource Group.
• Young Professionals Employee Resource Group.

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Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity and Equity (CODE)

• The Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity and Equity (CODE) was created to help the community achieve sustainable growth in the areas of diversity, inclusivity, equity and opportunity. By collaborating with Greater Omaha and Lincoln businesses, we work to accomplish this through two initiatives:

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• CODE Employer Coalition — This group is dedicated to expanding diversity and inclusivity in our workplaces by turning insight into measurable action.

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• CEOs for CODE — This group brings business leaders together in their shared commitment to break down barriers and drive change at the executive level.

Contact info:

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Keith Station

Deputy Chief of Staff/ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion�

City of Omaha Mayor's Office

Omaha/Douglas Civic Center �

1819 Farnam Street, Suite 300

Omaha, NE 68183-0300

(402) 444-5054

Keith.Station@CityofOmaha.org

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