New African American, LGBT Employee Resource Groups Forming

Employees will soon have a chance to join two new resource groups, if efforts underway to create African American and LGBT employee organizations happen as expected.

Currently, employees can participate in two Employee Resource Groups: the County of San Diego Filipino-American Employees Association and the San Diego County Latino Association. Both are well-established, with well defined missions: to provide professional development, offer cultural activities, participate in recruitment and retention, provide networking and social opportunities and support County initiatives such as Live Well San Diego. Both offer regular events and are led by officers and boards of directors.

The new groups have the full support of Chief Administrative Officer Helen N. Robbins-Meyer and other County executives, said Joe Cordero, Director of the Office of Ethics & Compliance and the executive liaison to the Employee Resource Groups. Cordero said these organizations give voice to employees and send the message that the County values its staff. The organizations encourage higher levels of employee engagement and satisfaction.

“The Employee Resource Groups are a real important part of the organization’s success and part of our diversity initiative,” he said.

Leading the effort to form the African American Association of County Employees is Alison Hunter, an Administrative Analyst III in the Department of Public Works. The longtime County employee said she wanted to create an organization in which African American employees can share their perspectives, culture and professional experiences with each other and the rest of the County. The County government is large and she said African Americans would like to feel better connected.

“A smaller organization creates a sense of community and a central location for other County agencies to invite us to participate in County initiatives,” Hunter said.

Hunter has been busy in recent months laying the groundwork for the group. With help, she has compiled a list of 140 additional employees interested in joining, written draft articles of incorporation and preliminary bylaws now being reviewed by attorneys. She designed the organization’s logo, website and formed an interim board of directors. Executive sponsors have volunteered to help with advice and direction, including Chief Probation Officer Mack Jenkins, Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten, Public Defender Henry C. Coker and Financial Policy and Planning Director Ebony Shelton. Hunter said she envisions the group offering opportunities for professional growth and a greater sense of community as well.

The next big step will be to choose a Board of Directors and other committee members. Nomination forms are available on the new African American Association of County Employees webpage. Hunter said any employee is welcome to join.

An InSite web page for the new LGBT employee group is also being developed.

The idea for that group came from Supervisor Dave Roberts and is being led by Wes Moore, one of Roberts’ policy advisors.

Roberts said once he heard about the County’s Latino and Filipino-American employee groups, he decided that a similar group for LGBT employees made sense. He envisions the group being a place where employees can connect and discuss issues affecting them. It could host outside speakers and even hold joint events with outside organizations such as the North County  LGBTQ Resource Center in Oceanside, the Lambda Archives LGBT museum in University Heights or other groups. 

“We are a diverse county and an employer that welcomes diversity,” Roberts said.

Roberts said there’s a large number of LGBT employees at the County, and that some have reached out to him since hearing about the plans for this group. All employees will be welcome to join the group, which already has a few executive sponsors: April Heinze, Director of the Department of General Services, as well as allies Jose Aponte, Director of the County Library and Joe Cordero, Director of the Office of Ethics & Compliance. 

Roberts and Moore said there’s already been a lot of enthusiasm towards creating the group, which is in the midst of choosing a name. A kickoff meeting took place June 14 and about 40 people have expressed interest in joining so far. Moore said he’s been studying the bylaws of the other current Employee Resource Groups and that at the next meeting in July, the group plans to finalize its name, bylaws and begin developing a logo. 

For more information on the Latino, Filipino-American or African American employee resource groups, visit their pages on InSite. For more information on the new LGBT employee group, email Wes Moore at wesley.moore@sdcounty.ca.gov.