D&I Executive Council: The Next Steps in Diversity and Inclusion

A message from the County Diversity & Inclusion Executive Council

“We want our leaders to know that we are listening to the way they communicate and what they prioritize.”

This is just one of the many important themes that came from the first Employee Resource Group listening session. It is a theme that resonated deeply with our leadership. We also heard themes around equity in hiring, recruitment and selection, among many others. The leaders in our County want you to know that we are listening and are taking action. We are changing our mindset when it comes to our County’s internal business practices and service delivery.

This means a full integration of the mindset, skill set, and open heart of diversity, inclusion and equity in all we do. This includes showing our commitment visually through the lighting of the County Administration Center for special honors and in solidarity with the community. We have lit the building in recent months in honor of Congressman John Lewis, Pride, Juneteenth, George Floyd, and the ADA, as symbolic messages of support to our employees and the public.

Five years ago, the County of San Diego took the foundational step of formalizing our dedication to equity, engagement, effectiveness and exceptional service through the inception of the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Initiative. This was the first step to consciously and publicly committing to cultivate a culture that supports and enhances our diverse workforce while providing excellent and relevant services to our residents. 

Although the foundation is set, there is continuous and momentous work to be done to create the safe space that produces our desired outcomes: exceptional internal and external service, inclusivity for all, a motivated and engaged workforce, and increased organizational effectiveness and innovation. We are energized by and are reflecting on the words from CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer’s message of solidarity to contemplate our individual and communal roles in transforming what started as an initiative into our culture as a County.

There are many opportunities in place at all levels of our organization to help us achieve real change: increasing the voices of our D&I Executive Council, the reinstatement of the Human Relations Commission, the creation of the new Office of Equity and Racial Justice, employee listening forums, the support of the Department of Human Resources (DHR) Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Team, and the dedication of the champions in our departments. Each piece plays its part just as each of us has a role in moving us closer to a culture that includes equity and belonging, and where we can all thrive. Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.

New Voices and New Initiatives for the D&I Executive Council

With the creation of the D&I Initiative, the Diversity & Inclusion Executive Council was tasked with creating a culture that keeps diversity and inclusion at the forefront for leaders throughout the enterprise by guiding the County’s diversity and inclusion strategy. This breaks down into three key areas: serving as role models and champions of diverse perspectives and inclusive behaviors, establishing priorities and strategic vision to advance enterprise-wide progression, and overseeing the implementation and plan monitoring. You can see the most recent D&I Annual Report here.

The D&I Executive Council is comprised of executive leadership from across all County groups and has recently added additional team members to ensure that more County voices are heard and represented. The Council includes Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Sarah Aghassi*, Senior Deputy County Counsel Smitha Arons, Human Resources Director Susan Brazeau, Housing And Community Development Director David Estrella, Chief Probation Officer Adolfo Gonzales*, Special Assistant to the Sheriff Marla Marshall*, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Andrew Potter*, Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Tracy Sandoval*, Director of Office of Ethics & Compliance Claudia Silva (Chair*), CAO Chief of Staff Andrew Strong, and Chief Deputy County Counsel Rachel Witt*. (*Indicates new appointment.)

Importantly, the CAO directed the D&I Executive Council to undertake a review of the goals and actions needed to root out and keep out institutional racism. The D&I Executive Council is committed to this significant work and looks forward to reporting on its progress.

Human Relations Commission

On May 19, 2020, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to establish the Leon L. Williams San Diego County Human Relations Commission (HRC). During a time when racial and hate incidents have come to the foreground, the Human Relations Commission will focus on fostering inclusion and equity for all. The HRC was established to “promote positive human relations, respect, and the integrity of every individual regardless of gender, religion, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, or citizenship status.” The HRC has 31 members, including  representatives from the following organizations: Jewish Family Service, the San Diego LGBT Community Center, International Rescue Committee, San Diego Rapid Response Network, Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, the San Diego Chapter of the Black Political Association of California, and an Asian Pacific Islander representative appointed by the Union of Pan Asian Communities, Asian Business Association, and San Diego API Coalition. Each County supervisor has three appointments, one of which is for a youth representative. The district attorney and the sheriff are also members of the Commission. Currently, 24 of the 31 members have been appointed. The Human Relations Commission has held its first four meetings.

Office of Equity and Racial Justice

On Tuesday, June 23, County supervisors unanimously agreed to create the Office of Equity and Racial Justice. This came in response to recent events and protests that have urged introspection and brought to light challenging realities of disproportionate privilege and bias against people of color. In establishing the new office, the Board referred the development of the mission statement to the newly appointed Human Relations Commission. The Human Relations Commission will develop the mission of the office with the assistance of an expert consultant and input from the community.

Employee Resource Group (ERG) Listening Forums

The County of San Diego ERG Council is hosting Listening Sessions that center on Black voices addressing social justice, equity and identity issues to improve our County workforce and customer service experiences. The first session was held on July 8, and the 300+ attendees listened with an open mind to courageous peers who shared their experiences, concerns and suggestions. (You can read the summary and their message of solidarity with the peaceful protests.)

Department of Human Resources Changes

Over the past few months, we have had the pleasure of attending listening sessions, talking with our HR professionals, and hearing from our employees of color around issues that impact them at work and in their communities. In a very short time, our HR department has had to reassess and reimagine how we provide services and support the organization and its employees. We have entered a new era of HR looking at continuing to improve our organization from a human-centered design approach. 

A new division within DHR will assist the D&I Executive Council with navigating these complicated issues by sorting and communicating the facts and relying on our General Management System to help along the way. We will navigate the complexity of the problems by measuring results, not activity. With this new vision, we are happy to announce the formation of a new Human Resources division focused on equity and inclusion. This division will review County policies and job descriptions to look for systemic racism and expand the use of diversity analytics to help guide our recruiting practices, create a Mentorship and Talent Pipeline Program, and formalize pre-employment practices, such as unconscious bias in hiring.

The Department of Human Resources continues to serve as the lead for Countywide D&I activities, reporting progress to the D&I Executive Council, and implementing D&I Executive Council initiatives. Even during this time of relying heavily on remote operations, the DHR D&I team, in conjunction with Talent Development, has created new virtual opportunities to stay connected and support learning and competence. Another of their priorities is to support the needs and opportunities of our D&I Champions through trainings, workshops, and support materials like our D&I Digests.

D&I Champions as a Resource for County Employees

This past year D&I Group Lead Champions were selected by the Deputy Chief Administrative Officers (DCAOs) to represent each County group. They exhibit all the characteristics of D&I Champions and may represent the DCAOs on diversity and inclusion. They meet and collaborate with the DHR D&I Team to stay apprised of various needs, successes and areas of focus to establish opportunities for cross-functional threading and consistent communication at all levels of the organization.

Who are our D&I Champions? As defined in our original D&I Strategic Plan, “we can ALL be D&I Champions…. people who understand and appreciate the differences in the ways others think, act, believe and behave; and are willing and open to learn and change their perceptions and behaviors for the greater good of the organization.” Our departmental D&I Champions are your resources within your team that can make our practices of inclusion and belonging more relevant to the specific fields we serve. They are always looking for opportunities to increase their team to help serve the needs of the department and provide education and learning opportunities about diversity, inclusion and cultural competence.

The future is full of opportunities. It will take each of us with our unique perspectives, experiences, and skills to engage with one another and work towards meaningful change.