After receiving community feedback on two finalist candidates for the city’s new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, city leaders have paused the hiring process until fall.
Community members who offered feedback on the candidates during and after an Aug. 11 presentation had positive notes about both. However, people also expressed concerns about the willingness of each candidate to have a meaningful, physical presence in Battle Creek; neither would choose to move into the city right away.
Because the DEI Officer position is important, and city leaders want to make sure they make the right choice for the city and community, they decided to pause the process, and reflect on the position and its responsibilities before moving forward.
We appreciate everyone’s participation and thoughtfulness in the process so far. Once we determine the next steps for choosing a person for this role, we will release those updates.
The replay from the Aug. 11 event is available on our YouTube channel, at youtube.com/cityofbattlecreekmichigan. We recommend headphones for the best audio. Please also check out battlecreekmi.gov/dei for more information, and our full Equity Audit report.