Sacramento County is proud of the diversity in its leadership ranks and is committed to ensuring DEI is embedded in its internal culture as well as its external work providing services to the community. Recently, the county has taken several significant steps to ensure that DEI remains a priority.

“The county’s commitment to DEI extends beyond our internal operations,” says County Executive Ann Edwards. “We are dedicated to the implementation of inclusive policies and practices, where everyone in the community has the opportunity to thrive.”

In 2020, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors declared that racism and the health inequities stemming from it constitute a public health crisis affecting the entire community. The board directed county staff to create a Racial Equity Policy Cabinet to promote strategic coordination, cooperation and collaboration around this goal. Since then, the DEI Project team — comprised of leaders from several county departments — has been working on research and outreach to create the cabinet.

“The county’s commitment to DEI extends beyond our internal operations. We are dedicated to the implementation of inclusive policies and practices, where everyone in the community has the opportunity to thrive.” – Ann Edwards, County Executive

Their work has included policy/procedure analysis, identifying best practices in local government and engagement with the community and county employees to elicit feedback. The DEI Project team recommended that the county create a DEI Cabinet, establish a Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer position, and expand community outreach to identify DEI issues and best methods for engaging with the community.

A job classification for the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer position will go before the Civil Service Commission then to the board for approval. The recruitment process will include a nationwide search for the right candidate.