Lexington may soon employ an officer dedicated to fostering diversity in city government. The Urban County Council appears poised to create the new position.
Administrator Jenifer Wuorenmma told city leaders Tuesday that Lexington’s diversity officer duties would be modeled on similar positions elsewhere in other municipalities, higher education, and the federal government.
"We want to increase the number of minorities at all levels of the LFUCG [Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government] and again this is not just race. This is ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender," she said.
Applicants would need at least a bachelor’s degree and six years experience in a related field. 9th district council member Jennifer Mossotti recommended an additional bilingual requirement to help serve the city's growing Hispanic population. Also on the officer’s to-do list: developing strategic goals, working in concert with boards and commissions, and connecting with outside groups in the community.
Mayor Jim Gray applauded the step, saying “We are living in a time when these issues are significant and serious and addressing them in an intentional, deliberate way, in a systematic way... is appropriate.”
The city could have the officer in place by this fall.