HomeMy WebLinkAboutBOARD STANDING COMMITTEES - 02092023 - Equity Cte MinutesEquity Committee
RECORD OF ACTION FOR
February 9, 2023
Supervisor Federal D. Glover, Chair
Supervisor John Gioia, Vice Chair
Present: Federal D. Glover, Chair
John Gioia, Vice Chair
Staff Present:Lara DeLaney, Senior Deputy County Administrator, Interim staff to Committee;
Monica Nino, County Administrator; Ann Elliott, Human Resources Director; Antoine
Wilson, EEO Officer; Gilbert Salinas, Chief Equity Officer, CCHS; Jami Morritt, Chief
Assistant Clerk of the Board; Enid Mendoza, Senior Deputy County Administrator;
Andrea Fry, Labor Relations Assistant; Elissa Robinson, District Representative,
District III; Jason Chan, Senior Deputy County Administrator; Jill Ray, Field
Representative, District II; Erika Jenssen, Chief Deputy, CCHS; Lauren Hull, Sr.
Management Analyst; Nicole Bilich, Human Resources Manager; Paul Reyes, Senior
Deputy County Administrator; Sonia Bustamante, Chief of Staff, District I; Tom
Geiger, Chief Assistant County Counsel; Ali Saidi, Director, Stand Together Contra
Costa; Shannon Ladner-Beasley, Equity Manager, CCHS
Attendees:See Attachment
1.Introductions
Chair Glover convened the meeting at 9:00 a.m., introducing himself and Vice Chair Gioia and
requesting that Vice Chair Gioia provide an explanation of the mission of the Committee, which
was given. Vice Chair Gioia noted the Hiring Outreach Oversight Committee had been
renamed by the Board of Supervisors and given the scope of oversight of the Office of Racial
Equity and Social Justice, in addition to its previous work. Gilbert Salinas, Chief Equity Officer
for Contra Costa Health Services, was recognized for being in attendance.
2.Public comment on any item under the jurisdiction of the Committee and not on this agenda (speakers
may be limited to three minutes).
Caller was concerned about the renaming of the Committee from Hiring Outreach Oversight,
suggesting that hiring would be inequitable and discriminatory if based on advancement for
one race. Christy Lam-Julian noted this Committee makes her heart happy and wanted to
know how to get more involved and connected, indicating that anti-Asian hate was still being
experienced. Latrece Martin thanked the Committee and attendees for doing the work and
noted that equity was not giving everyone a shoe but a shoe they can fit.
3.DISCUSS and PROVIDE DIRECTION on the outreach and hiring process for Co-Executive Directors for
Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice.
Kerby Lynch of Ceres Policy Research, representing the Core Committee of the ORESJ planning
process, provided a PowerPoint presentation to the Committee (attached) "Considerations for the
ORESJ Community Driven Process for Hiring," noting a draft position description for the Co-Directors
had been provided earlier for the ideal candidates. (This was included in the agenda packet as
Attachment A.) Research into salaries of similar positions in other agencies had also been provided by
the Core Committee (Attachment B of the agenda packet). Ms. Lynch went through the PowerPoint
presentation and noted a working group of the Core Committee would be established to assist the
County in the hiring process.
Ann Elliott, the County's Human Resources Director, indicated the material was an amazing start and
expressed gratitude for what had been provided. She noted a County Ordinance amendment would be
the first step in the process, to exempt the positions from the Merit System. The question was raised
as to whether there would be separate job classifications for each Co-Director position, and Ms. Elliott
indicated that two different job descriptions/classifications would be warranted. Vice Chair Gioia noted
the salaries would be the same, but the positions would serve different roles. Ms. Elliott noted the job
specifications could be in development while the Ordinance change was in motion. Compensation
would be addressed after the job specifications and minimum qualifications were determined. Vice
Chair Gioia indicated that recruitment brochures for the County Administrator, Public Defender, EHSD
Director, and County Counsel could be useful in the process, preparing the brochure using the Core
Committee material as a framework and incorporating the material of other brochures in terms of
explaining the County, region, structure of the organization. Ms. Elliott clarified that the recruitment
brochure is an accumulation of earlier steps in the process.
Public comments included a Caller expressing concerns about hiring a Language Equity Coordinator
that she felt was an "illegal" position infringing on her rights. Mariana Moore thanked Ms. Elliott for the
collaboration and wanted to know about the timeline for hiring in terms of the soonest the community
could expect a hire and the outer range of dates. Edgar Martinez wanted to share his experiences with
the Committee members via email. Kimberly Barnes wanted clarification on the Language Equity
Officer role. Solomon Belette suggested an agreement of expectations of the Core Committee and
County roles in the process. Chair Glover asked Ms. Elliott to respond to questions raised. She
responded about the timeline by indicating that the ability to work on the job description and salary will
keep things moving while the Ordinance amendment is underway. After 30 days, they should have
additional pieces like the brochure ready to go out, but the timeline on that would depend on how long
the Committee wanted to keep it posted, so she requested feedback on that, indicating 30 days is usual
practice. The process for interviews would also drive timing, as community involvement can add a
couple of weeks to a couple of months. The usual appeal process also adds time, and this proces could
warrant a longer appeal period. Chair Glover indicated this was a unique and different situation and
requested more information at the next Committee meeting. Vice Chair Gioia indicated the Language
Equity Coordinator was not being hired at this time; it would occur after the Co-Directors were hired.
Vice Chair Gioia appreciated the Core Committee's provided information and suggested that having the
Core Committee work with HR in a collaborative process to put together the hiring process for the
Co-Directors, using their draft as a foundation for the recruitment brochure as well, may be the best
way to proceed. He requested the salary range be provided at the next Committee meeting to review
and approve. Ms. Elliott responded that she would be glad to work with a subcommittee of the Core
Committee. Chair Glover recognized CAO Nino who inquired about the timing of taking this to the full
Board of Supervisors. Vice Chair Gioia responded that the Equity Committee would recommend details
to the full Board but wanted to know how much detail would be required in the Ordinance amendment.
Ms. Elliott responded that the job spec doesn't need to be finished to proceed with the Ordinance
change; the primary purpose of the job would be needed, and that material is available now. HR would
be ready, at the end of 30 days--after Ordinance introduction, to go back to the full Board with full
details. Vice Chair Gioia asked her about her sense of having a draft brochure for the Committee's
consideration. Ms. Elliott responded that HR Manager, Nicole Bilich, and herself would be working
directly with the subcommittee of the Core Committee, and timing would be dependent on their
progress.
4.PROVIDE direction to staff of the Equity Committee on agenda items for future Committee meetings in
2023.
Vice Chair Gioia noted that what would be helpful to the Committee is a summary of existing DEI
(Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) efforts in County departments. He requested that each department explain
their current practices and efforts at future Committee meetings. Chair Glover requested that this be
spread over time and included as a standard agenda item for the Equity Committee.
A caller expressed disappointment that her question about what a Language Equity Coordinator is
hadn't been answered (earlier). She then asked what the Directors would be doing all day. She
expressed that this doesn't look like a "legitimate committee," and that this was "illegal" and "out of your
jurisdiction," and "you have no right to regulate my speech." Isabel Lara thanked the Committee, noting
she was a taxpayer as well and wanted to be part of the solution for systems that she had been hurt by.
5.ACCEPT the resignation of Mark Pighin (Disability seat) on the Advisory Council on Equal Employment
Opportunity (ACEEO) and recommend that the Board of Supervisors DECLARE a vacancy on the
ACEEO with the term expiration date of November 30, 2022.
Vice Chair Gioia requested a brief explanation of the nature of the "Disability" seat, and
suggested that outreach should be conducted for the seat through press releases and
engagement with the Board offices. Antoine Wilson explained "Disability" in terms of mental or
physical challenges. (Staff subsequently determined that this item did not need to be declared
Vacant by the Board of Supervisors because the term of the seat had already concluded.
Outreach could commence directly.)
6.Recommend that the Board of Supervisors on their February 28, 2023 consent calendar reappoint
Roosevelt Gibson, Jr. to the Education Seat and Eric Maldonado to the Community Seat #3 on the
Advisory Council on EEO. The terms for these seats will end on November 30, 2025.
The Committee expressed their approval of the recommendation for both appointments.
7.The next meeting is currently scheduled for Monday, March 20, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. The Equity
Committee is scheduled to meet the third Monday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
No change to the meeting schedule was proposed. The meeting was adjourned at 10:10 a.m.
8.Adjourn
For Additional Information Contact:
Lara DeLaney, Sr. Deputy County Administrator
Phone (925) 655-2057lara.delaney@cao.cccounty.us
Record of Attendance
Equity Committee of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
February 9, 2023
Ali Saidi (he)
ANDREA FRY
Ann Elliott# HR Director (Ann Elliott)
ANTOINE WILSON
Call_in_user_1
Christy Lam-Julian
Doug Leich (he/him)
Edgar Martinez
Elissa Robinson# Office of Supervisor Diane Burgis
Enid Mendoza
Erika Jenssen she/her
Ernesto De La Torre (He/Him)
Federal Glover
Gilberto Salinas
iPhonehLatrece Martin
ISABEL LARA
Jami Morritt (BOS Meetings)
Janet Hoy LWVDV (Janet Hoy)
JASON CHAN
Jill Ray# Office of Supervisor Candace Andersen
John Dante' (Zoom user)
John Gioia
john.m.dante@icloud.com (Zoom user)
Kanwarpal Dhaliwal (she/her)
Karen Perkins (Arnold Perkins)
Kerby Lynch
Kimberly Barnes# she/her
Lara DeLaney# Interim Staff to Committee# she/her (LARA DELANEY)
LAUREN HULL
Lynn Baskett (she/hers) Ohlone/Chochenyo land
Mariana Moore (she/her) (Sara Gurdian)
Mary Schreiber LWVDV (Mary Schreiber)
Meg Keeley
Melvin Willis
MONICA NINO
Nicole Bilich
PAUL REYES
Rachel Rosekind
Roxanne Carrillo Garza# HCC# Senior Director (Healthy Contra Contra rcgarza@richmondcf.org)
Shannon Ladner-Beasley (she/her)
Solomon Belette ECCCA/ORESJ Core Committee (Solomon Belette)
Sonia Bustamante (she/her) Supervisor Gioia# Contra Costa County
Tom Geiger
Veronica CHD
Veterans House Accession
Willie Robinson (DC - Control Booth-2)
Attachment A
Considerations
for the
ORESJ Community Driven
Process for Hiring
Kerby Lynch, PhD
Ceres Policy Research and the CORE Committee
klynch@cerespolicyresearch.com
Attachment B
Recruiting Strategy and Work Plan:
1. CORE Committee-Led Process for the Position Description and Supporting Documents
2. Research and Networking for Potential Candidates
a. Use our extensive networks of contacts to recruit from
b. Send customized email messages and make personal telephone calls to potential
candidates encouraging submission to the position
3. Recommended advertising placements and social media marketing of the position
4. Technical Support for applicants at every stage of the recruitment process
5. Initial telephone or Zoom interviews with potential candidates (if appropriate)
6. Community Visits: Have a mechanism where interviews of finalist can take place in
various locations throughout the county.
7. CORE Committee will create a Director Search Subcommittee to manage the Candidate
Selection, Preparation, and Semifinalist and Finalist Interviews (in collaboration with HR
and the CAO)
Attachment B
Core Committee Director Search Workgroup Process Deliverables:
1. A recruitment database and screening matrix to chart and track the flow of applications and support
decision-making about applicants
2. Summary update regarding the applicant pool (to the community-at large without revealing
confidential information)
3. Standard communications and message texts for inquiries, replies to questions, and requests for
additional information from candidates
4. Interview question templates for conducting and documenting all telephone or Zoom interviews done
by the Core Committee
5. Summary reports of all initial telephone or Zoom interviews completed (submitted to the hiring
committee within the county)
6. Suggested interview questions for first-round interviews (provided to the hiring committee within the
county)
7. Recommended agenda for finalists’ community-based interviews (provided to the hiring committee
within the county upon request)
8. Web-based survey evaluations for rating finalists’ community-based interviews and post-interview
evaluation summaries (set up for the hiring committee within the county upon request)
Attachment B
Candidate Rubric:
1. Expert on leading or managing racial equity efforts in public
relations/community-based organizations/government
2.Executive level leadership/Forward thinking
3.Strong political acumen and praxes in critical race theory/intersectionality
4.Advanced overall assessment, management, and crisis and conflict management
skills
5.Strong relationship/trust-building skills
6.Demonstrated capacity to thrive in fast-paced institutions or community
partnerships
7.Passionate/Compassionate
8.Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
9.Culture fit and the ability to effectively challenge the status quo
10.Demonstrated capacity to connect and engage with and in diverse communities of
Contra Costa
Attachment B