City of Lewisville issued the following announcement on July 9
The City of Lewisville has named Tamara Miller as its first Training and Equity Manager, a position that will focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the city organization and in public engagement.
“I’m very grateful for this opportunity to help lead the charge on change in our organization and in the community,” Miller said. “I understand the work of equity will be ongoing and will leave a lasting impact on our city.”
The creation of the Training and Equity Manager position was a recommendation from the Mayor’s Commission – Listen Learn Lead. That committee was created in June 2020 after the brutal and needless death of George Floyd, which brought a new focus on the inequality that still exists in the United States and the need for systemic change.
Miller was hired by the City of Lewisville in 2012 as an Administrative Secretary in Community Development (now Neighborhood and Inspection Services). Her job was reclassified in 2014 to Administrative Analyst. In February 2017, Miller became the Human Resources Training Specialist and then reclassified to a Training Coordinator in 2020. That position was reclassified into this new Training and Equity Manager in June 2021.
“The purpose of this position is to champion equity, inclusion, and belonging within the city organization and in public engagement,” Miller said. “It will help create a culture that leads with equity, to ensure there are equitable opportunities and accessibility for all those living and working in Lewisville.”
Miller graduated from Texas A&M Commerce with a Bachelor of Science in Instructional Training and Design, and a Master of Science in Organization, Learning, and Technology. She also earned a certification in Diversity and Inclusion from eCornell University. Miller served as a part-time Adjunct Instructor for training at North Central Texas College in 2013-2020.
As Training and Equity Manager, some of Miller’s essential functions include coordinating the efforts of ongoing training, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for all City employees; reviewing City policies and directives to identify hidden biases or unintended exclusions, and recommend remedies as needed; identifying community partnerships in support of diversity and inclusion goals; coordinating interactive outreach with historically under-engaged populations; and facilitating the implementation of diversity and inclusion strategies within the City.
Miller and Human Resources Director Matt Grebliunas made a presentation to the Listen Learn Lead commission about the City’s recruitment, hiring, training, promotion strategies, and discipline policies in July 2020. After that presentation, committee members began an in-depth conversation with City leaders about the need for an Equity Manager.
“The recommendations from the commission have helped the City identify areas of opportunity where we can be more inclusive internally and externally,” Miller said. “It is imperative for us to continue to work with the Listen, Learn, Lead commission to continue to build a strong, culturally diverse city.”
The committee presented 30 recommendations to City Council that the City has been actively working to implement. To see all the recommendations, and the progress being made on each, visit the Listen Learn Lead page at cityoflewisville.com.
Original source can be found here.
