Office of Equity & Inclusion Staff Introduced
FREDERICK, Md. – Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater kicked off Pride Month by announcing an initiative to foster an inclusive environment and create a culture in Frederick County Government where everyone feels valued and respected. A key component of the County’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Strategic Workforce Plan is to provide foundational training for all County employees, which began last week with the Office of the County Executive staff.
“I want Frederick County Government to be a high-performing employer of choice, a place where everyone feels included and wants to come to work or to do business with us,” County Executive Fitzwater said. “We have made significant changes to our hiring policies to remove unnecessary barriers, and we are supporting our business community with new programs to help them grow. I am proud of the work we are doing to bring our workforce and community together so everyone can live, work, and thrive in a truly Livable Frederick.”
Among the DEIB initiatives outlined Monday are:
- Training for all County employees to help people understand where biases may exist and build awareness and skills on how to be inclusive.
- Employee Resource Groups to support workers with shared traits or lived experiences.
- Nearing completion of a disparity study to determine if the way the County awards contracts is exclusionary. This step is required before an Equal Business Opportunity program can be established.
- Expansion of the EmPOWER program, which provides underrepresented businesses tools to grow their businesses.
- A Frederick County business directory where people can find categories of businesses, such as veteran-owned or woman-owned.
- Launch of DEIB Champion Employee Recognition Awards.
“There is a business case for this work, and it is backed up by data,” Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Tiffani Kenney said, “including the idea that job seekers want to work where DEI is in the framework. New generations coming into the workforce will seek out companies with DEI plans.”
Mrs. Kenney also introduced two new members of her staff in the Office of Equity and Inclusion. They are Equity & Inclusion Coordinator Madison Welder and Administrative Coordinator Denise Murphy. To learn more about the Office, visit www.FrederickCountyMD.gov/Equity.
###
Photo captions: Top image - Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater speaks during her public information briefing Monday. Bottom image - Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer Tiffani Kenney addresses viewers during Monday's briefing.
Contact: Vivian Laxton, Director
Office of Communications & Public Engagement
301-600-6740