OMAHA, Neb. — Douglas County is looking to hire a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer.
"We can continue to talk, but I think we have to show, we have to start taking some action," said Mary Ann Borgeson, Chairwoman, Douglas County Board of Commissioners.
The new DEI officer they hope to hire will be responsible for reviewing the policies, procedures and job descriptions of the county.
"It is someone who is able to talk about the issues very comfortably, very openly, very easily. Then show us or tell us how or what they would be able to do within those first 30, 60 or 90 days. That is what is going to make a difference, in my opinion, what is on paper versus what they can do," continued Borgeson.
First, the board put together a DEI committee. They did a survey, and based on responses and feedback, they realized they needed a dedicated person to handle and manage initiatives making sure Douglas County is progressing and including everyone.
"Taking that internal look at ourselves, in order to say, 'Here are some things we need to work on, here are some things we need to fix or here are some things we really need to bring into Douglas County,'" added Borgeson.
The person will work on internal and external changes needed and initiatives.
"If we don't look internally at ourselves, first we do not know how we are going to be able to engage in these conversions with our public," said Borgeson. "We want, as a county, to be diverse. We want to be equitable and also be very inclusive."
The position closes October 14. The salary ranges from $70,000 to $110,000 a year.