Bremerton moves forward with DEI program

Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 29, 2023

The city of Bremerton is moving forward with the creation of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program for city operations as announced by Mayor Greg Wheeler in a July 26 statement.

City leadership has been considering development of a DEI program the past few months as evidenced by the addition of a full-time DEI position to the 2023 budget, among other things.

To Wheeler, creation of such a program has been less of a want and more of a need given Bremerton holds what he says is the highest diverse population in Kitsap County.

He said, “It’s imperative that we are dedicated to ensuring our workforce and our practices represent the broader community and that we provide a wide range of economic, career and other opportunities which supports a diverse workplace and our residents.”

The city announced selection of MFR Coaching and Consulting as the consultant for the project. Work since January by an advisory group made up of local and county leaders led to MFR’s selection due to what Wheeler said was “their in-depth expertise partnering with organizations to build capacity for DEI and culture change through a human-centered approach with staff, leaders and stakeholders in the community.”

Lucretia Robertson of Clarity Partnerships was hired as project manager, given her ties to Bremerton and her experience as a DEI professional. Robertson is also the Kitsap Regional Library director of human resources and DEI.

Wheeler stated the next steps would be to hold facilitated dialogues with city employees and residents to “inform the city’s DEI Strategic Plan.”