SAN LUIS OBISPO — The San Luis Obispo City Council has appointed 13 members to the city's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force.
The list includes members from the community such as students and professors from Cal Poly, a council representative, and the founder of the Diversity Coalition in SLO County.
More than 90 community members applied.
The Task Force is part of an effort to help make the city an inclusive and safe community for everyone, according to a statement released by the city.
The press release also stated task force members will focus on activities that support marginalized racial, ethnic, and cultural groups; collect information and insight about advancing DE&I in San Luis Obispo; develop a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to support the DE&I work of proven organizations and best practices for change; provide guidance and a foundation for creating a potential 2021-23 DE&I-focused Major City Goal; and strengthen the focus and role of the City's Human Relations Commission (HRC) to support the City's vision.
The task force appointees are:
1. Amman Fasil Asfaw: Leader Black Student Life and Engineering Graduate Student, Cal Poly
2. Dusty Colyer-Worth: SLO Chamber of Commerce, GALA committee member
3. Erica A. Stewart: Council representative
4. Jenell Navarro: Chair of Ethnic Studies, Cal Poly
5. Katherine Soule: GALA Board of Directors
6. Michael Boyer: Founder, Diversity Coalition of SLO County
7. M'Lynn Martin: Life-long county resident, Black youth leader, youth minister
8. Matthew Melendrez: Executive Team Member, Lenses DE&I Institute
9. Maxine Kozler Koven: Dir. of LDR Ventures, CP Center for Innovation Advisor
10. Oscar Velasco-Vargas: Central Coast Coalition for Undocumented Student Success
11. Noha Kolkailah: Teacher, SLO High School, Founder and President of the Peace Academy
12. Renoda Campbell: HRC representative
13. Vanessa Parsons: Teacher and Equity Team Member, SLCUSD
City officials said the task force will be in place through January 2021.
