Omaha’s City Council approved a contract Tuesday with the National League of Cities Race, Equity and Leadership team, for training for city employees. Keith Station is deputy chief of staff in Mayor Jean Stothert’s office and leader of Omaha’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. “This is a good thing, a reason to celebrate really, even though some of the conversations will be will be tough,” Station said. Station said there’s a business case and a values case for this training. “We have to do both. And the business case really is taking care of our workforce. Investing in them so that they have the tools and resources to expand the culture of inclusion. The values case is that ultimately it allows them to serve the city, the citizens of the city of Omaha better,” Station said. Station explained that the City Employee Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board will act as the core equity team on the program. People from the National League of Cities will initially train that group of Omaha employees, who will then be equipped to train the rest of city staff. But city council approval did not come without questions.”What I want to be clear on, there’s been some accusations that basically this is Keith Station’s way of forcing every employee to have CRT training,” said city council member Aimee Melton on Tuesday, “I’m just putting it all out there. There was an objector who basically said that. How do you want to respond to that?” Station said in a Wednesday interview that they won’t be derailed by talking points that aren’t true. “So the words and the insinuation that this is anything other than taking care of our people to better equip them to then take care of our citizens, anything beyond that is just not true,” Station said. Station said the existing advisory board is made up of more than a dozen people representing all city departments, appointed by the mayor. Long term, he said they’ll likely open that core team up. The work should begin later this summer or fall. He hopes the whole program fosters a greater sense of belonging for all.”One of my colleagues yesterday used the example: we are making a bigger table and adding more chairs, not taking chairs away from other people,” Station said.
Omaha’s City Council approved a contract Tuesday with the National League of Cities Race, Equity and Leadership team, for training for city employees.
Keith Station is deputy chief of staff in Mayor Jean Stothert’s office and leader of Omaha’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy.
“This is a good thing, a reason to celebrate really, even though some of the conversations will be will be tough,” Station said.
Station said there’s a business case and a values case for this training.
“We have to do both. And the business case really is taking care of our workforce. Investing in them so that they have the tools and resources to expand the culture of inclusion. The values case is that ultimately it allows them to serve the city, the citizens of the city of Omaha better,” Station said.
Station explained that the City Employee Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board will act as the core equity team on the program.
People from the National League of Cities will initially train that group of Omaha employees, who will then be equipped to train the rest of city staff.
But city council approval did not come without questions.
“What I want to be clear on, there’s been some accusations that basically this is Keith Station’s way of forcing every employee to have CRT training,” said city council member Aimee Melton on Tuesday, “I’m just putting it all out there. There was an objector who basically said that. How do you want to respond to that?”
Station said in a Wednesday interview that they won’t be derailed by talking points that aren’t true.
“So the words and the insinuation that this is anything other than taking care of our people to better equip them to then take care of our citizens, anything beyond that is just not true,” Station said.
Station said the existing advisory board is made up of more than a dozen people representing all city departments, appointed by the mayor.
Long term, he said they’ll likely open that core team up. The work should begin later this summer or fall.
He hopes the whole program fosters a greater sense of belonging for all.
“One of my colleagues yesterday used the example: we are making a bigger table and adding more chairs, not taking chairs away from other people,” Station said.
