Evans School presents draft equity assessment of Issaquah boards; recommends targeted recruitment, standard training and better reporting

Evans School researchers presented preliminary findings and recommendations to the Issaquah Equity Board on May 7, asking for feedback before a final report and implementation planning.

The consultants told board members the study compared applicant and member demographics to 2024 census data and neighborhood distributions, and supplemented that analysis with interviews of board members, staff liaisons and representatives from nine other jurisdictions. "Boards and commissions are a critical way that local governments engage their citizens," a presenter said, and "to ensure all members of a community are heard equally ... it's necessary to ensure boards and commissions are representative of that community and operate with equity in mind." (Evans School presenter)

The assessment identified several recurring findings: some Issaquah neighborhoods were overrepresented on boards (Squak Mountain, Issaquah Valley, and Old Town) while others were underrepresented (Issaquah Highlands, North Issaquah and Montreux); roughly 20% of current board members reported living outside the city limits; members identifying as Asian appeared underrepresented compared with the city population; and applicant/member demographic fields had substantial missing data (approximately 13'0% missing). The consultants noted that racial, age, socioeconomic and other axes of diversity were raised in interviews but often could not be analyzed because those fields were not consistently collected.

To address those gaps the consultants proposed a set of recruitment and board-practice changes. Recruitment proposals included expanding outreach beyond traditional channels (postcards/newsletters), testing nontraditional methods (social media, presence at community events, flyers in specialty grocery stores and partnerships with local nonprofits), and reducing barriers in the application/interview process. On inclusion and retention, recommendations emphasized standardized onboarding, a shared equity training for all boards (plus topic-specific trainings), mentoring or "board buddy" systems for new members, regular reporting back to boards from city staff, and creating opportunities for cross-board collaboration and co-creation.

Presenters repeatedly framed their recommendations as options for the city to prioritize. "What's most urgent? What's low-hanging fruit?" they asked the Equity Board, requesting the group's input on sequencing implementation. Board members and staff pressed for additional data (retention and age distributions were cited as missing), raised website and application usability problems (applicants reported technical errors), and discussed whether targeted outreach should aim for demographic parity or prioritize representation of communities facing greater inequities.

Jillian, the board liaison, said the Evans School report will be refined with internal equity staff feedback and the city clerk's office and will return to the Equity Board in June for further prioritization and implementation planning. The consultants said a final written report will be produced and shared publicly.

The presentation was discussion-driven; no formal action or vote was taken at the meeting.