Malden council hears yearlong racial equity audit; DEI coordinator seeks staffing and funding support

Kishana Holling, DEI coordinator for the city of Malden, presented the results of a yearlong racial equity audit to the City Council, summarizing key findings, implementation recommendations and near-term priorities and noting that the work will require additional staffing and sustained support.

The audit, prepared with input from the Racial Equity Commission and a consultant identified in the presentation as HCH Enterprises, examined hiring practices, communication, community engagement and service delivery and recommended tools the city could use to track progress, including an "inclusive excellence scorecard." Holling told the council the audit "doesn't mark the end of the journey but rather gives us a roadmap for to guide, like, meaningful action."

Why it matters: the report identifies concrete steps the city could take to expand access to services, improve language and disability access, and institutionalize equity practices across departments. Holling said the city was awarded a $50,000 community-compact grant to fund DEI training, inclusive community events, and cross-department capacity building through 2026.

Holling described actions already under way: distribution of more than 400 wellness kits to city staff, two citywide DEI town halls with interpretation, targeted events such as a sensory-friendly celebration for neurodiverse residents, and participation by a cross-departmental team of 10 in a regional racial-equity cohort. She said she serves as the city’s sole DEI staffer supporting both the Malden Public Schools and municipal departments and that sustaining the work will require additional capacity.

Councilors responded with praise and offers of help. Councilor Linehan asked, "What else can we do to have your back?" and said the council wanted to support Holling given the turnover common in DEI roles. Councilor McDonald noted that the audit compares the city's work against best practices and flagged language access, communication and support for minority-owned businesses as areas the report highlights. Several councilors urged better distribution of information about DEI programming to reach residents across wards.

The audit includes a list of consultant recommendations Holling relayed to the council: adopt and integrate the inclusive-excellence scorecard into planning and budgeting, approve an internal DEI funding-request process for departments and community partners, continue inclusive public events and staff training, approve the launch of employee resource groups, and restructure the Human Rights Commission to focus more directly on equity.

Councilors and Holling discussed next steps rather than taking a formal vote. Councilor McDonald said she would ensure a copy of the consultant report is attached to the meeting minutes and that commendations for the Racial Equity Commission would be available in the City Council office. Holling said she will continue to pursue implementation, reach out to department leaders for collaboration and pilot employee resource groups as a starting point for staff affinity and event planning.

Details from the presentation and follow-up: Holling said the staff DEI survey used to shape training contained roughly 30 questions; the consultant report is about 36 pages; the city received a $50,000 community-compact grant to support work through 2026; and a cross-departmental team of 10 participated in the regional cohort cited in the presentation. Holling also said the city has lost its police community advisory council and is working to restructure the Human Rights Commission to better support equity goals.

No formal motion or vote on policy or budget items related to the audit was recorded during the meeting. The presentation and council discussion concluded with multiple councilors publicly offering support and an acknowledgement that sustained progress will require more staffing and coordinated effort across departments.

Looking ahead, Holling described priorities for 2025–26 that include launching employee resource groups for staff, deepening youth engagement in partnership with Malden Public Schools (a youth initiative she called "Next Up Malden Youth Voices and Bright Futures" targeted for 2026), rolling out the consultant's inclusive-excellence scorecard with departments, expanding language and technology access, supporting community financial-literacy workshops, and creating a formal DEI funding-request form for departments and community partners.

The council meeting record and the consultant report will serve as the immediate documentary record of the presentation; Holling and councilors said they will continue to brief the council as implementation unfolds.