Lakewood presents final diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging strategic plan to council

City staff presented Lakewood’s final diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) strategic plan to the Lakewood City Council on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, and laid out next steps for internal rollout and implementation.

Staff member, City of Lakewood, joined by Efnanis Henderson, president and CEO of Hender Works, reviewed the plan that staff described as an inward-facing roadmap to “prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as an important element to achieve success and foster trust among our employees, stakeholders, and the broader community.” The document, included in the council packet, identifies three initial action pillars the city will focus on: leadership, talent and education.

The plan matters because it sets the city’s internal expectations and accountability mechanisms before any outward-facing efforts; staff said the intention is to build a foundation among managers and supervisors so subsequent external work is consistent with internal practices.

Staff emphasized the plan begins with a commitment statement intended to guide work across departments. The presenter read the statement aloud at the meeting: “Lakewood represents all people, all cultures, all identities, valuing the differences that make us stronger, focusing on empowerment, inclusivity, and belonging, building a diverse team to meet the unique needs of the community we serve. We are all in.”

Hender Works consultant Efnanis Henderson commended city staff and underscored the role of leadership in making DEIB work effective. “Leadership should lead an effort like this,” Henderson said, arguing that leaders need to set direction, be accountable and limit early scope to a few “high-impact” items so the organization can focus and show results.

Council members questioned scope, measurement and specific actions. Council Member Brandstetter asked whether DEIB items would be added to the city manager’s performance evaluation; staff said that requirement is a recommendation from a pillar team but “is not one of the first items that we moved forward to take action on” and would require a separate leadership discussion. Several council members pressed about training design and the possibility of council members participating; staff said training likely will include role-appropriate offerings for elected officials and that staff is exploring learning platforms that can also provide enrollment tracking.

Council concerns about recruitment practices arose during the discussion. Council Member Pearson said he…