Mayor's pick for DEI director confirmed; councilmember proposes renaming office to 'Multicultural Affairs'

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Huntsville City Council on Jan. 9 confirmed the mayoral appointment of Dr. Randy Barber as director of the city’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion office.

Mayor Battle introduced Dr. Barber and summarized his academic and professional background, noting Barber’s Ph.D. in psychology, teaching experience at Alabama A&M University and work with local education and community organizations. The mayor said the managerial qualifications and community ties were factors in the appointment, and council members approved the appointment as part of a consolidated block of new‑business items.

Dr. Barber was present during the meeting and the mayor asked the council to concur with the appointment. Councilmember Marissa (Dr.) Robinson praised Barber’s local experience and said the appointment provided an opportunity to reconsider the department’s name and mission. Robinson said she would introduce a resolution at a future meeting to rename the office to “Multicultural Affairs,” arguing the change would better reflect community outreach and inclusivity work rather than internal human‑resources compliance functions. Councilmember Watkins is listed as a co‑sponsor of the planned resolution.

The council approved the consolidated block that included the appointment by voice vote; no roll‑call tallies were recorded in the public transcript. The mayor’s office said Dr. Barber will begin work with department onboarding and that a qualifications sheet is on file for the position.