Los Alamos inclusivity task force outlines work plan, establishes working groups and outreach priorities

The Los Alamos Inclusivity Task Force met to develop a draft work plan, form and refine working groups, and agree on outreach and training priorities. The task force also approved the minutes from its previous meeting and later moved to adjourn.

The task force’s chair, Elizabeth Leaninghayner, said she will focus on administrative support and guiding collaboration among members, noting she is "the somewhat unwilling chair of this committee" while emphasizing her role in coordinating the group's work. Vice Chair Zeth urged members to keep deliverables "simple, actionable and realistic" as the task force moves from organization to implementation.

Why it matters: the task force is charged by Los Alamos County Council to assess inclusivity across schools, LANL, county departments, social service providers and the public; identify best practices used elsewhere; review prior task force recommendations; propose near-term and long-term actions; and recommend whether an ongoing advisory body is needed. Members spent most of the meeting translating those charter directives into concrete tasks, working-group assignments and interim deadlines.

Key decisions and deliverables

- Work-plan focus: Section 2.2 of the draft work plan will prioritize (1) targeted assessments by working group to identify gaps in services and access, (2) an inclusivity statement for county publications, (3) training for task force and board/commission leaders, and (4) regular public outreach including tabling at community events. The group agreed to treat assessment methods flexibly; some working groups may use surveys while others will use focus groups or stakeholder interviews. County-level documents — including the county comprehensive health plan and an interim report of public-input sessions — were identified as initial data sources.

- Training and subject-matter experts: Task force members discussed scheduling trainings roughly every two to three months and noted preliminary interest from trainers such as the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico. County Manager’s office staff indicated they are coordinating support for bringing subject-matter experts to internal trainings and, when feasible, to public sessions.

- Outreach and stakeholder engagement: Members proposed tabling at community events (for example, Pride and summer concerts) and tailoring outreach methods by working group. The youth working group will emphasize asynchronous outreach (Discord and other youth-friendly channels) and seeks middle- and high-school participants to contribute direct perspectives.

Working groups and organization

The meeting produced or confirmed a set of working groups and discussed combining overlapping groups to avoid duplication of effort: LGBTQ+; youth; justice system; disability; Indigenous connections; BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color); economically disadvantaged; cultural/heritage events; and education/outreach as a cross-cutting activity. Several members proposed merging the Indigenous, BIPOC and cultural groups where there is heavy overlap; participants agreed to consider consolidation to increase capacity.

Access to outside resources

Members asked staff to secure access to the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) resources. County staff and a council liaison said they are working to obtain that access and will share resources when available. Task force members also requested the county final comprehensive health plan and the interim stakeholder-interview material from the health council to avoid duplicating prior public-input efforts.

Timeline and reporting

The charter calls for a midterm progress report to County Council (discussed in the meeting as a July 2025 presentation) and a final report on the task force’s findings and recommendation about creating a standing advisory body (the chartered end date discussed in the meeting was February 2026). Members noted some confusion over exact dates tied to appointment timing and agreed to clarify the schedule before the midterm report.

Procedural items and formal actions

- The task force approved the minutes from the prior meeting (motion to approve; mover and seconder not specified in the record).

- The meeting concluded after a motion to adjourn that was moved by Karen Edwards and seconded (second not specified). The motion carried with members responding "Aye."

Ending note

Members agreed to continue refining the work plan between meetings and to distribute a cleaned-up working-group document and contact list to all task force members. Staff will circulate county materials identified as useful starting points, and members volunteered to continue work on the draft plan asynchronously ahead of the next meeting.