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Frisco Multicultural Committee chair outlines outreach and invites Richardson collaboration
Summary
Katie Johnson Davis, chair of the City of Frisco Multicultural Committee, told Richardson commissioners the Frisco group is focused on building relationships, tracking event metrics and creating secular community opportunities, and she invited Richardson to exchange best practices and meet chair‑to‑chair for follow‑up.
Katie Johnson Davis, chair of the City of Frisco Multicultural Committee, described her group's first year of work and invited Richardson commissioners to collaborate on outreach and cultural programming. Speaking to the Richardson commission, Davis said Frisco is "a minority majority" and outlined demographics and priorities the committee used to set goals for 2026.
Davis said Frisco counts about 245,000 residents in its most recent census, with 77 languages spoken and roughly a 34% Asian population, about 10% Hispanic and about 10% Black or African American. "We are a minority majority in the city of Frisco," she said, and described the committee's purpose as advising city council and staff, supporting community‑led celebrations and connecting cultural organizations with city resources.
The Frisco group, formed by mayoral proclamation in July 2024, set three strategic priorities this year: strengthening community relationships, formalizing internal processes and pursuing strategic advocacy, Davis told the commission. She said the committee has helped secure event sponsors (including for Lunar New Year), attends community events to listen and learn, and has begun tracking basic attendance and demographic metrics to measure participation.
Commissioners asked how Frisco measures "belonging" and whether the city’s events attract cross‑community attendance. Frisco members said measurement was in early stages—mixing anecdotal feedback with the city’s 2024 mailed community satisfaction survey and new attendance tracking—and emphasized relationship building as a primary tactic. "Sometimes we think, ‘why would I come?’" Davis said, urging outreach and education so residents understand they are welcome at others' cultural events.
Frisco representatives also described recent tensions they had addressed with the involvement of the mayor, city manager and public safety officials following hostile comment at council meetings directed at the Indian American community. Davis said the committee organized a forum to hear concerns, bring city officials into a safe conversation and reassure residents that the city was responsive.
As next steps, Davis invited Richardson commissioners to attend Frisco meetings or host a chair‑to‑chair session (small subgroups to avoid walking‑quorum rules) to exchange practices and coordinate outreach. The Frisco team suggested quarterly department presentations and shared marketing and partnership ideas—citing an existing partnership with Visit Frisco to help promote community events.
The presentation concluded with an exchange of contact avenues (website submission forms, city liaisons and direct outreach) and an offer for deeper follow‑up. Richardson commissioners thanked the Frisco delegation and agreed to coordinate meetings to explore collaboration opportunities and educational programming.
