Interview Committee B will interview two applicants before filling MLK birthday celebration commission seat

Interview Committee B discussed two applicants for one opening on the MLK Birthday Celebration Commission and agreed not to make an appointment today, opting instead to interview both candidates before selecting someone.

Committee members identified the applicants as Tatiana Ruiz and Lisandra McCoy. Members described McCoy as a former BPD social worker and said Ruiz has student ties; one member noted Dr. Gloria How encouraged an application and has served on the commission. A committee member said the commission has had trouble maintaining quorum during past summers, which motivated consideration of an immediate appointment to ensure continuity of the commission’s work.

The committee weighed two options: appoint a candidate now so the commission would have more members over the summer, or hold interviews so both applicants feel heard. Members repeatedly emphasized avoiding discouraging either applicant. They discussed alternative pathways for the candidate not chosen, including encouragement to apply for other commissions or future openings.

Members also flagged a separate potential vacancy tied to the Human Relations Commission’s appointment to the Commission on the Status of Black Males and said they had reached out to the staff liaison, Aubrey, for input but had not yet received a response.

Logistics shaped the decision: members noted the committee will take a multiweek recess beginning around the 10th, that the committee’s next meeting dates include June 24 and a likely July 22 return, and that the two applications will expire in early August (applications are valid for one year after submission). Given that timeline, the committee agreed to schedule interviews in late June or July with the aim of making an appointment by early August if appropriate.

The meeting concluded shortly after members reached consensus to wait and interview both candidates.