In our series on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leaders, we’ve tended to focus primarily on the private sector, a space that’s had a lot of interesting and exciting emerging developments.
However, DEI is a key consideration within government organizations, as well. And, the structure, funding mechanisms, and political element of government organizations can create unique challenges and opportunities for promoting DEI efforts. Additionally, looking at DEI through a government lens is useful for those in the private sector because governments often serve as testing grounds for new strategies and approaches to various efforts (including, but not limited to, DEI) and can also serve as a model for the private sector.
Federal Government Mandate: Got Going with DEI
Indeed, the Biden administration, in a June 25, 2021, Executive Order, made the case for the federal government as a DEI model for the broader nation:
As the Nation’s largest employer, the Federal Government must be a model for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. Accordingly, the Federal Government must strengthen its ability to recruit, hire, develop, promote, and retain our Nation’s talent and remove barriers to equal opportunity. It must also provide resources and opportunities to strengthen and advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across the Federal Government. The Federal Government should have a workforce that reflects the diversity of the American people. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplaces yield higher-performing organizations.
Our subject for this installment of our series on DEI leaders is also focused on promoting and supporting DEI in the public sector, specifically within the government of the City of Colorado Springs. Valerie Gallegos is HR Manager—Organizational Development, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Recruiting Human Resources for the City of Colorado Springs and brings years of public service experience to the role.
From Education to a Focus on Diversity
A solid educational foundation is critical for success later in life, and Gallegos noticed early in her career as an educator that the experiences of students often varied widely depending on their demographics.
“I was an educator in the public school system for more than a decade—starting as a substitute and working my way up to assistant principal,” Gallegos explains. “I worked to transform education systems to put the learning in the hands of students and break down barriers that can get in the way of groups that have been underrepresented.”
Gallegos says that when she made the decision to work for the City of Colorado Springs in HR, she found that her approach and openness to supporting inclusive environments paralleled the City’s DEI vision and goals. Gallegos pursued opportunities that built her capacity for this type of work, including a diversity and inclusion certification from Cornell University, and supported further DEI efforts within the city government, including the implementation of a DEI competency in employee evaluations. Gallegos also continues to work with others to develop their understanding of various DEI opportunities and says she strives to stay curious about others’ viewpoints to better understand her organization’s workforce. “This work has been and will always be a passion of mine,” she says.
Starting with a Strong Foundation
DEI is a relatively new discipline for many organizations, and many of the DEI leaders we speak with start largely from scratch when building out DEI programs. Fortunately for Gallegos, the City of Colorado Springs had already laid a solid foundation for her to build from when she took on her DEI leadership role.
“Equity, diversity, and inclusion have been a part of our city’s work for over three decades,” Gallegos explains. “We had an opportunity to fine-tune and heavily focus on this work in the last three years. My first role in the City was as a Senior Analyst in Organizational Development (OD). As we began our EDI initiatives, it was a seamless shift to embrace OD and EDI since both focus on the development of the workforce. As I worked on these initiatives, I was promoted to a manager that oversees OD, EDI, and recruiting. I have always had the mindset that this work is not additional work but the work.”
Leading the Pack Among Colorado Municipalities
On January 1, 2021, the Equal Pay for Equal Work Law became effective in the state of Colorado. The law prohibits gender-based pay discrimination and imposes strict requirements for job postings and equal pay transparency. Gallegos says the City’s Compensation Team quickly sought to gain its Fair Pay Workplace Certificate in order to distinguish the City as an organization dedicated to true and ongoing pay equity before the new law was created.
“We are the first Municipality that has earned this certification that symbolizes a commitment to applying valid methods for identifying pay equity issues and implementing a tailored action plan to correct the issues,” Gallegos says. “We are also the only Municipality, that we know of, that has a gender transition program. We offer resources and guidance both for employees undergoing a gender transition and for their supervisors and managers to understand how to best help them navigate those changes in the workplace.”
The Crucial Importance of Employee Engagement
Too many organizations talk a big game when it comes to DEI but fail to deliver on substance. Gallegos believes a big part of this gap can be tied to a lack of engagement on the part of employees.
“In my opinion, simply saying you are a diverse organization is not enough,” she says. “Employees need to feel engaged in the workplace, feel they have a voice, and that they can help to influence decisions. This means it is not a tool we can learn and have—we need to work on it as an everyday process.”
For example, Gallegos explains, the City has revised its Vision, Mission, and Core Values statements so the language fully embraces DEI and Olympic City USA. “We did this by drafting the statements, gathering employee feedback, and revising them to reflect employee input,” she says. “Their engagement in the process brought diverse perspectives to the conversation.”
Much of the focus on DEI in the workplace revolves around the private sector, and the private sector obviously has a tremendous role to play in the world of DEI. But millions of workers around the country are employed by federal, state, and local government organizations, and it’s important not to overlook the important contributions these entities make to the national push for greater support of DEI.
Gallegos and the City of Colorado Springs have been on the forefront of this effort for years, and their continued success should serve as a great example to organizations in both the public and the private sectors.
Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.