Portland searches for city's first-ever DEI director
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Following recommendations of Portland's Racial Equity Steering Committee, the city of Portland is trying to hire a director of justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.
The city of Portland is actively hiring, like many other municipalities in Maine, but this job will be a first for the 1,400-member workforce.
The newly created role of director of justice, diversity, equity and inclusion was posted to the city’s job board Friday, and comes with a salary of $104,000 to $127,000.
The director will lead another first for Portland, the new Office of Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Reporting to the city manager, the director will serve as an adviser on DEI practices throughout city government and the broader community, according to a news release.
The director will oversee DEI practices in all city services, operations and administrative policy, while ensuring consistency in how they are implemented. In addition, the new official will be responsible for ensuring compliance with language access laws, laws requiring access to services and buildings by individuals with disabilities, and discrimination and civil rights laws providing equal access.
The creation of the position and the office follows recommendations last year from the City Council’s Racial Equity Steering Committee.
Portland isn’t the only city in Maine with such a position.
In August 2021, Lewiston appointed Melissa Hue as its first-ever director of diversity, equity and inclusion. The position was one of the main recommendations from Mayor Mark Cayer's Ad Hoc Equity & Diversity Committee, established in 2020.
Earlier last year, Bangor’s Diversity and Racial Equity Committee convened for the first time, and elected Dina Yacoubagha as its chair. The committee was formed by the Bangor City Council in 2020.
Back in Portland, applications for the new position are being accepted online until it’s filled.
Interim City Manager Danielle West commented: “I’m looking forward to having a member of our leadership team squarely focused on these issues to better guide our efforts to create a more just, diverse, equitable, and inclusive city.”
Mayor Kate Snyder added, “I look forward to the broad work the JDEI Director will do, both internally and externally, to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in an effort to address racial justice and equality and to help us define a shared vision, strategy, and work plan to achieve short- and long-term progress in this area.”
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