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The City of Columbus is committed to inclusiveness, acceptance, and progressive social action.
Inclusivity and diversity are important in the workplace, not only because companies with higher rates of diversity have been found to have increased profitability and productivity, but because fostering a work environment that encourages empathy and acceptance means creating a workplace in which people feel comfortable to be themselves.
The City of Columbus held its annual Pride kick-off celebration on June 1st and presented the 2021 Steven Shellabarger Illuminator Award.
The Shellabarger Illuminator Award is an annual recognition presented to individuals for outstanding initiatives promoting LGBTQIA+ rights in the City. The 2021 recipient is Erin Upchurch.
As the executive director for Kaleidoscope Youth Center, Upchurch is a leading voice in the LGBTQIA+ community on the issues of diversity, inclusion and cultural competency. An educator, activist and advocate of marginalized communities, Upchurch believes in using the power of education, conversation, advocacy and relationship building as the foundation to real progress for equity and equality. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the Ohio State University College of Social Work.
Thank you, Erin, for your leadership in our community.
Click here to view the event
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On June 2, 2021, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther announced Elaine R. Bryant as the first-ever African American woman and external candidate to serve as chief of police for the City of Columbus. Bryant is currently the deputy chief of police for the City of Detroit, MI, and was selected after an extensive national search and community engagement process.
A strong proponent for inclusion and reform, Bryant supported efforts to completely overhaul investigations in compliance with a Department of Justice decree, led the Domestic Violence Unit, worked in the Equal Employment Opportunity Office and Internal Affairs Unit, collaborated with Detroit’s civilian oversight board, and created and expanded numerous community relations projects to strengthen ties between police and residents.
Read the Press Release
Click here to watch Mayor Ginther appoint Elaine Bryant Chief of Police
Interested in learning more about the Gender Gap in policing? Check out the 30×30 initiative to advance women in policing.
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In Columbus, the affordable housing crisis is at a tipping point. The economic impact of the pandemic has destabilized and displaced families throughout the country. Committed to ensuring every resident in Columbus has the opportunity to call someplace home, Councilmember and Commissioner Shayla Favor presented the Housing for All legislative package to provide options and protections for tenants seeking affordable housing in the City of Columbus.
“This legislative package is not designed to solve all of our City’s housing challenges,” said Councilmember Favor. “However, these policies are important tools to help advance our goals of strengthening neighborhoods by stabilizing homes.”
The group of ordinances provides greater protections and options for Columbus tenants. The package consists of Source of Income, Renter’s Choice and Rental Receipt measures that:
- Prohibit housing discrimination based on source of income
- Provide options for paying the traditional security deposit
- Require landlords to provide tenants with a receipt upon payment of rent
Columbus joins hundreds of cities across the country that have passed laws protecting people from discrimination based on their source of income.
Click here to learn more
Please give a warm welcome to our new Policy Advisor, Christina Ratleff! Christina comes to us with a rich background in public health and policy. She most recently worked at CelebrateOne as the program manager for Healthy Beginnings at Home (HBAH), an innovative program designed to improve perinatal outcomes among women experiencing housing instability.
Prior to joining CelebrateOne, Christina was a senior program manager for women's and infant health at the Association and Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP). In this role, Christina led the development, implementation, and evaluation of program activities related to women’s and infant health and the social/structural determinants of health.
Christina holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the College of Wooster. She completed her Master's in Public Health at Boston University, concentrating in maternal and child health and health policy. Christina can be reached at CLRatleff@columbus.gov.
We are pleased to welcome two summer interns to the team, Zarah and Alex!
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Zarah Fulay, is a 4th year student at the Ohio State University studying Political Science and International Studies. Zarah is from Hilliard, Ohio and is excited to be helping the city she spent growing up in.
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Alex Williams is a senior Journalism student at Ohio University, focusing on Strategic Communication. Alex is a Sunbury, Ohio native and hopes to continue work with non-profit or policy communications after graduation.
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The Columbus Women's Commission is participating in an important project with Central Ohio Women in Trades, Chicago Women in Trades, and Action for Children among other local collaborators to evaluate the challenges of finding child care, especially for Central Ohio women working in the trades. The goal of the project is to develop a model that will increase access to child care and address the specific challenges facing families who work in the trades, including the need to accommodate overtime and third shift hours.
A short survey was developed to inform the project and is available here: https://www.womeninthetrade.com/. If you are working in the trades or other nontraditional employment, we encourage you to participate.
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The Council Residential Districting Commission is drawing the maps that will create nine Council districts in the City of Columbus, and we need your help to get it right. In addition to the weekly neighborhood virtual meetings occurring right now, you have an option to take the CRDC survey at www.surveymonkey.com/r/Columbusdistricts.
The survey asks users for their insights on neighborhood representation in Columbus and how they want to see the CRDC address the new residential Council districts. The information collected will inform the strategy in drawing the maps, which will take place later this year.
Working together, we can amplify every corner of the City with a legislative voice. The CRDC is defining the future, today! Visit columbus.gov/districtingcommission for more info.
Columbus Public Health’s drive-thru vaccine clinic at the Celeste Center will close on June 26. Vaccines will still be available by walk-in or appointment at Columbus Public Health or at pop up community clinics. People who get their first dose of Pfizer at the Celeste Center and are due for their second dose in July, will need to get their second vaccine at Columbus Public Health.
No Appointment COVID-19 Vaccines
Walk in vaccines are available without an appointment at Columbus Public Health’s standing clinics:
- Walk In at Columbus Public Health - 240 Parsons Ave.
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Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
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Two-dose Pfizer vaccine and the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine are offered.
Learn more: www.Columbus.gov/c19vax.
Pop Up Community Vaccine Clinics
Columbus Public Health is hosting pop up community vaccine clinics by walk-in or appointment.
If you would like to make an appointment, call 614-645-1519.
- June 29 - Rickenbacker Airport (7250 Star Check Ave) - 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- July 2 - Grace United Church of Christ (1226 Shady Lane Rd.) - 1-4 p.m.
- July 7 - The Church on Oakland Park (1230 Oakland Park Ave.) - 1-4 p.m.
All clinics will offer the Pfizer vaccine (first dose only) and the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. People are encouraged to bring their ID and insurance card if they have it. No one will be turned away. Learn more: www.Columbus.gov/c19vax.
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