 Office Updates
It’s already almost the third quarter of 2024; wow! Time really does fly by!
During these last few months, the Office of Equity welcomed five new individuals to our team. First, Vito Valero (they/them) joined the Communications Team as the new Communications Specialist. They bring a wealth of experience, ideas, and perspectives that we are excited to tap into. The office then hired two Advisory Board Program Managers: Kara Chung (she/her) and Logan Drummond (he/him). Kara and Logan’s interaction with agencies and the community will be a tremendous asset to the office. Last but not least, the Equity and Belonging Team has two new employees: Onya Robertson (she/her) and Will Waverly (he/him) as Pro-Equity Consultants. The Office of Equity is thrilled to have more capable and qualified people to help us advance the work of making Washington a true equitable and belonging state for all!
If you've been at events throughout the state, you may have run into one or two of our amazing team members! We've been so busy that we can't just highlight ONE person or event, so here's a collage of some smiling faces and highlights of the year so far:
 Equity & Belonging Bench
The Shared Power team has been diligently preparing for their closing keynote session at the upcoming annual DEI Empowerment Conference on June 12th, 2024 at 3pm. Their presentation, titled "Normalizing Shared Power as a Tool to Disrupt Policies, Practices, and Processes (The 3 Ps)", will delve into the transformative potential of shared power in dismantling traditional frameworks and fostering inclusivity. It's a testament to their impactful work and dedication to driving meaningful change.
Be sure to sign up to attend the conference!
 Operations Bench
On Friday, May 3, the Office of Equity hosted contracting and procurement professionals from across the state enterprise to discuss ways to improve the state’s supplier diversity in contracting. Supporting diverse suppliers, including small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses, helps stimulate our local economy, creates jobs, and contributes to the economic stability of the communities we serve.
The goal of the meeting was to support equity in state contracting, as ordered by Executive Order 22-02, through effective policy and process change to substantially increase diverse spending with Minority, Women, Veteran-Owned and Small Businesses within the State of Washington. The discussion was an opportunity to share information, best practices, and resources to help the state meet supplier diversity goals in procurement and contracting. Topics included direct buys, OMWBE certification for small, diverse businesses, and the statewide contracting process. EQUITY will continue to focus on improving the state’s supplier diversity spending strategy and working with key state agencies on improving the contracting process for small businesses. Our statewide supplier diversity strategy is an essential component of our commitment to inclusivity and belonging.
For more information on contracting with state agencies, click here.
 Communications Bench
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to congratulate us about our rebrand! Now that we’ve mostly moved through that process, we’re looking at the rest of the year!
The Communications bench has been hard at work prepping new and established video series, building internal team processes, and launching large statewide events! Our team is also working on various parts of the Digital Equity Forum work that the Office of Equity has taken over from Department of Commerce, making contracts with community and working on digital marketing to increase awareness for all Washingtonians. We’re especially excited to continue growing in centering accessibility and have been troubleshooting a lot of different pieces of our website and event hosting platforms.
The Communications team is a small team of about 5 people and this past month we’ve welcomed a new team member, Vito Valera (they/them), which means our team is now a whopping 6 people! Here’s a little about Vito:
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Hola! My name is Vito Valera and I lived my whole life as a they/them before the world knew to name us. I was born and raised in the southwest of France in an immigrant Spanish family and came to the United States in my late 20s on a solo adventure that never really ended. I am a trilingual interdisciplinarist, a multimedia artist, designer and activist who reveres everything our magical Earth has to offer. I have worked for over 2 decades in multimedia production in alternative, mainstream and educational spaces. I have produced, recorded and performed music and multimedia shows around the world. I am delighted to be producing content, for the Office of Equity and weave accountability, humanness and mutual care practices in the fabric of our State’s endeavors using design, art, creativity and inclusive communication techniques. |
 Community Advisory Board
Everyone has been waiting in suspense for our new Community Advisory Board Managers, after the role has been sadly vacant for a few months. We are so beyond excited to announce Kara Chung (she/her) and Logan Drummond (he/him) as our new Community Board Managers. We wanted to share their bios in this newsletter as a welcome to the team and to showcase these amazing humans who get to lead some steward work:
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“Logan Drummond (he/him) is coming to us from the City of Seattle, where he has worked in multiple departments, working on Redistricting for the Department of Neighborhoods, the Boards and Commissions Program in the City Clerk's office, and most recently as an Office Manager at the Office of City Auditor. Logan is originally from rural Michigan and studied at the University of Michigan where he studied Psychology and Community Action and Social Change and the University of Michigan School of Social Work where he studied Social Policy Evaluation and Community Social Systems. Logan is passionate about advocating for equity and his fur baby Tippy (pictured below), and likes to listen to Audiobooks and go to the gym in his spare time. The Office of Equity is a dream organization of his and he is very much excited about the opportunity to support their work. “ |
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"My name is Kara Chung, I use she/her pronouns, and I am an advisory board program manager. I come to this work because I love my community and I believe in the possibility of re-imagining a system that honors our cultures, strengths, and values.
I have my doctorate in education and organizational leadership and completed my dissertation on how peer mentorship can aid in re-entry for justice-impacted women. My experience working in community-led, prison abolition spaces ignited a passion in me for racial and social equity. I have seen and experienced the harm that current systems have caused to individuals and communities at large and I believe it is my life calling to be part of the movement for change.
In my free time, I love to hike, camp, and travel. I am also proud to be a mother to a daughter and have found healing in the bond that I share with her."
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We're so excited to have all our new team members on board!
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