FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lynnwood Team Graduates from Government Alliance For Racial Equity Training Cohort

LYNNWOOD, WA (February 25, 2020) - A team of twelve City of Lynnwood employees just finished a year-long training through GARE, the Government Alliance for Racial Equity, furthering Lynnwood's commitment to being a safe, welcoming and equitable community for all. GARE is a national network of local governments working to advance racial equity and increase opportunities for all. Lynnwood is the first city in Snohomish County to become a GARE member.

Over the past year, the City of Lynnwood team has participated in the Northwest Cohort along with other regional jurisdictions and organizations, attending monthly sessions focused on building skills and strategies for the implementation of equitable government practices. The team has learned effective approaches for building the capacity of government to eliminate institutional and structural racism and advance racial equity.

The Lynnwood team of twelve employees represent every City Department, various levels of the organization, and come from diverse backgrounds. "We learned about the historic inequities that affect people of color due to institutional and structural racism," stated Cameron Coronado, Public Works Environmental Engineering Technician. "We are now ready to work with the Mayor, City Council and our City employees to enact policy change that will help eliminate racial inequalities in our local city government, changing our systems and institutions so that all Lynnwood community members have the opportunity to thrive."

"I am so proud of our Lynnwood GARE team for making racial equity a priority for our City. We have a duty to serve all members of our community, and our participation in GARE will help us achieve our commitment of being equitable in city practices and governance," stated Mayor Nicola Smith. "As Lynnwood continues to grow and become more diverse, the need for racial and social equity in service, policies, programs, and outreach will continue to be essential"

City of Lynnwood GARE Cohort:
Back Row L-R: Information Technology Director Will Cena, Environmental Engineering Technician Cameron Coronado, Police Management Analyst Connie Avalos-Galer, Budget Supervisor Janella Lewis, Buyer Stan Hernandez, Executive Assistant Leah Jensen, Human Resources Director Evan Chinn.

Front Row L-R: Events and Outreach Coordinator Misty Burke, Planning Manager Ashley Winchell, Senior Center Supervisor Mary-Anne Grafton, Streets Maintenance Worker Adrian Farias, and Police Commander Wes Deppa.

Learn more about the City's efforts to be a Safe and Welcoming community by visiting our Safe and Welcoming Lynnwood web page. For more information on the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, visit www.RacialEquityAlliance.org/. 

Contact:

Julie Moore
Communications and Public Affairs Officer
jmoore@LynnwoodWA.gov 
425-670-5023

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