Thanks to a nationwide racial justice movement, we’ve noted an increase in the hiring, or at least visibility, of chief diversity officers and similar positions in the past year. For private companies, these professional are typically charged with building strategic plans to meet DEI hiring and culture goals.
The City of Philadelphia has had a version of the role for a few years, and last month announced a new chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer in Nefertiri Sickout. Sickout has been with the Mayor’s Office since 2016, and was most serving as acting DEI officer since last year, when Nolan Atkinson left the role in May 2020.
In this role, Sickout will lead the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion which houses the Office of LGBT Affairs and the Office for People with Disabilities. Mayor Jim Kenney’s announcement said the office is pushing forward a “dual strategy” with different departments to center a racial equity framework with equitable workforce and community outcomes.
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