Charter

Purpose: To enable Mecklenburg County in being a model diverse organization.

Governance: The Diversity Council reports to the Effective and Efficient Government Focus Area Leadership Team (EEG FALT). At the discretion and approval of the County's Human Resources Director, the Council will present recommendations to the Personnel Commission.

EEG FALT chair/Diversity Council sponsor Roles/Responsibilities: The EEG FALT chair serves as the sponsor of the Diversity Council. As the Diversity Council sponsor, the EEG FALT chair, or their designee(s), will provide guidance and direction to the Diversity Council. This includes but is not limited to the following:

• Clarifying the accountabilities and performance standards within the Diversity Council's work plan
• Conducting an annual evaluation of the Diversity Council's performance in achieving its work plan accountabilities
• Establishing specific processes for the Diversity Council to seek and receive direction and guidance on a regular basis, including enhanced input and involvement by the Diversity Council sponsor
• Reviewing and recommending potential changes to the Diversity Council charter as needed
• Reviewing and revising interim and/or final work product of the Diversity Council
• Steering the activities of the Diversity Council and/or monitoring progress of its work plan
• Sponsoring the final work product presented to the EEG FALT
• Designating the Diversity Management Coordinator and/or other staff support for the Diversity Council

The diversity management coordinator and/or other designated staff will provide professional, administrative and logistical support to the Diversity Council, and will serve as the liaison between the Diversity Council and executive management.

Diversity Council Roles/Responsibilities: The Diversity Council is a standing subcommittee of the EEG FALT that takes action within its authority to enable Mecklenburg County to achieve its goals for being a model diverse organization.

The Diversity Council's primary responsibilities include:

• Developing and recommending diversity management plan revisions to the EEG FALT
• Making recommendations on the employee training and education on diversity, including identifying diversity core competencies employees should have to be successful in a model diverse organization
• Serving as a resource to the organization on matters related to being a model diverse organization
• Sponsoring and organizing employee events in celebration of diversity, consistent with the goals and strategies of Mecklenburg County's Diversity Management Plan
• Developing and recommending ongoing diversity plan performance measures and best practices consistent with Mecklenburg County's Diversity Management Plan

Key Deliverables: The deliverables of the Diversity Council shall include but may not be limited to the following:

• Recommending an annual work plan based on direction from EEG FALT, the Diversity Council sponsor, and/or the diversity management work plan approved by organizational development executive leadership
• Preparing and providing to EEG FALT an annual report on progress in implementing the County's diversity management plan, the Diversity Council's work plan accomplishments, and recommendations for subsequent year's work plan
• Providing the EEG FALT chair an assessment of the Diversity Council's performance regarding the accomplishment of its annual work plan, as part of the EEG FALT chair's evaluation of the Diversity Council
• Recruiting County employees who are not Diversity Council members to participate in Diversity Council activities, especially those involving the development of recommendations within the scope of the Diversity Council charter

Membership: Members of the Council will be chosen through a formal selection process consistent with established membership criteria approved by EEG FALT. EEG FALT members may serve on the Diversity Council. Potential Diversity Council members shall be recommended by the Council members with final approval by the EEG FALT.

Member Terms: Members will serve two-year terms. Members are expected to commit to serve their full term and to attend the meetings rather than sending a representative. To avoid rotating too many members off of the Diversity Council at the same time, membership terms will be staggered.

Attendance Requirement: Members must attend 75% of the scheduled meetings and be present for 50% of the meeting to qualify as attending the meeting. Members who do not satisfy this attendance requirement after serving one year may be removed from the Council and may not be reappointed to the Council.

Chair and Vice Chair: The Diversity Council will select a chair and vice chair each fiscal year. There is no limit to the number of terms someone may serve as chair or vice chair within their two-year term on the Diversity Council, although it is recommended that the role rotate among the Group's members to provide additional experience and to distribute the workload associated with the role.

The primary role of the chair, and the vice chair in the absence of the chair, is to determine, assemble and distribute the meeting agenda, in collaboration with the Diversity Management Coordinator, and to run the meetings of the Diversity Council.

Meetings: Meetings of the Diversity Council will be scheduled at the discretion of the chair, unless the Group decides to establish a regular meeting schedule.

Staff Support: Staff support for developing and distributing meeting agendas, summaries, meeting logistics will be the responsibility of the Diversity Management Coordinator, unless otherwise specified by the Diversity Council.

Decision Making: The Diversity Council will strive for decisions by consensus as the primary method of decision making. Consensus is defined as ranging from full support and willingness to champion to willing to accept without complaint. If the Diversity Council chair determines that consensus is not attainable, a vote may be called by the chair. Voting decisions will be made by vote of members present at the meeting in which the votes occur. At the discretion of the chair, votes may be taken electronically, but this should be limited to issues that have been previously discussed. Members must make every reasonable effort to attend meetings in which votes are planned and taken.

A meeting quorum of a majority of voting members is required to conduct a meeting and take a vote. Formal recommendations and/or other decisions require either a consensus or a majority vote of the voting members. All decisions by the Diversity Council are subject to approval by the EEG FALT and/or the County Executive Team.

Task Forces and Committees: The Diversity Council may appoint employee task teams and/or subcommittees at its discretion to assist in the work of the Diversity Council. The purpose of a task force is to pursue specific objectives within a specific time frame and with a clearly defined work product. The resulting work product will provide the basis for decision-making, strategies and policies. Upon completion of the final work product, the task force will be disbanded.
The purpose of a subcommittee is to provide the ongoing management of matters with a less defined objective and work product than those of a task force. Each task force or subcommittee will have at least two Diversity Council members. No member should serve on more than one task force or subcommittee at the same time.

Amendments: This Charter may be amended according to decision-making rules previously described and with the approval of the EEG FALT.

Council Members

• Colleen Singleton, Chair, Register of Deeds
• Carlos Hernandez, Vice Chair, Area Mental Health
• Roger Kortekaas, Public Service and Information
• Monica Lindsey, Sheriff’s Office
• Leon Schaffer, Department of Social Services
• James Worsley, Park and Recreation
• Jamie Pridgen, Community Support Services
• Toya Williams, Finance
• Karen Beach, Public Library
• Domonique Brown, Health Department
• Gustavo Mibelli, Real Estate Services
• David Lari, IST
• Donnie Simmons, Human Resources
• Janet Payne, County Manager’s Office
• Sandy Pizarro, Human Resources
• Jake Wilson, LUESA
• Lotrel Feaster, LUESA
• Ed Yeager, Ex-Officio member Attorney’s Office
• Phin Xaypangna, Diversity Manager, Executive Liaison, Organizational Development

Americans with Disabilities Act - Contact Bill Warren for information

Minority and Women Business Enterprise - Contact Teresa McDow for information