Playing – Springfield hires racial fairness coordinator to deal with injustices going through minority group
SPRINGFIELD — Chrismery Gonzalez has been named coordinator of town’s Workplace of Racial Fairness to create methods to enhance situations for the minority group, officers mentioned Tuesday.
The appointment of Gonzalez at an annual wage of $67,000, was introduced by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Helen Caulton-Harris, town’s commissioner of well being and human providers.
The job description states partly that Gonzalez will likely be chargeable for “creating a strategic plan that will implement strategies devoted to improve conditions that negatively impact communities of color and work to eradicate racial and social injustices to attain health equity across all residents of Springfield.”
Gonzalez is a Springfield resident and will likely be employed below town’s Division of Well being and Human Providers in her new place.
She most lately labored within the division’s Workplace of Downside Playing, the place she was chargeable for enhancing public well being of metropolis residents “through a racial and health equity lens to reduce the impact of problem gambling,” in line with town announcement.
Her emptiness within the playing workplace will likely be crammed, Caulton-Harris mentioned.
Sarno mentioned Gonzalez is “ready to hit the ground running.”
PGFFFJI4S36HUE”>“Ms. Gonzalez is no stranger to community, and public health and racial equity work,” Sarno mentioned. “Her experience, education and passion to helping our community will go a long way in achieving the mission and goals of this newly created office.”
Caulton-Harris mentioned the brand new place is a part of town’s effort “to address the disbanding of systemic racism and racial injustices, and to support policies that will influence the reform of current structures that have a negative impact on the health outcomes of historically marginalized and oppressed populations.”
Initially, the Workplace of Racial Equality will likely be staffed by simply Gonzalez, officers mentioned.
Gonzalez mentioned town’s declaration of racism as a public well being problem within the metropolis displays the dedication of Sarno and Caulton-Harris to the residents.
BTCE2YFJMMIGE”>“I am excited to work with community members and organizations in this city to find solutions and develop policies and programs that will lead to a healthier Springfield,” Gonzalez mentioned within the launch.
Previous to her employment within the playing workplace, Gonzalez labored as a metropolis coordinator of a substance abuse prevention collaborative program, and as a discipline supervisor, officers mentioned.
Throughout the group, she is a member of the Lambda Beta Sigma Chapter, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and serves on a number of skilled advisory boards and committees.
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J6GRLY”>Gonzalez has a Grasp of Public Well being diploma with a concentrate on Neighborhood Well being Training, and Bachelor of Science in Public Well being diploma with a focus on Neighborhood Well being Training from the College of Massachusetts in Amherst.
