Chief Equity Officer Statement
The City has already begun taking steps on several of the new recommendations and anticipates successful implementation of many, if not all, the recommendations soon.
• We will pursue strategic initiatives to foster greater capital investment in Arlington, while mitigating barriers around access to capital for underrepresented businesses.
• The City is exploring the design and development of equitable communities through strategic public-private partnerships and investment – with an emphasis on the most economically challenged areas of Arlington.
• Future education and workforce development activities will concentrate on supporting collaborations in K-12 and higher education that facilitate academic ecosystems that support emerging workforce opportunities, while providing all students with the support necessary to learn and grow in safe, worldclass and inclusive learning environments.
We should also be prepared to consider how we will address the intersectionality of specific populations and social concerns. For example, the City and the Unity Council may want to consider how they can best address the needs of veterans within the context of housing security and disability.
To effectively achieve equitable outcomes, we must have a clearer understanding of our cultural and social differences, similarities and needs.
The City has set a framework for achieving this critical work through the implementation of collaborative cultural exchanges that engage the Mayor’ s advisory councils, the Unity Council and the broader community.
The goal of these exchanges is for community leaders to learn about, understand and celebrate specific segments of the population, so that we may be better equipped to collaborate around shared needs and interests. The cultural exchange series will culminate with the second annual“ DreamFest,” which brings all Arlington’ s various cultures together for a celebration of community.
The success of our city and all its residents will forever be connected to our ability to share in a vision for a more unified and inclusive Arlington. A city that allows everyone to pursue their respective dream in“ The American Dream City.” I look forward to joining with each of you in this ongoing work. We are better together.
Unity Council Report 2023 135