• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
    • Become a print subscriber
    • Sign up for e-Newsletter
    • e-Editions
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
  • News & Features
    • National
    • Local
    • Special Editions
      • MLK Legacy
      • Black History Month
      • The MSR Celebrates Women’s History Month
  • All Sections
    • Opinion
      • Mellaneous by Mel Reeves
      • Word on the Street
      • Reaching Out From Within
    • Health + Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • Minnesota Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Sports
      • Timberwolves/NBA
      • Lynx/WNBA
        • 20 in 20
      • Twins/MLB
      • MN Wild/NHL
      • Vikings/NFL
    • Business
      • Small Business Month Celebration
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
    • Arts + Culture
    • Photo Galleries
      • Photo of the Week
    • MSR Forefront Digital Roundtable Series
      • MSR Forefront Highlights
    • Go Green
    • Education
    • Bulletin
    • Jobs & Notices
      • Legals
      • Announcements
  • Events
    • Submit an event!
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • e-Editions
No Result
View All Result
Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder
No Result
View All Result

Met Council’s commits to fairness for all

by MSR News Online
February 6, 2013
8
SHARES
154
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on LinkedIn

Diversity director Kirkpatrick ‘really proud’ of accomplishments

 

By Dwight Hobbes 

Contributing Writer

 

 

- ADVERTISEMENT -

The Metropolitan Council has been responsible to serve, in the region, Hennepin, Ramsey, Anoka, Washington, Carver, Scott and Dakota counties. The 17-member municipal entity, with main offices located in St. Paul, is charged to provide essential service critical to the public good, working with local communities to, among other duties, operate the region’s largest transportation system, collect and treat wastewater and provide affordable housing opportunities for citizens of low and moderate income.

Wanda Kirkpatrick  Photo courtesy of  The Metropolitan Council
Wanda Kirkpatrick
Photo courtesy of
The Metropolitan Council

Accordingly, it is no small matter that such a body includes an Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, accountable to ensure, as the Council’s Pledge of Nondiscrimination states, “access to all our programs, services and benefits without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or socioeconomic status.”

Heading up that department over the past five years is Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity Director Wanda Kirkpatrick. “When I took this job,” she states, “the Metropolitan Council [was] well on our way to having diversity, inclusion, affirmative action, [and] equality opportunity be a part of everything we did. When I [started in] the position of the director, we went even further to build up our DBEs [disadvantaged business enterprises] program.” This includes contractors hired to construct the Light Rail Transit project.

In an editorial published a February 2012 issue of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Kirkpatrick said, “We at the Metropolitan Council, as builders of the line, have made it a top priority to maximize opportunities for minorities and women to work on this construction project. From the start, the Council and its partners have been committed to meeting the federal government’s targets for hiring qualified workers who have been historically disadvantaged in the construction trades.”

At that time, she said minority workers accounted for almost 18 percent of construction hours, women accounting for upwards of six percent with $26 million dollars having been spent on women- or minority-owned contracting firms. Speaking by telephone from her office for this article, she says, “Our Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program now is well known within the federal transit administration and well known within the Twin Cities for being fair both on the prime contractor side and on the DBE side. This is one of the accomplishments that has happened with the last five years.”

- ADVERTISEMENT -

Toward that end, the Pledge of Nondiscrimination affirms, “The Metropolitan Council will not tolerate discrimination by its employees or by those who receive federal funds from the Metropolitan Council.” Kirkpatrick goes on to add that her department is hands-on “from our parks division, to the new Thrive initiative going on that will provide where the Council is going for the next couple of years, actually for 2020, ’30 and ’40.”

As announced in July by Council Chair Susan Haigh, the Thrive engagement process (Thrive MSP 2040) “is an opportunity for communities, residents and officials to help shape the Council’s work and priorities for the next 10 years, work that will directly impact the next round of comprehensive plan updates. Receiving input early and often will be the key to the plan’s success.”

When powerful organizations profess to be about inclusion, that their credo is one of equal opportunity, such espoused altruism quite understandably can be taken with a cynical grain of salt. Realistically speaking, were as many such entities historically as good as their word, the demand for equal opportunity would long ago have been filled. As director, it is up to Wanda Kirkpatrick to put teeth in the Metropolitan Council’s practices.

Hence, listed first on her résumé is the duty as senior management team member, to be responsible for diversity, equal employment opportunity and contractor compliance. Also, she directs staff responsible for employment discrimination complaint investigations, reasonable accommodation review, small and disadvantaged business utilization, diversity training, and community outreach and is responsible for Title VI, Title VII, Fair Housing and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.

“[The department is] part of our hiring, of course — our promotions, of course. We are also a part of things all through HR [human resources], including benefits and our union activities.

- ADVERTISEMENT -

“We are part of the activities that we do in [the Office’s] planning, whether it’s in transportation planning or in community development planning,” Kirkpatrick explains. “Those are things that I’m really proud of.”

So, upholding its expressed commitment to level the playing for its own existing and prospective employees as well as safeguarding fair access to contract funding for companies at-large is a job her department sees to it the Metropolitan Council takes seriously. Inclusion isn’t just a buzzword. Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity director Wanda Kirkpatrick attests, “I truly believe that.”

 

Dwight Hobbes welcomes reader responses to P.O. Box 50357, Mpls., 55403. 

 

To see more stories by Dwight Hobbes click HERE

 

- ADVERTISEMENT -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Support Black local news

Help amplify Black voices by donating to the MSR. Your contribution enables critical coverage of issues affecting the community and empowers authentic storytelling.

Donate Now!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

Local talk-show producer redefines the word ‘frugal’

Next Post

Black firefighters fear fewer Blacks on force

MSR News Online

Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.

You Might Also Like

Minneapolis police officers head to Alabama for HBCU recruiting trip
Local

Minneapolis police officers head to Alabama for HBCU recruiting trip

Ampersand Families
Employment

Human Resources Manager, ampersand families

Program Coordinator
Employment

Office Coordinator

Program Coordinator
Employment

Program Coordinator

Gavin Newsom appoints Laphonza Butler to replace Dianne Feinstein in the U.S. Senate
National

Gavin Newsom appoints Laphonza Butler to replace Dianne Feinstein in the U.S. Senate

Photo of the Week: Barbie back-to-school party
Photo Galleries

Photo of the Week: Barbie back-to-school party

Next Post

Black firefighters fear fewer Blacks on force

Comments 1

  1. Tony A.Bishop says:
    11 years ago

    Really?

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
ADVERTISEMENT

Upcoming Events

Sep 12
September 12 @ 6:30 pm-December 18 @ 9:30 pm Recurring

Vic Volare Presents MUSIC FOR MARTINIS ft: Vic’s Fabulous Nightclub Academy

Oct 3
October 3 @ 8:30 am-October 4 @ 5:30 pm

Insects: Little Body, Big Impact | Nobel Conference 59 | Virtual or In-Person

Oct 4
6:00 pm-8:00 pm

An Evening with Liz Cheney

Oct 5
7:00 pm-9:00 pm

The Bombing of Cubana Flight 455: Why it Matters

View Calendar
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Read our latest e-Edition!

PHOTO: Barbie back-to-school party

A Barbie back to school party.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe

  • Home/Office Delivery
  • Weekly e-newsletter
  • e-Editions

Support

  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • MSR Newsstand Locations

Connect

  • About
    • MSR Staff
  • Contact
  • Send a news tip
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

No Result
View All Result
  • News & Features
    • Local
    • National
  • All Sections
    • Arts & Culture
    • Health & Wellness
      • Women’s Wellness
      • Parenting Today
      • MN Cancer Alliance Breast Cancer Gaps Project
    • Business
      • Black Business Spotlight
      • Finances FYI
      • Small Business Month Celebration
    • Opinion
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Obits
  • Sister Spokesman
  • Donate
  • Subscribe

© 2023 Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: