James Burroughs named Children’s Minnesota’s first-ever chief inclusion officer

Minnesota’s outgoing chief inclusion officer James C. Burroughs will be ringing in the New Year at Children’s Minnesota.

Burroughs has been named the pediatric medical system’s first-ever chief equity and inclusion officer. The move comes after working with Gov. Mark Dayton for nearly three years to increase contracting, hiring and outreach in communities of color and disabled communities. 

He shared the news on Facebook on Wednesday, stating that the new position “aligns with the work I have been doing and will continue to do around sickle cell disease and other diseases that disproportionately impact certain communities.”

Burroughs shared his responsibilities will include “developing, implementing and advocating for a comprehensive health equity, inclusion, and diversity strategy” for the hospital. In addition, he will focus on establishing metrics to address employee recruitment and retention strategies, as well as supplier diversity.

Burroughs will start the new position in January, following the end of his term with the state.

“I will miss working with some amazing people in the Governor Dayton’s Office and in state government,” wrote Burroughs. “In a short time, we have been able to make some tremendous strides in Inclusion and Diversity in the state of Minnesota.

“I appreciate the opportunity to lead this work and I hope I have made it easier for some to breathe and live a better life in Minnesota,” he added.

Prior to his work in diversity and inclusion, Burroughs served as executive director for Minneapolis Public Schools and chief operating officer for Summit Academy OIC. The former attorney also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota Law School and Hamline University School of Law.