“That’s diversity with a very broad definition. Diversity that you see, the race, gender and ethnicity, but there’s so much more to that as well,” he said at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. “The diversity of background, ideas, beliefs, ideas, life experience. We truly value diversity, not just in the police department, but our city staff, our city team.”
At the start of his second non-consecutive term as president, Donald Trump issued executive orders aimed at rolling back DEI, or diversity, equality, and inclusion, workplace initiatives. Organizations like Google and PBS have discontinued DEI.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
The city has worked to develop a diversity and inclusion plan, which culminated in the 2023 Equity Plan, and the work on the city’s Diversity and Inclusion Commission.
When hiring people to join their team, no matter which department, Bucheit said they recruit for diversity as to “cast a very broad net.”
“We bring a lot of folks to the table and with that diversity we move forward and we hire for character,” the city manager said. “The number one most important question as a prospective employer is, ‘Are you a good person?’ If you’re a good person, you’re willing to work hard, willing to help people, we can teach you and train you to do that work. And that’s our third part is we develop our folks for success.”
The question on Hamilton’s response to the nationwide discussion on DEI came from resident Bob Harris, who also asked about what the city would do if the neo-Nazi incident that happened in Hamilton as it did in the Lockland and Evendale areas.
“I want to know what our city has considered in case we encounter a situation of that nature,” Harris said.
Bottom line, no matter the group, Mayor Pat Moeller said, “We don’t put up with hate in this town.”
The discussion followed the city honoring two Hamilton government employees in recognition of Black History Month, who Moeller described as being emblematic of Hamilton’s diversity. Danelle Guiliano, an admirative assistant at the city’s water reclamation plant, is an Air Force veterans, and Hamilton Police Officer Lanny Ash, who is one of the department’s school resource officers, and was a probation officer before being hired by Hamilton more than 25 years ago.
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