Worcester Hires New Chief Diversity Officer

WORCESTER, MA — Stephanie Williams has been picked as Worcester's new chief diversity officer, a position that has undergone reorganization since the previous diversity officer left city government this year.

Williams comes from state government, previously serving as an assistant director for the Department of Transitional Assistance. She will be the city's third diversity officer, after Malika Carter and Suja Chacko.

This year, City Manager Edward Augustus sought to reorganize his cabinet to create an Executive Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Williams will be in charge of diversifying the city's workforce, providing training and recruiting new employees, among other duties.

"Stephanie joins us at an important time in the history of both the City of Worcester and the nation as it pertains to the advancement of opportunity for all individuals," Augustus said in a statement.

Other local cities are also ramping up diversity efforts following a summer of protests over racism. Framingham recently began searching for a chief diversity officer, a position Mayor Yvonne Spicer has been trying to fill since she took office in 2017. The position was green-lit with a salary up to $125,000.

Williams will also receive a higher salary than her predecessors with her position now sitting at the cabinet level. She will begin in the job on Nov. 30.

"I am thrilled to serve as the Chief Diversity Officer in the Heart of the Commonwealth," she said in a statement. "I look forward to working for the city I love, taking us where we have the potential to go by removing any barriers and impediments, and continuing to build a workforce that reflects the community."