Featured

Growing Anger Over “Unfair Termination” of Health Advocate Gigi Crowder

Published

8 years ago

September 10, 2016

Community members are angry over what they are calling unjust treatment of Gigi Crowder, who is being terminated from her job after serving the African American and other ethnic communities as the Ethnic Services Manager of Alameda County Behavioral Health for nearly 10 years.

Crowder has worked in Behavioral Health for 13 years and is well known in Alameda County as a champion and pioneer in integrating the African American faith community and the health care community.

Crowder was told that she was put on a 30-day administrative leave on Aug. 29, four days after being honored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the largest mental health organization in the country, for her work with multicultural populations.

The explanation she was given was that the department was going in a different direction.

In a two-page letter sent to the interim director of Alameda County Health Care Agency, a coalition of more than 20 African American local faith leaders called Crowder’s termination racially motivated and intended to abort the work done by Crowder and others to achieve equity for people of color and specifically Black people.

The Berkeley NAACP also wrote a letter, which states that her dismissal smacks of retaliation and unfair employment practices.

“We are demanding that Ms. Crowder’s administrative leave be (reversed) and that she is returned to her full duties,” the letter said. “The Berkeley branch of the NAACP supports Ms. Crowder, and we are currently in contact with other local NAACP branches and community groups within Alameda County.”

Earlier this year, Crowder was told that she would have to reapply for the position she had held provisionally for over nine years. She has been reprimanded in the past after she spoke up about what she felt were injustices and discriminatory practices within the department and lack of culturally responsive services for African Americans.

Her role as Ethnic Service Manager is charged with ad- dressing inequities, disparities and discrimination within the behavioral health system.

Crowder was inducted into Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2002.

A coalition of Bay Area faith leaders is calling on people to attend the next meeting of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. at 1221 Oak St. (fifth floor) in Oakland.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

2 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.