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Port Hires First Senior Director For Equity, Diversity, And Inclusion

THE SEATTLE MEDIUM — The Port of Seattle announced that Bookda Gheisar will serve as the Port’s first Senior Director for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and lead the Port’s first ever Equity Department, beginning June 12.  Prior to joining the Port, Gheisar served as Policy Advisor for King County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice, in the office of King County Executive, Dow Constantine.

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By The Seattle Medium

The Port of Seattle announced that Bookda Gheisar will serve as the Port’s first Senior Director for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and lead the Port’s first ever Equity Department, beginning June 12.  Prior to joining the Port, Gheisar served as Policy Advisor for King County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice, in the office of King County Executive, Dow Constantine.

As Senior Director for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Gheisar will provide leadership and strategic direction for the Port’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts, both internal and external. She will partner with lines of business, ensuring externally facing equity goals and objectives are incorporated into business plans.

The Senior Director will manage the use of the Port’s new equity process tool, overseeing its implementation and use, and evaluating results of the Port’s equity pilot program.

As a direct report to the Port Executive Director Stephen P. Metruck and as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, she will ensure that equity, diversity, and inclusion is infused in the Port’s culture, strategies and goals. As part of her duties, the Senior Director also oversees the Port’s Office of Social Responsibility.

“Reversing unconscious bias and institutional racism in any organization requires deliberate change,” said Port of Seattle Executive Director Steve Metruck. “We are very grateful to our community partners. Their feedback and advice helped push the Port to make a groundbreaking institutional change by establishing an Equity Department and shaping our strategy to better reach communities that were too often overlooked.”

Port of Seattle Commissioners have been expanding the Port’s equity platform, most recently by approving a motion to develop and implement an equity pilot program. “The Port is a source of opportunity, but we need to ensure those opportunities are available in all communities,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Stephanie Bowman.

“The Port’s vision for its role in a more equitable society is ambitious and full of high expectations,” said Bookda Gheisar, the new Senior Director for EDI. “That tells me that the Port gets the urgency of inequity and that small actions will not get the results we need.  I’m thrilled to help the Port leadership set a new path for this organization and the communities we serve.”

The Port selected Gheisar following a rigorous competitive selection process. A panel of six community leaders participated in the process as an External Advisory Panel. Paulina Lopez, Executive Director of the Duwamish River Clean Up Coalition and a member of the External Advisory Panel said, “We met some of the most talented and passionate professionals working in racial equity during this selection process. Underserved communities see the Port taking more action than ever before. We are excited to see the Port add even more expertise and expectations to its equity agenda.”

This article originally appeared in The Seattle Medium

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Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of February 5 – 11, 2025

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Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of January 29 – February 4, 2025

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Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland

Food banks and grocery giveaways are a large part of the resources nonprofits in Oakland prioritize, particularly in areas like East and West Oakland where low-income families of color tend to reside. These neighborhoods are often labeled as “food deserts” or communities that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.

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Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland
Oakland Poll: Tell Us What You Think About the Cost of Groceries in Oakland

By Magaly Muñoz

In 2023, the average spending on groceries increased by nearly $30 each month from the year before;people are spending over $500 a month to put food on the table.

Through previous reporting by the Post, we’ve learned that families in Oakland are depending more and more on free or low cost groceries from food banks because they can no longer afford the rising costs of food at the store.

Food banks and grocery giveaways are a large part of the resources nonprofits in Oakland prioritize, particularly in areas like East and West Oakland where low-income families of color tend to reside. These neighborhoods are often labeled as “food deserts” or communities that have limited access to affordable and nutritious foods.

We’ve recently spoken to families across these two areas of Oakland and have heard several stories that all point to one problem: food is expensive. Some individuals are spending upwards of $150 a week for themselves or double if they have teens or small children in the family.

We’ve also heard stories of people with chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure struggling to maintain their diets because they’re having a hard time affording the food that helps them stay healthy.

Do these experiences sound similar to what you or your family are dealing with every month? Are you struggling to afford your basic groceries every week? Do you depend on food banks to help you get by? Are there any chronic illnesses in your household that need to be managed by a special diet?

We want to hear about your experiences and ideas for solutions!

The Oakland Post is investigating food access in Oakland and how residents are surviving as the cost of living continues to increase. Your experiences will help shape our reporting and show local leaders the need to invest in our communities.

In order to get as much feedback as possible, we ask that you click this link to fill out a brief questionnaire or visit tinyurl.com/Oakland-Post-food-survey. You can also scan the QR code above to reach the survey. After you fill it out, please consider sharing the link with your friends and family in Oakland.

If you have questions, please reach out to our Oakland reporter Magaly Muñoz at mmunoz@postnewsgroup or text/call her at (510) 905-5286.

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