Mayor Wheeler Announces Recruitment of Consultant to Shape City of Bremerton Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan

Community stakeholder input was key to developing the DEI proposal

Mayor Wheeler announced today the City of Bremerton will begin recruiting a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultant to help expand the City of Bremerton’s DEI efforts. 

The DEI consultant will focus on conducting community outreach and stakeholder engagement to shape a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan for the City of Bremerton. The plan will include a recommended DEI job description and recruitment process, training recommendations for staff, and the recommended administrative support and resources necessary for the position to support the race-equity focused community advisory committee currently being created by the Bremerton City Council. 

The goal is to have a community and stakeholder-guided plan that will drive the City’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The plan will be reflected in an entirely new DEI position funded in the City of Bremerton 2023 Budget. The DEI position will be the first-ever City of Bremerton employee dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion internally in the City’s workplace, and in the delivery of City services to the Bremerton community.

Recognizing that community outreach and stakeholder engagement are critical to furthering the DEI program, the City of Bremerton is requesting proposals for a consultant with experience engaging in outreach with historically underserved populations and working with organizations like the City of Bremerton to develop a DEI Strategic Plan.  

“Recruiting a consultant is a crucial next step to advancing the DEI program and creating an approach that is successful, long-lasting and impactful for the City,” said Mayor Wheeler. “My staff and I are very grateful for the assistance we received from several community leaders in preparing the consultant proposal – Martitha May, Tony Ives, Pastor Richmond Johnson, Jill Stanton, Alyson Rotter, Lucretia Robertson, Jessica Guidry, and Dr. Lillian Robertson. We truly appreciate their time, experience and insight on the best way to move forward.” 

A link to the Request for Proposal (RFP) to recruit the DEI Consultant for the City of Bremerton can be found at https://www.bremertonwa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10455/. The deadline to receive proposals is May 1, 2023.