The California Legislature created the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) in 1955, as the first regional air pollution control agency in the country. The Air District has been entrusted with regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties that surround the San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties. It is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors composed of locally elected officials from each of the nine Bay Area counties, with the number of board members from each county being proportionate to its population. The mission of the Air District is “Protecting public health, air quality, and the global climate.” The Air District employs 359 employees.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office
The Air District is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and established the first-ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Office in March, 2017. The Office reflects the Air District’s transformational leadership and commitment to improve public health outcomes, economic opportunities and environmental injustices in historically marginalized communities of color and that benefit the entire Bay Area.
The Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion reports directly to the Executive Officer/APCO and is responsible for developing and accomplishing division goals and objectives to further the Air District mission. The Office will review Air District programs, policies, practices, procedures, rules, regulations, and funding initiatives to ensure that a “fair and just” representation of the Air District’s commitment to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion is achieved and ensure the vital work of bringing a clear equity lens to the Air District’s mission.
The Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Vision
The Office will be known for honoring the worth of every employee and sustaining an environment where everyone is encouraged to achieve their full potential. This vision encompasses the following:
- Commitment to diversity, racial equity and inclusion both internally and externally for all socioeconomic groups, traditional and non-traditional throughout the Bay Area;
- Will act affirmatively to use a racial equity lens and inclusion strategies in decision-making, when developing policies, procedures, rules, regulations, funding initiatives, public outreach, planning, and employment;
- Advocating throughout the agency, and the region, the vision and values for diversity, racial equity and inclusion;
- Executive Management and staff will exemplify principles of diversity, racial equity, and inclusion in fulfilling their responsibilities; and
- No form of illegal discrimination or harassment will be tolerated.
Values
The following core values establish the foundation for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Air District:
- There is an absence of discrimination and harassment based on age, color, disability, ethnic origin, marital status, pregnancy, race, religious beliefs, sex, and sexual orientation;
- A climate of opportunity, mutual respect, and understanding engenders a feeling that the future should be shared by all employees and society as a whole;
- Every person has intrinsic worth and dignity;
- The rich diversity of people, their cultures, and the bonds that tie people together are appreciated and celebrated in an environmentally sustainable society.