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St. Louis County has hired Carl Crawford to serve in its newly created position of Equity and Inclusion Specialist.
Crawford most recently served as the Human Rights Officer for the City of Duluth. He also is serving appointment on four statewide commissions: the State Board of Public Defense, the newly created Clemency Review Commission, the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage, and the POST Advisory Board.
“As an employer and as a service provider to our 200,000 residents, we strive to be a welcoming, safe, and vibrant community,” said County Administrator Kevin Gray. “We are committed to ensuring equitable outcomes and a sense of belonging for all people, and so we are excited to have someone with Carl’s experience, visibility and community involvement to lead the county in this important work.”
The Equity and Inclusion Specialist is a new position for the County. In this role, Crawford will be responsible for strategic planning, organizational outreach, and engagement activities designed to enhance the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts of St. Louis County. The position will have both an internal and external focus, providing support to staff while also ensuring equitable service delivery to residents.
"I am excited and grateful for this new opportunity with St. Louis County, and to be able to now engage with a much larger audience," said Crawford. "Throughout my career, I've worked toward the vision of a safe and inclusive world, and this new role allows me to draw on so many aspects of past work experience to bring positive change to the entire county."
In addition to his work for the City of Duluth, Crawford's background also includes work in higher education, coaching and consulting. He is a past chair of Duluth's Human Rights Commission, and a founding board member of the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial.
He also has extensive volunteer experience including serving on the board of directors for Community Action Duluth, the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, Woodland Hills, Men as Peacemakers, the Ordean Foundation, SOAR, NAACP, and American Cancer Society. He is the recipient of the 2012 MLK Jr. Drum Major for Peace Award, is active with the Family Freedom School of Duluth.
To allow for a smoother transition for the City of Duluth, Crawford will continue working there for several more weeks, and will begin working for St. Louis County on April 1.
