The Town of Erie Announces Hire of Inaugural Position

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Manager Began Monday, Aug. 30

The Town of Erie would like to announce the hire of the Town’s first-ever Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Manager. This position was approved and funded by the Board of Trustees with the 2021 Budget, was posted for applications for one month on June 1, 2021, and was filled by Alberto De Los Rios on Aug. 30, 2021.

De Los Rios joins the Town of Erie after supporting Boulder County with pandemic recovery, continuity of government, and incorporating racial equity practices. In this capacity, De Los Rios not only recognized barriers for residents to adequately address and abide by policies but spearheaded an internal department-wide assessment and evoked crucial conversations about race to achieve introspection and change.
Speaking to his new role in Erie, De Los Rios said, "I anticipate a widely collaborative effort between Town representatives and community members to best assess how to move forward with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work and competently capture strategies that benefit all individuals in Erie, with an emphasis on underrepresented residents and their respective community spaces."

In other capacities, De Los Rios worked with marginalized communities facing the threat of eviction, criminalization, financial burdens, and limited access to health care. De Los Rios developed a Quality of Life plan to comprehensively address improvements necessary for the equitable allocation of resources and services across the community.
Town Administrator Malcolm Fleming said, "De Los Rios brings knowledge of systems of oppression, the skills to navigate difficult conversations, and the ability to develop and create frameworks that address these issues from their core."

De Los Rios credits his years of experience in facilitating mediation that center on communication and collaboration, coupled with his passion for community advocacy, to his success. "I strive to be a nexus between the public and government, engaging in difficult conversations and building relationships that encourage civic engagement and trust; there is ample opportunity to bridge the gap between government decisions and community input along with revising existing plans and documents to better align with Erie's vibrant and diverse population."

As the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Manager, De Los Rios will work closely with Town staff and participate in local, regional, state, and national networks that advance equity.
To hire for this position, we used many experts in the DEI field, including the Town’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Board, to create the job description itself and to design the position’s evaluation and hiring criteria. Then we implemented the rigorous hiring process with an evaluation team consisting of department directors, senior staff, and contracted expert consultants. Seventeen people submitted applications, and Alberto rose to the top based on the strength of his application materials, the evaluation team's assessment of his performance in the panel interview, and a one-on-one interview with the Deputy Town Administrator and Town Administrator. 

Special thanks to the consultants and the DEIAB for their thoughtful recommendations and contributions to the job description, interviews, assignment, assessment rubric, and sharing the posting to networks.