Athens-Clarke County has a new Inclusion officer. County Manager Blaine Williams has appointed Athens resident Krystle Cobran to fill the position.
“This is a new space for us as an organization, but a necessary one and so it’s very important that we do this thoughtfully, and she brings that level of thoughtfulness and reflection that I would think would important to anybody that works in the space,” according to Williams. “We readily admit that we don’t know what we don’t know and we’re looking to her to help us understand how to become a more inclusive organization.”
Cobran is already working, she is attending the International City County Manager Association Conference, or ICMA, in Nashville this week. Williams says Cobran will work with different departments and offices within the county as well as the broader community at large. Potential goals of the office. He adds, while the position does require certain qualifications and expertise, it’s also requires an uncommon skill set. But there are many potential goals for the officer.
“She’s going to spend a lot her first few months listening and assessing, but in the area of finance, there’s procurement; in the area of leisure services there’s youth development. Certainly with the police, all of our departments really could stand to benefit.”
The new office is funded by the Mayor and Commission as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 budget that began July 1, 2019.
Williams says the office will address serious community concerns.
“But I do want to clear about this, obviously race is very important, especially at this time in our nation’s history. But it’s not just about race, it’s about sexual orientation, it’s about age, it’s about including people.”
Cobran is also a member of the WUGA Advisory Committee.