Norman names first chief diversity-equity officer
NORMAN — The city of Norman has named Cinthya Allen as the city's first chief diversity and equity officer.
Allen will be responsible for advising the city on affirmative actions and creating and implementing programs designed to ensure fair and equitable opportunities for residents, staff and council as she shapes the newly created role, according to a news release.
“We are thrilled to welcome C in thy a to
the Norman team ," City Manager Dar rel Pyle said ." We were hopeful we would find someone qualified to help us develop a brand-new function of city government from scratch, and she comes to us with an extensive resume. We are eager to have her expertise as we continue to grow our diversity and inclusion efforts.”
Allen joins the city from the University of Oklahoma where she served as the director of corporate relations. Before her role at the university, Allen worked for AT&T for nearly 20 years. While at AT&T, she served as diversity and inclusion ambassador for the Global AT&T Brand at national conferences, par ti cipated in panelist groups, and served as an adviser for diverse Employee Resource Groups through partnerships with business units. She also l ed AT&T's Latino-focused Employee Resource Group as executive vice president membership, executive vice president operations, and ultimately national president for a total of 10 years of service. During her tenure, the group grew from 900 members to over 11,000.
“I am so proud the city I call home is as committed as it is to make diversity, equity and i nclusion a standing operation within their organization," Allen said. "That i s certainly something to be proud of, since we all win when we have stronger communities and infrastructures.”
Her first objective as she works toward Norman's goal of building an inclusive community is to establish partnerships and build collaborative community relationships.
“My goal is to serve. I have l ed Diversity & Inclusion at a global level and understand we will yield best outcomes when we work together,” Allen said. “To do this, I look forward to getting to know our City of Norman workforce, leadership, city council and community partners, including business and nonprofit.”
Allen is a native of Chihuahua, Mexico, a mother of three daughters and an alumna of the University of Oklahoma.