This fall, Hillsborough County named Cheryl Howell its first Chief Assistant County Administrator of Equity and Community Impact. In this role, she will oversee a new department that will focus on affordable housing, health services, economic development + more.
What are some of your goals + what have you been able to do so far?
By the end of this month (Sept.) we’ll be bringing on a director of diversity and inclusion and laying that groundwork. What that looks like right now is more inclusion in contracting opportunities, for Black and indigenous people of color.
We’re also going to be looking at healthcare, really accuating the Hillsborough County healthcare program that’s currently in existence. This is a program that can be taken advantage of by a lot of people and many people don’t really know it.
What types of job opportunities do you hope to offer people?
I want to see people have access to jobs at all levels. Because, wouldn’t you say that’s what true equity is? I don’t think that it needs to be limited to just one or two areas.
Are there any other categories you want to look at?
We’re looking at safety issues. We’re looking at criminal justice issues. We’re looking at health issues, access to jobs. We’re looking at education and youth issues. Anywhere there is disparate impact, are areas that we certainly want to look at + address if we can.
What are some tangible things you would like to see by the end of your term?
I just think that the work that we have to do here is going to be organic in nature. Of course, we all would like to leave our footprint and change the world, but I just want to be able to change what I can to improve the lives of those that I’ve touched.