6. How will you encourage inclusiveness and foster a learning to improve understanding among our diverse community?
Daniel Evans (Candidate for Mayor of Smithfield): As Mayor my vision is that ALL people are encouraged to make their Community a better place to live. Inclusiveness comes with involvement and understanding comes with education. We must educate and encourage all groups to be involved and explain how each of us can benefit if we work across diverse lines. Cultural differences are often a lack of education on both sectors and I believe information sharing sessions would be helpful. No group should be excluded and everyone should be invited to the table. This is how we create an community united not divided.
Charles A. Williams (Candidate for Smithfield District 2 Councilman): I would encourage inclusiveness and foster learning about diversification of the community by promoting team building programs through our Smithfield Aquatic and Recreation Center and by partnering with organizations for social gatherings at different facilities throughout the town. In addition, I would like to develop community watch groups of combined voting districts to promote informal dialogue between community leaders and neighborhood citizens about their concerns, interest or needs.
Vic Ogburn (Candidate for Smithfield District 2 Councilman): Make sure that all boards and commissions that the council has oversight of are diverse in their make-up and that all groups are included in any projects that the town undertakes.
Perry Harris (Candidate for Smithfield District 3 Councilman): I will work to insure that Smithfield continues to look at all aspects of our community and continues to insure that the citizens of Smithfield are always at the heart of decision making by our Town Council.
Tony Gupton (Candidate for Smithfield District 3 Councilman): Diversity is [now] valued for bringing about greater effectiveness, better solutions, progress and success.” What was formerly a moral and legal argument, now grabs validity as marketplace practice associated with changing consumers and a changing workforce. Also, management practices and organizational strategies have become more inclusive of diverse perspectives as contributory to innovation. As municipalities adopt more of these business-like practices and focus on effectiveness, diversity becomes increasingly relevant. However, focusing too much on “effectiveness” can make us lose site of the fact that inclusiveness and equity are fundamentally moral issues. I believe we should look at the composition of the town, as well as the different levels of diversity among business partners. There is need and duty as elected officials and leaders to better engage with and respond to underserved and diverse communities, and for us to be more thoughtful about including diverse perspectives when working to solve our community issues. The private and public sectors have long been facing similar criticism around diversity and inclusiveness exists when there is ambiguous decision-making process among leadership. The ways I would create change in the areas of understanding our diverse community would include:
- Increase advocacy, outreach and peer support by networks and Town leadership with improving effectiveness and responsiveness · collaborate with emerging donor communities to connect leadership among diverse business partners and peers to open up new markets and understanding of commerce needs
- promote strategies to leverage resources focusing on inclusiveness and sharing of business strategy and community desires to better understand motivating influences
- Inclusiveness as a process of encouraging full participation for stakeholders and community leaders who can influence everyone who has a role, a stake, or an interest in municipal prosperity, improved education, and safer communities
- Evaluate and implement a long range plan to meet the needs of the elderly population and of those with special needs
Zach Crocker (Candidate for Smithfield District 4 Councilman): One of the keys to incluisiveness is understanding what leads to exclusion. As a community we all need to do a better job of learning about and understanding other cultures. I would encourage involvement and imput from all members of the community.
