Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers formed the 11-member Task Force in January 2018. The Task Force was created to include staff from various departments, and its main purpose is to help inform the Executive's Office of ways in which our county government can make improvements to ensure our community is one that is safe, welcoming and inclusive. Its focus is internal to county government operations.

The Task Force's primary deliverable to date has been to conduct and compile an assessment and to develop recommendations to inform the executive of diversity, equity, and inclusion measures that are currently working well within the county as well as areas where gaps exist. You can read the assessment at the links below:

Snohomish County Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Assessment (PDF)

• Executive Summary (PDF)
• Recommendations (PDF)

Definitions of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity includes all the ways in which people differ, encompassing the characteristics that make one individual or group different from another. Diversity brings together ideas from people of varying backgrounds and experiences in order to grasp a fuller, broader range of thoughts, feelings, and interactions among members of a community. Diversity means representation.

Equity is the fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all people, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. It is when everyone has access to the opportunities necessary to satisfy their essential needs, advance their well-being, and achieve their full potential. Equity does not mean everyone receives the same, but rather that everyone has the same access to shared resources. Equity means access.

Inclusion is the act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people. It means everyone can participate and everyone belongs. Inclusion recognizes our universal similarities and interdependence, despite our differences. Inclusion means belonging.