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Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak today released details of his plan to select a new Civil Rights Director, saying that he plans to have a fair, open, and public process to select this important city leader. Mayor Rybak has convened a committee of public officials and community leaders to advise him on this selection and encourages public input during the three-month process.

“As the primary enforcer of our strong standards and values supporting fairness and justice, the Civil Rights Director is an important public leader in our city,” Mayor Rybak said. “It is essential that the community know, trust and respect this person to lead our civil rights work,” Rybak said.

The Civil Rights Director post became vacant when former Director Jayne Khalifa was appointed as Minneapolis’ Deputy City Coordinator earlier this year. Director of Enforcement and Community Outreach for the Civil Rights Department Michael Browne was named Interim Director until a permanent Director could be confirmed.

Mayor Rybak has convened a Civil Rights Director Search Advisory Committee made up of seventeen public officials and community leaders who will advise him on this selection. The committee will assist with the creation of a job description, review qualified applicants and recommend a group of finalist candidates for the Mayor to review. The committee represents a broad cross-section of the city:

Mayor’s Civil Rights Director Search Advisory Committee

Richard Howell, Committee Chair, Shiloh Temple
Amy Johnson, Johnson Law
Loan Huynh, Fredrickson & Byron
Scott Dibble, Minnesota State Senate
Hashi Abdi, Somali Action Alliance
Andrea Rubenstein, Heddin, Goldberg & Gidden
Margo Imdieke Cross, Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities
Ian Bethel, Police Community Relations Council
Bill Ziegler, Little Earth Community
Scott Benson, Minneapolis City Council
Cam Gordon, Minneapolis City Council
Anita Urvina Selin, Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission
Matt Gladue, Twin Cities Labor and Religion Council
Rosita Balch, Latino Community Advisory Committee
Michael Weinbeck, Civilian Review Authority
Doua Lee, Southeast Asian Community Council
Patricia Torres-Ray, Minnesota State Senator-Elect

The process to select a new Civil Rights Director is expected to take approximately three months and the Mayor hopes to announce his top candidate in February 2007. Mayor Rybak’s choice will need to be confirmed by the City Council. Several steps will be taken prior to the announcement of Mayor Rybak’s final choice:

Civil Rights Director Selection Action Items

1. Interviews will be held with City Council Members and Civil Rights Department employees to solicit input about the needed characteristics of a Civil Rights Director.

2. Mayor’s Civil Rights Director Search Advisory Committee will meet to assess the results of the feedback interviews and assist with the creation of a job description.

3. A job description will be created and posted publicly for four weeks.

4. Advisory Committee will review applications and participate in applicant interviews.

5. Advisory Committee will recommend a group of finalist candidates for the Mayor to review.

6. Mayor Rybak will announce his candidate for Civil Rights Director.

City of Minneapolis

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Mayor Rybak Begins Civil Rights Director Selection

Broad-based Community Advisory Committee Will Assist Rybak’s Selection