LANSING, Mich. — Thursday Lansing Mayor Andy Schor announced the City of Lansing has named Guadalupe Ayala to the position of Diversity Officer in the Human Relations and Community Services Department.
In her new role, Ayala will lead implementation of the Racial Justice and Equity Alliance Community Action Plan, develop Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives for the City of Lansing Operations. She will also serve as liaison between the city and federal, state, professional and other organizations related to DEI along with other duties.
“Guadalupe has built strong relationships within our community and proven her leadership skills time and again over her period of service to the people of the City of Lansing,” said Mayor Schor. “I am confident in her ability to lead the City’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts and make appropriate recommendations that will strengthen our commitment to equity and social justice throughout our entire community.”
Since April 2015, Ayala has served as the Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist in the city’s Department of Human Relations and Community Services. Prior to that position, she served as a State Family Services Specialist and Board of Immigration Appeals certified representative for Telamon Corporation Michigan Migrant Head Start. In her previous positions and in her personal life, Ayala has worked to represent and advocate for people of color and populations that have been discriminated and oppressed.
Ayala earned a Bachelor of Arts in Latina/o Studies, Sociology and Spanish from the University of Michigan. She obtained her Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from Cornell University and Diversity Leadership Academy Certificate from 2b Inclusive LLC. Additionally, she served as the City of Lansing liaison at the Immigrant Refugee Resource Collaborative and the annual memorial observances of Cesar E. Chavez and Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I am proud to serve as the City of Lansing’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer,” said Ayala. “In this role, I am committed to speak for those who may be afraid to speak for themselves, and actively listen and pursue change for those that have stood up for equity. I will work with the community to recommend policies to the Mayor that are the right thing to do for racial justice and equity. This is a time for healing, a time to come together to unite and do positive work.”
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