Through the development of the City's 2025 Strategic Plan and in subsequent goal-setting meetings, the City of Geneva affirmed its commitment to ensuring our community is one that is open, inclusive, and welcoming to all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, culture, sexual orientation, religion or abilities. In an effort to advance this vision and amplify the voice of diverse communities within Geneva, the City Council established a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force in 2021.

The Task Force will work to develop a strategy to help the City build stronger relationships with diverse communities. Through engagement and listening, the task force will identify issues and any barriers that may prevent friends or neighbors from fully participating in civic life. Acting as a community voice, the Task Force will prepare and present a report detailing recommended actions the City may take to help ensure Geneva is welcoming to all.

Focus Groups

After conducting a DEI survey this summer, the Task Force is now moving to small group interviews as its next point of community engagement and data collection. The Task Force has reached out to specific residents/organizations, but additional focus group slots are open to the general public to provide feedback to the City.

The focus groups, which will be run by the Task Force’s facilitator, Ethos, are limited to six participants who will answer questions; share their perspectives about Geneva’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; and provide suggestions for improvement. The public can register for any of the following dates:

In-Person at the Geneva Public Library, 227 S. Seventh St:

• 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29; (full)
• 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7; (full) and
• 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12 (newly added)

Virtual Sessions

• Noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30;
• 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31; and
• 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6

Additional sessions may be made available if needed.

After the focus groups are completed, there is still work to be done. Ethos will assist the Task Force in formulating a recommended DEI action plan – based on the data collected from the survey, Task Force events, focus groups, and individual interviews – that will be presented to the City Council in 2023. 

Meetings

The task force typically meets at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the Geneva City Hall Council Chambers, 109 James St. Check the City's Agenda Center and calendar for meeting details.

Task Force Members