City Council seeks Intercultural Competency and Awareness Committee Members

Job Description

  Members: Councillor Chris Simonelli (Chair), Councillor Carey McDonald (Vice Chair), Maria Luise (Special Assistant to the Mayor), Bybiose Larochelle (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator)

  Positions to be filled: 8 resident seats, one from each Ward in the city, striving to be as representative as possible of the city’s demographics.

  Purpose: The Intercultural Competency and Awareness Committee will help residents connect with city leaders and with one another across different cultures and languages to develop shared understandings and aspirations for Malden as a multicultural community. The goal of the committee will be to create opportunities for cross-cultural dialogue, feedback and input on key issues for Malden, and to generally promote a strong atmosphere of inclusion and equity in our city.

  Malden is one of the most diverse cities in Massachusetts, with over 40% born in another country, and over 60% of residents identifying as Black, Indigenous and People of Color. A culturally competent and aware city will enjoy greater resident participation, adopt innovative ideas, experience better civic engagement and municipal staff retention, and demonstrate improved decision-making among volunteers, elected officials, and appointed staff who interact with the public every day. Residents will develop skills that enable all Maldonians to empathize, share and learn cultural information, have the tools to resolve conflicts, and manage challenges in culturally-sensitive ways. The committee will conduct community outreach and neighborhood discussions and events, working in alignment with Malden’s Language Access Plan and the Racial Equity Commission, and in partnership with local organizations to further efforts toward enhancing cross-cultural communication, understanding and awareness.

Qualifications:

• Must be a resident of the city of Malden
• Must be committed to the purpose of the committee
• Personal, professional, and/or lived experience in diverse cultural contexts
• Skills and/or interest in outreach, communication, facilitation, or event planning
• Ability to speak another language is highly valued

  This is a volunteer position. Term of appointment is until December 31, 2022, which can be renewed. The committee’s meeting schedule will be determined based on the availability of committee members.

  To apply, please email a brief cover letter and resume or list of qualifications to Lisa Cagno at lcagno@cityofmalden.org by June 17, 2022. In your cover letter, please describe what skills or experiences you would bring to the committee, and why you want to serve on ICAC.