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website:rentonwa.gov
City of Renton - 1055 South Grady Way
Renton, WA 98057
June 1, 2015
Preeti Shridhar, Communications Director 425-430-6569
Mayor Law Appoints Members to Inclusion Task Force
Leaders from Renton’s diverse communities come together to promote inclusion
RENTON, WA — Mayor Denis Law recently announced the formation of the Mayor’s Inclusion Task
Force to support the city’s mission and goal to serve everybody living in our community. The members
of the task force will facilitate dialogue and enhance understanding and trust between the city and the
diverse communities they represent and make the city’s programs and services more accessible. The
task force currently has 26 members, including Councilmembers Ruth Peréz and Ed Prince, and each
member will serve a two- or three-year term.
“Our goal is to embrace the diversity in the Renton community and build an inclusive city with
opportunities for all,” said Mayor Law. “To achieve this, I have created the Mayor’s Inclusion Task
Force with members of our different community groups serving as liaisons. The voices and engagement
of all members of our community is essential to the vitality and quality of our city and all of i ts
neighborhoods. With this task force, it is my priority to remove barriers to inclusion and sustain long-
term relationships with Renton’s diverse communities.”
Renton, like most cities in King County, continues to grow in diversity with significant shifts in
communities of color, immigrants, various ethnic groups, and non-English speaking communities.
Several years ago the Council added a priority to the city’s business plan to embrace the diversity in the
Renton community, and to create forums and strategies to better engage the city’s diverse
populations. The city’s 2016-2021 Business Plan has five strategic goals, including, building an inclusive
informed city with opportunities for all.
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On May 19, Mayor Law and several city councilmembers hosted the first meeting of the task force.
Each member discussed their expectations and what they hoped to achieve by serving on t he task
force. Several priorities emerged including the shared goal to value diversity and build trust; break
down barriers and address inequity; enhance communications and dissemination of information;
encourage civic engagement; and work together with law enforcement to promote safety and crime
prevention. Several members also expressed an interest in celebrating the multi-cultural richness and
diversity of the various groups. The task force discussed the possibility of having a city-wide celebration
to bring people together and dispel ignorance.
Included in this task force are representatives of the following communities and groups: African-
American, African-American youth, Chinese, East-African, East-Indian, Filipino, Islamic, Japanese,
Latino, LGBT, Senior, Sikh, Somali, Sudanese, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
The task force will meet about five times a year. In addition, subcommittees will coordinate and meet
as needed to work on specific priorities. While a future meeting with all the members has not yet been
set, the city is already working with some of the members on the Renton Career Fair, Renton Police
Teen Summit: Improving Positive Relationships with Law Enforcement and Our Youth & Community,
and information on IKEA Renton River Days.
The charter and the complete list of the Mayor’s Inclusion Task Force members are attached. For more
information, please contact Preeti Shridhar at pshridhar@rentonwa.gov or 425-430-6569.
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