MONTPELIER — Gov. Phil Scott has appointed Xusana Davis, who most recently served as a top official in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, to be Vermont’s first executive director of racial equity.
Davis was the director of health and housing strategic initiatives in the city’s health department. She also served as the director of the New York City Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus.
“Xusana’s leadership and experience are a perfect fit for this position, and she will be a valuable addition to our team,” Scott said in a statement Friday.
“In this role, she will be critical to our work to ensure state government is demonstrating a full commitment to equal opportunity and treatment for all Vermonters, our visitors and our employees,” he said.
The director of racial equity position, and a five-member Racial Equity Advisory Panel, which the director oversees, were established by lawmakers and the governor last year to help identify and address systemic racism in state government.
The director also is tasked with recommending fairness and diversity policies, gathering and analyzing race-based data, and developing and conducting trainings to improve inclusion in state government.
“I am honored to be a part of Vermont’s commitment to improve equity within state government,” Davis, who could not immediately be reached for comment, said in a statement Friday.
“I look forward to the opportunity to work collaboratively with all branches of government to make Vermont more accessible to all, regardless of ethnicity or place of origin,” she said.