LEWISTON — City administration has changed the job title and description for its diversity, equity and inclusion specialist, shifting the role to a workforce development specialist.
The employee, Divine Selengbe, has held the position since late 2023. During a recent budget workshop, acting City Administrator Brian O’Malley confirmed the job title had shifted, reading an updated job description to councilors.
When asked about the decision this week, O’Malley said after recent discussions with the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, which provides funding for the position, the decision was made “to update the job description to match the work that was being done.”
Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are meant to create environments more welcoming to historically marginalized communities. However, over the past few months, both the public and private sector have been scaling back DEI initiatives after President Donald Trump signed an executive order that seeks to end government support for the programs.
Those opposed to DEI initiatives believe they focus on race and gender rather than merit-based hiring and promotion.
When asked, O’Malley did not say what led to the recent discussions about the job title in Lewiston. The city’s website still lists Selengbe’s role under a DEI tab, which also features an equity statement.
The DEI position in Lewiston was one of the main recommendations from former Mayor Mark Cayer’s ad hoc Equity and Diversity Committee in 2021, which urged further efforts to make Lewiston’s workforce better represent the diversity of its residents.
The updated job description for the workforce development specialist role moves away from more pointed language regarding the support and implementation of DEI initiatives citywide, but retains a focus on attracting and retaining top talent “while leading the development, implementation, and monitoring of the city’s policies and actions to ensure compliance with existing civil rights laws.”
It also states that the role will focus on “engaging employees through events, collaborating with department heads to improve retention, fostering partnerships with local organizations and nonprofits to enhance workforce pipelines, and ensuring diverse candidates have opportunities to thrive in municipal roles.”
The city hired Melissa Hue as its first DEI director in 2021, but Hue left the position in 2023.
In its first year, the position was paid for by local taxpayer dollars, but when the previous City Council suggested eliminating the position, the Sewall Foundation stepped in with grant funding. The previous council also indefinitely tabled a DEI policy drafted by Hue.
At the time, Hue told officials that the city had been able to mitigate several potential lawsuits related to bias, harassment or discrimination, but said there were still instances of employees using racial slurs.
Councilor Scott Harriman, the only remaining councilor from the previous council, said Tuesday that “regardless of the position’s title, it’s vitally important for the city to have this person on board to help ensure that we attract and retain the best talent in a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce.”
The Sewall Foundation, based in Freeport, focuses on equity work in several fields, with its mission “to support a culture of equity and interconnected well-being for people, animals, and the environment in Maine.”
The former DEI role was under the Human Resources department, but is now listed under the city administration office. O’Malley said the position will serve all city departments.
Selengbe is a 2016 graduate of Lewiston High School, where she served on the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council. She graduated from Thomas College in Waterville in 2020.
