Model Executive Orders to Secure Equity
The National Civic League has researched executive orders and ordinances designed to improve equity and inclusiveness. We encourage you to use these models to develop ordinances or other public policies in your city. If your city has an ordinance or an executive order to share with others, please feel free to submit it to [email protected].Click on the links below to download any of the model executive orders or ordinances.
Success Story
In Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee, people who are asked to serve on boards and commissions are required to learn about diversity, inclusion and sexual harassment prevention.
The members gain a broad understanding of what diversity means, receive a historical overview of how the law and court rulings impact current employer responsibilities to a diverse workplace, learn about groups protected from employment discrimination and discuss how changes in diverse populations impact the workplace, according to Michael A. Wilson, a human resources analyst with the Metropolitan Government of Nashville.
Such training would help all board and commission members of the City Government in the performance of their public duties, reads the executive order, which was issued under Mayor Karl F. Dean in 2008.
Wilson said the training, which also covers sexual harassment prevention, lasts between 90 minutes and two hours. For smaller groups or a single attendee, the consolidated training might last about an hour, he said. Board and commission members must complete the training within 90 days of the appointment.
Generally, these topics lead to deeper questions which may add time to the length of the presentation, so we try to keep it factual, but at a high enough level that we can be flexible, Wilson said in an email explaining the requirement.
This executive order is among several executive orders and ordinances that the National Civic League has collected on its website. These policies help to advance equitable policies and decisions in local government.
If you know of an ordinance, executive order or other policies that create equitable treatment of residents and employees, please share it with National Civic League staff at [email protected].
