About the Air District

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Learn about the Air District’s efforts to promote practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and the broader community.

The Air District recognizes and values the contributions of every employee and works to sustain an environment where everyone is respected.

The Air District has established an Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to support these values in the workplace and beyond. The vision and guiding principles of the Office involve the Air District's commitment to:

  • Valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion at the agency and throughout the Bay Area.
  • Using diversity, equity, and inclusion as part of: decision-making strategies, policies, procedures, regulations, funding initiatives, public outreach, planning, and hiring.
  • A zero tolerance of all forms of discrimination and harassment.
  • Workplace and programmatic practices that exemplify these principles.

The Air District supports:

  • Cultural awareness
  • Diversity training
  • Professional development
  • Employee engagement
  • Work-life balance
  • Pay equity
  • Mitigating unconscious bias

The principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion guide:

  • Recruitment and retention
  • Communication strategies
  • Community engagement
  • Supplier diversity

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity is the collection of everything that makes us different. It includes individual differences (e.g., personality, language, life experiences) and group-social differences (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, age, country of origin, ability status, or cultural, political, religious, and other affiliations).

Equity is the creation of equal access to opportunities that closes demographic disparities within all areas of the organization and society at large.

Inclusion is a state of being valued, respected and supported that enables each individual to achieve their full potential. Inclusion is reflected within the organizational culture, practices, and relationships that support diverse communities.

Accessibility and Non-Discrimination Policy

The Air District does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, ethnic group identification, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, color, genetic information, medical condition, or mental or physical disability, or any other attribute or belief protected by law. It is the Air District’s policy to provide fair and equal access to the benefits of the programs or activities it administers.

View the Air District’s Accessibility and Non-Discrimination web page for more information.

Community-Based Initiatives

The Air District is dedicated to protecting and improving air quality in the many diverse communities and neighborhoods of the Bay Area. The agency’s core values include the right for all Bay Area residents to breathe clean air, irrespective of gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, and the willingness to “involve, listen to, and engage all stakeholders … to create broad acceptance for healthy air solutions.”

In 2018, the Air District created the Community Health Protection Program in order to work with Bay Area communities to plan and implement Assembly Bill 617. Air District staff will be working closely with the California Air Resources Board, other local air districts, community groups, community members, environmental organizations, regulated industries, and other key stakeholders to reduce harmful air emissions, especially for those who live in areas of the San Francisco Bay Area most impacted by air pollution.

The Air District’s Open Air Forum is an online forum for civic engagement that provides community stakeholders of all backgrounds with a place to provide feedback and comment on Air District plans, rules, and initiatives, and to view comments others have made.

Recent community-based air quality programs include the Community Air Risk Evaluation program, which identified areas where populations are most vulnerable to the health impacts of air pollution, and helped the agency focus resources on reducing emissions in these neighborhoods.

See the In Your Community section of the website for more information about the Air District’s community-based initiatives.

Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE)

The Air District is a proud member of GARE - a national network of government working to achieve racial equity and advance opportunities for all. Across the country, governmental jurisdictions are:

  • Making a commitment to achieving racial equity.
  • Focusing on the power and influence of their own institutions.
  • Working in partnership with others.

When this occurs, significant leverage and expansion opportunities emerge, setting the stage for the achievement of racial equity in our communities.

For additional information visit: Government Alliance on Race and Equity

Meetings and Events

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Contact Us

Tim Williams
Manager , Diversity Equity and Inclusion Office

415.749.4623 twilliams@baaqmd.gov

J Howard
Staff Specialist, Diversity Equity and Inclusion Office

jhoward@baaqmd.gov

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Office

diversity@baaqmd.gov

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