Diversity Efforts at the City of Springfield

Human Resources

SGF Includes Internship Program

This program was launched in February 2013 with the goal of increasing strategic relationships with diverse job candidates. The City is committed to diversity and part of this commitment includes attracting diverse individuals to careers in municipal government for the betterment of the organization and community at-large. SGF Includes internships will provide an opportunity for the City to meet and build relationships with promising students who desire a career in municipal government or a career area offered by the City. In addition, the program will enable college and graduate students to enhance their academic course work, create a network of contacts, and gain valuable on-the-job experience and exposure needed in pursuing their careers. Currently the program offers at least two internships per fiscal year. Apply now.

Attendance at Multicultural Festival

Sponsored by Unite of Southwest Missouri for over a decade, the free festival takes place each January at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts on the Missouri State University campus. The festival combines cultural entertainment and practical opportunities, such as a networking expo about education, jobs and health care opportunities.

Reaching out to diverse audiences when marketing employment opportunities

HR reaches out to diverse audiences to communicate employment opportunities by advertising in Unite of Southwest Missouri’s publication and by mailing job postings to diverse community groups and leaders, as well as the Missouri Career Center and local universities. Interview questions and job descriptions incorporate diversity and inclusion elements.

Diversity training

HR includes a diversity education component in its Welcome to the City employee orientation program and in its customer service training. External diversity training is funded and supported for programs such as the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s Facing Racism program, a two-day program conducted by a consortium of trainers from Missouri State University, Drury University, and Springfield Public Schools; Society for Human Resource Management diversity conferences; MSU’s Statewide Collaborative Diversity Conference. Additionally, HR’s Performance Management program, incorporates diversity and inclusion elements.

Diversity education

HR includes a regular column about diversity topics in its monthly SCENE employee newsletter. HR also subscribes to the Diversity BLEND newsletter as well as Insight and Diversity, Inc., Web sites and online publications.

Springfield-Greene County Park Board

Special events

The Springfield-Greene County Park Board partners with the NAACP for the Juneteenth celebration; with the Springfield Reunion Club for the Park Day Reunion; with Springfield Sister Cities Association for the Cherry Blossom Kite Festival, Sister Cities Fiesta and Japanese Fall Festival. All of these celebrations take place in and are staffed by Parks. There are some Native American elements of Bass Pro’s annual Outdoor Days at Lake Springfield Park.

Culturally and historically significant parks and greenways

Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden is an extension of the Sister Cities mission. Silver Springs Park is a historically significant park for the Springfield African-American community. Ozark Greenways has worked with the Trail of Tears group to map and install portions of greenways on the Trail of Tears route.

Accessible and age-inclusive programs

Parks serves adults and youth with disabilities through our Accessible Recreation Program, including Miracle League. Parks partners with Southwest Missouri Office on Aging to offer robust senior citizen programs at Northview Center. SWMOA also operates the Ray Kelly Southside Senior Center.

Purchasing

Contracting and procurement guidelines developed to ensure level playing field

In 2011, representatives from the City of Springfield, City Utilities, Drury University, Greene County, Minorities in Business, Missouri State University, Ozarks Technical Community College, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Public Schools, and Springfield-Greene County Library District worked collaboratively to develop agreed-upon “diversity guidelines” in the areas of procurement/contracting and employee recruitment/hiring. The intent of the guidelines are to:

• Create a “level playing field” that will provide certified DBE, MBE, and WBE businesses with equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of the City’s contracting and procurement programs, including, but not limited to, participation in procurement contracts for equipment, materials, services, supplies, and the construction, renovation, or repair of facilities and equipment.
• Widen opportunities for vendor participation, to increase competition, and to reduce costs to the City and its citizens.
• Provide information or other opportunities to certified DBE, MBE, and WBE that may also be available to all other business enterprises.

The guidelines include:

• Availability in the Purchasing Division for review.
• Availability of Purchasing staff to provide individual assistance to disadvantaged businesses and was successful in holding a “How to Do Business” workshop in 2013.
• Tracking minority expenditures for benchmarking progress.

Workforce Development

Special events

The Missouri Job Center hosts an annual meet-and-greet event for diverse college students. This event’s purpose is to provide networking opportunities for the students and area employers. Employers present included Springfield Public Schools, BKD, CU, City of Springfield, Bank of America, CoxHealth, Mercy, Cintas, Buckhorn, Inc., Chase, Commerce Bank, Arvest Bank, Greene County, Bass Pro, and John Deere. The Job Center hosts the annual EmployAbility Summit to promote inclusion in the workplace of those who are differently abled.

Hiring

The Career Center is hiring a graduating student from MSU’s multicultural program, and Director Mary Ann Rojas recently spoke at the program’s commencement ceremony.