July 30, 2024 – Mayor Matt Tuerk announced today that Kumari Ghafoor-Davis, MSW has joined the Mayor’s Office team to serve as the Equity and Inclusion Coordinator for the City of Allentown.

Ghafoor-Davis brings 30 years of experience in human and social services, including 20 years specializing in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Acceptance, and Belonging (DEIAB).

As Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, Ghafoor-Davis will support the City in fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace. She will continue the work to conduct inclusivity assessments for each department, provide recommendations for improvement, and assist managers with implementation. Additionally, she will review and advise on opportunities to enhance the equitable delivery of City services to residents.

“I’m excited that Kumari is joining the team to advance our work in Allentown,” said Mayor Matt Tuerk. “She will help us build a more inclusive workplace, inviting lots of different folks into the life of public service. As we become more inclusive, we can take on the task of delivering our services equitably, ensuring that every resident of the City of Allentown receives the support that they need to achieve wellbeing.”

Ghafoor-Davis is the former Director of Racial Ethnic Justice at Community Action Lehigh Valley. There, she and her team launched “Color Outside the Lines,” an initiative aimed at closing racial, wealth, and equity gaps in the Lehigh Valley, engaging hundreds of community members. She has also formed and collaborated with several DEI groups and committees throughout the region.

Her consulting experience includes working with educational institutions, government agencies, and organizations to facilitate professional development in areas such as Professionalism, Conflict Resolution, Cultural Humility/Sensitivity, Implicit Bias, and the Importance of Cultural Responsiveness in the workplace. She has contributed to the creation and implementation of DEIB strategic plans and the capture of relevant metrics and data.

Since 2001, Ghafoor-Davis has served as an adjunct professor in Sociology and Social Work at institutions including Montclair State, Drew, Kean, and Seton Hall Universities, as well as Bloomfield and Hunter Colleges, and Passaic, Essex, and Lehigh Carbon Community Colleges.

Ghafoor-Davis holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology/African American Studies from Montclair State University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University.

Information provided to TVL by:
Genesis Ortega
Communications Manager
Office of the Mayor
http://www.AllentownPA.gov

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