Tuesday, August 10, 1999
New equal-opportunity chief for city
Job rank raised to top-level manager
BY ANNE MICHAUD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati named a new Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) officer Monday, and elevated the job to a higher rank to counter criticism that top positions and entire departments are too white and male.
City Manager John Shirey named David Chapman to the post, effective Sept. 6. Mr. Chapman is an assistant to the city manager in charge of contract compliance and administrative hearings.
Wendell Young, the former EEO officer, is in the personnel department. He returned from six weeks of vacation Monday and said he does not know what his new assignment will be.
Elevating the EEO officer's post was a goal of the city manager's performance review in June.
“If the compliance officer is a lower-level manager, what authority does that person have to fully mete out the adopted policies of the city?” Councilman Todd Portune said. “Council as a body has not been altogether pleased with the city's performance as an employer.”
The city's annual affirmative action report, delivered in April, showed 49 percent of the work force is white and male. The report said white men hold 63 percent of administrative jobs, 62 percent of technical jobs, 61 percent of police and fire jobs, and 83 percent of skilled crafts positions.
Several offices were made up of 60 percent or more white male employees: environmental management, treasury, fleet services, the Metropolitan Sewer District, public works engineering, traffic engineering, the fire division, and Water Works' supply and engineering departments.
The report points out opportunities to diversify the work force are not many: From 1998 to 1999, city employment dropped from 5,884 to 5,873.
Turnover is very low, the second- lowest of 42 large cities and counties that Cincinnati compares itself with, Mr. Shirey said. “When you look at the opportunity we had, about two-thirds of our new hires were women and minorities.”
Mr. Chapman, who has held his current job for two years, said he wants to make the EEO office “more effective and more proactive.” The city employs 18 EEO counselors throughout its departments, and Mr. Chapman said he plans to meet with them in September.
Reported problems of discrimination against African-Americans in the sewer district will receive attention, Mr. Chapman said.
The EEO office employs four people besides Mr. Young, and three of them will move to report to Mr. Chapman.
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