OMAHA- In 2020, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert pledged to expand diverse representation on city boards and commissions. Nearly three years later, however, it appears little change has been made in the racial and ethnic makeup of Stothert’s appointees to the city’s more than 40 boards and commissions. In fact, the Mayor’s Office isn’t even keeping track of appointee demographics.

“If you ask me right now, the diversity, the percentages of all the boards and commissions, I will honestly tell you, I don’t know, because I don’t pick them according to the color of their skin,” said Stothert. The situation has led to clashes between top city officials and city councilwoman Juanita Johnson who has been seeking information on the diversity of the city’s various boards and commissions, and is unhappy that she isn’t getting answers.

Of the 179 appointees that Stothert made over nearly three years before her 2020 pledge, 151 had demographic information. White appointees accounted for 79% of the 151, Black appointees accounted for 15% and Hispanics had 5%. About 70% of appointees were men. Data still needs to be conducted for recent years, but the Mayor and city officials have not signaled any change in the makeup of these roles.

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