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Governor Walz, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan Announce Hiring of Chris Taylor as Chief Inclusion Officer

04/23/2019

[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan today announced the hiring of Chris Taylor as the Chief Inclusion Officer. Taylor is currently the Chief Inclusion Officer with the Minnesota Historical Society.

“I am excited to hire Chris Taylor as the Chief Inclusion Officer for the State of Minnesota,” Governor Walz said. “Chris demonstrates a deep commitment to supporting diversity and equity in everything he does. The Lieutenant Governor and I could not ask for a better partner to lead the One Minnesota Council on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, and make sure our institutions across the state look like and support the people we are working for.”

“We are better as an office, a community, and a state when the perspectives of all Minnesotans are at the table and empowered to use their voices,” Lieutenant Governor Flanagan said. “Chris approaches his work through the lens of equity, and has deep relationships with important stakeholders, including our communities of color, Native communities, school districts, and higher education institutions. I look forward to collaborating on an issue close to my heart.”

“We are fortunate to live in a state that affords us the opportunity to learn from so many cultures. As the Chief Inclusion Officer, I am humbled and excited to support the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s vision for One Minnesota,” Chris Taylor said. “I’m looking forward to building cohesion across difference and recognizing and honoring the rich mix of cultures that makes Minnesota unique.” 

“I am thrilled to work with Chris. He is a transformational leader and the perfect choice for the Chief Inclusion Officer position,” Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero said. “In his career, Chris has honed the skills and vision needed to help shift Minnesota government to an ever more inclusive and equitable place, and now is the right time for this to happen. Minnesota is changing rapidly. We’re getting older and we’re getting more racially diverse so we know we have to do things differently. Chris will support the work of agencies across Minnesota to shift our workplace culture in a powerful way.”

“Chris Taylor is about the work of Inclusion,” Damon Shoholm, Director of the James P. Shannon Leadership Institute through the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, said. “He is the experienced professional we need to develop and implement a vision and related strategies for this work throughout Minnesota. More importantly, he brings his entire self to the work, having spent critical time to understand and align his personal values with his professional commitment. This not only deepens his effectiveness, but also increases his credibility with colleagues and community. I am so very excited for Chris and for our State.”

Taylor will begin this position on Monday, May 6.

Last modified: 04/23/2019

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