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2025-07-09 DEI MinutesREGULAR MEETING MINUTES OF THE EL SEGUNDO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) COMMITTEE WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2025 CALL TO ORDER — Chairperson Villena called the meeting to order at 6:08 pm ROLL CALL Chairperson Villena Vice Chairperson O'Brien Member Atmore Member Green Member Mitrovich Member Wright - Present - Absent (Arrived at 6:20 pm) - Present - Present - Absent - Present PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS — (Related to City Business Only — 5-minute limit per person, 30-minute limit total) ow A. CONSENT CALENDAR: 1. MOTION by Member Atmore, SECONDED by Member Green, approving Regular Committee meeting minutes of June 11, 2025, MOTION PASSED. 4/0 B. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 2. ACC Joint Meeting Date Chairperson Villena led the discussion on scheduling the ACC joint meeting date during which they would like to present the United Against Hate Week presentation. She proposed August 26th as a potential date but noted that she would first have to inquire with ACC Chairperson John Pickhaver for confirmation. 3. Membership Recruitment Plan Chairperson Villena led the discussion on the committee's membership recruitment plan. She and the committee welcomed Member LaRuth to the group and noted that there are now three vacancies. Councilmember Keldorf clarified that there is only one vacancy, explaining her understanding that the school representatives from the pilot program were rolled off and not reseated. Chairperson Villena and Member Green provided additional information. Vice Chairperson O'Brien expressed support for maintaining the committee at nine members. Council member Keldorf provided additional information. Vice Chairperson O'Brien inquired about the next application period. Member Atmore commented that the application process was difficult to navigate, noting it was hard to find the form to apply. Chairperson Villena provided additional information. Councilmember Keldorf emphasized that prospective applicants EL SEGUNDO RECREATION AND PARKS (DEI) COMMITTEE MINUTES JULY 9, 2025 PAGE 1 should be encouraged to attend public meetings to better understand the committee's work. Member Green reflected on a possible disconnect between how the Council views the DEI Committee and how it operates. She expressed that the committee may not feel fully empowered to carry out its intended work and suggested the need for a conversation to align on expectations and purpose. Councilmember Keldorf announced that setting clear expectations should be added to the next agenda. The committee reaffirmed its intention to focus not only on events, but also on policy development and systemic change. 4. Juneteenth and GUNDO Pride Debrief Chairperson Villena provided the Juneteenth debrief. She noted that the Venice Juneteenth event was also cancelled following the withdraw of Black in Mayberry. Chairperson Villena expressed interest in collaborating with the City of Manhattan Beach for a joint Juneteenth celebration next year. Vice Chairperson O'Brien emphasized the importance of planning well in advance to avoid similar cancellations in the future. He also shared that the scheduled Juneteenth storyteller at the library had withdrawn due to an insurance -related issue. Councilmember Keldorf inquired whether there were other non-profit organizations that could work with the ACC Committee to pursue grant funding. Chairperson Villena provided additional information. Vice Chairperson O'Brien provided the GUNDO Pride debrief. He thanked the committee for their volunteer efforts. He expressed a desire to expand the event next year with more programming, noting that there is room for growth. He also mentioned plans of increased advertising to improve outreach. Chairperson Villena commended the ACC for making the event happen. Member Wright inquired whether DEI funds had been allocated for GUNDO Pride. Councilmember Keldorf asked if GUNDO Pride is currently recognized as a non- profit organization. Vice Chairperson O'Brien provided additional information. 5. United Against Hate Week Discussion Member Green lead the United Against Hate Week discussion and shared her interest in focusing on the committee's goals for next year, particularly in partnering with the school board to expand school -based programming. She asked for input on whether the committee would like to host another candlelight vigil again or consider a different type of event. Vice Chairperson O'Brien commented that while the candlelight vigil is meaningful, its solemn tone may limit engagement. He expressed interest in planning a more celebratory event. Committee members proposed alternative options. Chairperson Villena noted that last year's events had lower than expected attendance and suggested consolidating events or collaboration with a neighboring city to increase participation. Councilmember Keldorf suggested exploring partnerships with local religious congregations. Member Green provided additional information. 1: 0IaRJI:]19Ly101WR1 EL SEGUNDO RECREATION AND PARKS (DEI) COMMITTEE MINUTES JULY 9, 2025 PAGE 2 6. Joy Around the World / Festival of Holidays Chairperson Villena led the discussion and provided a brief history of the Festival of Holidays. She recommended that the DEI and ACC committees work together and begin planning collaboratively given that a Cultural Arts Coordinator has not been hired yet. Chairperson Villena, Vice Chairperson O'Brien, and Member Atmore volunteered to form a working group, with the possibility of including a Councilmember as well. Member Green inquired whether the Festival of Holidays would be discussed during the upcoming joint ACC meeting. Chairperson Villena provided additional information. 7. Subcommittee Reports Chairperson Villena provided an update on the General Land Use Element Update Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting. She announced that a community meeting is scheduled for August 13t". She also noted that the next TAC meeting will take place on July 31 St Vice Chairperson O'Brien shared progress on the City Engagement project, which involves assessing DEI practices and policies among large corporations and small businesses. He is working on finalizing the list of companies to be interviewed and to develop the set of questions to guide those interviews. He also expressed interest in including local sports teams in the study. Vice Chairperson O'Brien intends to present the findings at the City Council meeting scheduled for September 16t" and outlined a project timeline to meet that goal. Member Atmore reported on behalf the Data and Resources subcommittee. She noted ongoing efforts to connect with Chief Avery of the El Segundo Fire Department and expressed her goal of completing a report by early next year. She will also be meeting with Chief Rodriguez of the El Segundo Police Department as part of their quarterly check -ins. Member Atmore announced that all proclamations for the remainder of the year have been completed and the monthly reading packets distributed to the library are ready to go. D. REPORTS — RECREATION, PARKS, AND LIBRARY DIRECTOR None E. REPORTS — COMMITTEE MEMBERS Member Wright shared that she found the meeting engaging and expressed gratitude for being part of a committee responsible for many of the events and public postings she has seen throughout the city. Vice Chairperson O'Brien expressed enthusiasm about beginning the committee's research and analysis efforts. He also noted that if Member Mitrovich is no longer interested in attending the TAC meetings, Member Green would be happy to take her place. EL SEGUNDO RECREATION AND PARKS (DEI) COMMITTEE MINUTES JULY 9, 2025 PAGE 3 Member Atmore voiced interest in contributing to the data and research work but raised a concern about potential burnout due to the committee's volunteer -based workload. She suggested that having more committee members could help distribute responsibilities more evenly. Chairperson Villena echoed Member Atmore's concerns about burnout and shared her own excitement about moving forward with the research initiatives. Adjourned at 7.57 PM Viviann Gonzalez, Senior Administrative Specialist EL SEGUNDO RECREATION AND PARKS (DEI) COMMITTEE MINUTES JULY 9, 2025 PAGE 4