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10 Worcester Business Journal | September 5, 2022 | wbjournal.com Rooting out racism As Worcester prepares to publicize its racial equity audits on Sept. 20, top leadership hopes to improve structural support for when a new chief diversity officer is hired and avoid the problems of the past T he City of Worcester has been without a chief diversity officer for nearly six months now, since Stephanie Williams resigned in March, sparking widespread concern about the high turnover rate of CDOs working for Worcester. As early as mid-September, however, that could change. Private consultancy Letterman White Consulting, LLC, based in Quincy, has been working with City leadership to conduct racial equity audits to try to understand why three diversity executives have le since the CDO role was created in 2016. "I don't want to hire anyone until we put the structure in place," said Eric Batista, who took over as interim chief diversity officer about two months before being named acting city manager, and is still filling both roles. "For me, my priority is to work with a consultant and to work with the [City] Council on putting the structure in place that will allow for the chief diversity officer to be successful," Batista said. e audits focused on Worcester's human resources and health and human services departments, and Letterman White submitted a final report to Batista in early August. e acting city manager has been reviewing the report and building a communications strategy, with plans to present the findings to City Council at the public meeting on Sept. 20, Batista said. "ey need to listen to what's in it and not be defensive about any findings," said Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham, founder of Upton diversity consultancy Promoting Good, LLC, adding transparency about BY KATHERINE HAMILTON Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer Crowds of people gather in Worcester Common in front of City Hall D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N FOCUS Valerie Zolezzi- Wyndham, owner of Promoting Good Eric Batista, Worcester acting city manager