Over the past three decades, Ace has invited the incoming Mayor and Council, and the outgoing Mayor to contribute an essay to our “What Lexington Needs” space that began as an Ace tradition in the 80s.
WHAT LEXINGTON NEEDS is Diversity in Recruitment and Leadership
by Sixth District Council Member Angela Evans
People of color are represented in practically every profession in town. However, Lexington and the business community must do better recruiting more professionals of color and retaining the talented people of color who are here. For quite a few years after I returned home, many of my closest friends who had relocated to Lexington because of work, eventually moved away. Although they were generally content with their job and Lexington in general, the lack of diverse social events, difficulty establishing new social circles, knowing their earning potential was higher elsewhere, and the lack of opportunities for promotions, were huge factors in their decisions to move away. Granted, earning potential and promotions are issues for most Generation Xers and Millennials, regardless of race. However, it seemed to impact professionals of color more or seemed to result in them leaving Lexington more often. Lexington knows how to recruit the best athletes in the country, now we need to use those same skills and charisma to recruit and retain the best professionals of all races and ethnicities.
“Diversity: the art of thinking independently, together.” Malcolm Forbes
Lexington native Angela C. Evans served as an Assistant Attorney General of Kentucky for six years prior to her election in 2015, providing legal services to various state agencies. She also previously served as General Counsel to the Kentucky Secretary of State. Councilmember Evans began her legal career as a Public Defender in Lexington, Kentucky. She also served on the Ethics Commission from 2002 to 2009 and served as Chairperson from 2007 to 2009.
Councilmember Evans is an active member of the Lexington Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, serves as a Board member for the Central Kentucky Blood Center and is an advisor on the University of Kentucky’s College of Communication and Information National Advisory Board.
About ‘What Lexington Needs’
Thirty years ago, Ace began including a regular feature from our readers titled, “What Lexington Needs.” A diverse array of local leaders — from artists and architects, to bankers and business owners, and elected officials of every stripe and party — participated over the decades.
In honor of Ace’s 30th anniversary as Lexington’s oldest independent media, we’ve re-opened the forum. Anyone can contribute. Essays are typically 500 words or less, and the most important criteria is that the writer be passionate about what they believe Lexington needs.
Do you have ideas about What Lexington Needs? Share them. Email 500 words or less to acelist at aceweekly dot com. Include a photo and a sentence or two about yourself.
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