County of Durham issued the following announcement on Mar. 16.
Yesenia Merino, PhD., MPH, is Durham County’s new racial equity officer. Merino will lead and coordinate efforts to integrate equity principles into operations, projects and services of county government. The racial equity position for Durham County was created in 2019 to support the organization’s efforts to build capacity for shared understanding that deeply racialized systems are costly and depress outcomes and life chances for all groups.
“I’m ecstatic to join Durham County in this new role,” said Dr. Merino. “I look forward to serving my community as racial equity officer and working with diverse groups to do my part to foster an inclusive environment for all who live, work, and play in Durham.”
Dr. Merino brings more than 20 years of experience in community engagement, capacity building, and equity-centered evaluation and research. Most recently, she served as director of inclusive excellence education and training at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health. Merino has also worked with several nonprofit, government, and academic organizations, including NIH and CDC. She has conducted research on COVID-19 disparities in Durham, structural racism, and infectious diseases.
In announcing the hire, General Manager of Public Health and Community Well-Being Joanne Pierce noted, “I am pleased to welcome Dr. Merino as racial equity officer. Dr. Merino brings a complement of strengths and abilities to lead in the design and implementation of enterprise-wide strategies in the areas of anti-racism, equity, diversity and inclusion in support of the Board’s commitment to eliminate systemic and structural racism.”
Dr. Merino holds a PhD in Health Behavior from UNC, a MPH in Behavioral Sciences & Health Education from Emory University, and a BS in Biology from George Mason University.
She will begin her position on Monday, March 21, 2022.
Original source can be found here.
