Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee (DEI)

2024 Events

• Women's History Month Events


• 
  CDFA Leadership Women's History Month Panel Discussion
  March 13, 2024, Noon - 1:00
  Panelists:
  Dr. Annette Jones, Veterinarian & Division Director of Animal Health and Food Safety Services Division
  Arima Kozina, Deputy Secretary of Administration & Finance, Executive Office
  Victoria Hornbaker, Director of Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Division
  Tawny Mata, Director of the Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation
  
  Event recording

DEI's Misssion Statement

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (which includes the District Agricultural Associations and related Boards, Counsels, and Commissions) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee recognizes historic and present-day social, structural, institutional inequities, and the need for systems change. CDFA’s DEI Committee is dedicated to uplifting the perspectives and experiences that arise from racial, ethnic, socio-economic, sexual orientation, gender, ability and disabilities, age, religion, and all other forms of diversity within California. CDFA’s DEI Committee advocates for the continuous education of DEI members and CDFA employees on current and historical disparities, inequities, and community-based solutions to confront them, and to uphold diversity, equity, and inclusion of all CDFA operations. CDFA’s DEI Committee engages with CDFA employees, California farmers and ranchers, and the general public. Through collaborative efforts, CDFA’s DEI Committee assists in the development of assessments, internal policies, recommendations, best practices, capacity-building trainings, technical assistance and advocacy of DEI policies and programs within CDFA and throughout California to ensure an equitable future for all.

About DEI

The California Department of Food and Agriculture established the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in January of 2021 to work on advancing the Departments Racial Equity Action Plan in collaboration with CDFA’s Capital Collaborative on Racial Equity (CCORE) cohort; assisting the department in promoting and fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within CDFA; lifting the voices of marginalized people; and promoting DEI inside and outside of CDFA.

The DEI Committee has established eight subgroups to address DEI internally and externally of CDFA:

• Bylaws/Policy Statement/Committee Structure
• Upward Mobility/Education, Experience, Working Job Classification Discrepancies
• Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
• Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
• Employees with Disabilities
• Implicit Bias
• DEI in CDFA Programs
• Outreach Team/Public-Facing Team/DEI Portal

DEI Steering Committee

Committee Members:

• Michael Suechting - Suechting.Michael@cdfa.ca.gov
• Dahmoon "D" Maeesomy - Dahmoon.Maeesomy@cdfa.ca.gov