Committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The City of Cedar Rapids has been advancing toward equity and inclusivity for many years. Last fall, the City made the decision to commit time, energy, and resources to become an even more inclusive organization by adding Elizabeth Buch as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Manager.

A daughter of Mexican immigrants, Buch began understanding different perspectives at a young age. She moved to Cedar Rapids in 2013, knowing she wanted to pursue something that had meaning and aligned with her values and perspectives. Elizabeth graduated from Kirkwood Community College with an associate’s degree and Mount Mercy University with undergraduate and graduate degrees. Her understanding of diversity and inclusion from a nontraditional upbringing, combined with her education and skills, propelled her into a position at Collins Aerospace that served as a focal point for diversity and corporate social responsibility. Before joining the City, she was the Cedar Rapids site manager for the nonprofit Urban Dreams, helping underrepresented individuals attain opportunities for employment and advancement within organizations.

“When we talk about the diversity of Cedar Rapids, we want to leverage diversity and all the dimensions that come with it. Someone’s background, culture, lived experience, and thoughts. We want to take an intentional approach to value the individual aspects of everyone in our organization and community,” Elizabeth said.

As the new DEI Manager, Elizabeth has spent time on a listening tour, visiting with department directors and leadership teams to understand where gaps exist. She has gathered information about best practices from regional and national peers, and connected with community organizations. Those conversations drove areas of focus around inclusive cultures, workforce diversity, equitable systems, and community engagement.

Following a leadership-down approach, City leaders have committed to inclusion and participated in a leadership summit.

“We are creating a wraparound understanding for each individual, team, and leader to make sure we have an internal culture that is inclusive and helps employees feel like they can thrive, trust, and connect with others in the organization,” Elizabeth said.

The City is reviewing and updating current processes and practices to eliminate unnecessary barriers, be representative of the community, and support individuals with development opportunities and experiences for growth. In examining daily operations, the City wants to ensure that policies and programs operate with a focus on equity, and to think about the outcomes from different perspectives to ensure that they do not affect residents in a way that is unintended. Finally, the City will focus on proactively engaging the community to understand needs and make sure all voices are heard.

Elizabeth said, “This is a transformational journey for the City organization and the community of Cedar Rapids. It is an opportunity to help close the gap between what we all want to become and what we currently are.”