Mayor Sarno announced that he has appointed Judith Crowell as the new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Crowell, previously served as the Accreditation Manager for the Springfield Police Department and as a Paralegal to the City’s Law Department. She also worked as a paralegal with Liberty Mutual Insurance. She holds a MBA degree and M.S. degree in Psychology from Bay Path University.
Mayor Sarno states, “I want to thank Attorney Talia Gee for a job well done – bittersweet, but a gain for our Law Departments. Attorney Gee set the bar high for herself as the first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for our City of Springfield and she did a tremendous job. Her outreach efforts and initiatives in recruiting potential employees and developing an inclusive environment for our employees was greatly appreciated. She has set a strong foundation so that the City of Springfield will continue to succeed. I know City Solicitor Judge John Payne is looking forward to working with her in our Law Department.”
Attorney Talia Gee stated, “I want to thank Mayor Sarno for appointing me as the first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the City of Springfield. It has been a privilege and an honor to serve my hometown in this capacity over these past few years. Since I was appointed, working with Mayor Sarno, the Mayor’s staff and our city department heads, we have developed and implemented many initiatives in hiring and career development opportunities in support of our city’s strategic plan to continue to foster an inclusive working environment, where all have an opportunity to succeed. Practicing law has always been my first passion and I am excited for this opportunity to stay with the city and transition into the Law Department. I am looking forward to working with City Solicitor Judge John Payne and the law department team as I begin this next chapter in my career.”
“I want thank Judi Crowell for agreeing to serve in this new position and welcome her as our new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, she has a nice mix of public and private sector experience,” Mayor Sarno continued. “I have known Judi for a number of years and her record, skills and talents are second-to-none. From working as a paralegal in our Law Department to serving as the Accreditation Manager for the Springfield Police Department where she was instrumental in working with Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood as we implemented our reforms and initiatives. Judi will be able to hit the ground running as she transitions into her new role. I have no doubts that she will continue to promote and enhance our City of Springfield and continue the great work of attracting and retaining good city employees and the nurturing and inclusive environment for our workforce.”
Judi Crowell said, “I want to thank Mayor Sarno for his confidence in my abilities and I am excited to enter into this new chapter in my career. I also want to thank Police Superintendent Cheryl Clapprood for the opportunity to serve as the Accreditation Manager for our Springfield Police Department. I take great pride in working for the City of Springfield and I am looking forward to transitioning into this new role as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. This is a very important and vital position and I take this responsibility with great enthusiasm. I am looking forward to working with the Mayor, the Mayor’s staff, Superintendent Clapprood, and the other city departments as we continue to work together to enhance the city’s objective to recruit and develop an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects our demographic.”
Attorney Gee will transition to the Law Department and Crowell as the new Chief and Diversity Officer on June 1, 2022.
