Office of Racial Equity

The State of Vermont is committed to building on local, state, and national efforts to advance equity and social justice, and recognizes the important role government holds in removing structural barriers and increasing meaningful inclusion and representation. The Office of Racial Equity has grown in scope and size since its formation in 2019, in response to the urgent calls for more action and solution-oriented dialogue on issues of justice and equity. The Office works with local, state, federal, and non-profit partners to advance equity in all areas of life in Vermont.

We are

• partners with all branches of government
• certified to administer the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI)
• able to assist in the following languages: English, Español

We are not

• law enforcement (see this page for more)
• the only office in state government working on equity
• exclusively focused on only certain racial and ethnic groups—we support equity for all of Vermont’s residents and visitors

See our organizational chart here: ORE Org Chart

Executive Director of Racial Equity

Xusana Davis [🕪 pronunciation] serves as the State of Vermont’s Executive Director of Racial Equity. She was appointed to the position in June 2019 by Governor Phil Scott. She works with state agencies to identify and address systemic racial disparities, ensure that equity goals and objectives are incorporated throughout the State's operations, and provide strategic and policy guidance on equity issues.

Prior to joining the State of Vermont, she served as Director of Health & Housing Strategic Initiatives at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and as the Director of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus of the New York City Council.

She holds a Juris Doctor with a concentration in International Human Rights Law from New York Law School, where she also directed a civil liberties education program for low-income youth and youth of color. She studied Anthropology and Philosophy at Fordham University, earning the Rev. J. Franklin Ewing, S.J. Award for writing on the relationship between global human rights violations and the proliferation of HIV/AIDS.

Xusana is first-generation in the U.S., and proud to be a Spanish-fluent Latina who approaches her work from a multicultural perspective.

What Xusana is reading/watching/listening to these days: Counting Descent; Allow Me To Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution; Elite Capture: How The Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else)

Education & Outreach Associate

Shalini Suryanarayana [🕪 pronunciation] serves as the Director of Education & Outreach at the State of Vermont Office of Racial Equity. She interacts with residents, visitors, press, other sectors of government, and builds training curricula. She also liaises with communities around the state and helps state and local leaders apply an equity lens to their work through education and close communication.

Her academic background is in mechanical engineering and industrial management with a master’s degree in business (MBA), and graduate certificates in advanced program evaluation from Claremont Graduate University, and DEI graduate certificates from Cornell University and Stanford University (in-progress).

Shalini has led equity initiatives of all kinds for over 20 years. She is from India and currently lives on Abenaki land in Montpelier, loves dogs, dislikes drivers who don’t use their turn signals, is an imperfect (but always trying to do better) environmentalist, and wants to make a positive difference in the world.

What Shalini is reading/watching/listening to these days: Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive; Desert Island Discs; The Moth Radio Hour

Policy & Research Analyst

The Racial Equity Policy & Research Analyst works with the three branches of state government and with external entities to conduct policy and data analyses that inform equitable implementation of the state's laws and programs. The Analyst brings an equity lens to all aspects of research and policy analysis by applying equity principles to traditional research methods. This position is currently vacant; the Office looks forward to welcoming a team member into the position in autumn 2024.

 Division of Racial Justice Statistics Data Manager

Tiffany North-Reid [🕪 pronunciation] serves as the Racial Justice Data Manager for the Division of Racial Justice Statistics (DRJS) at the State of Vermont Office of Racial Equity. In this role she informs data collection and quality, as well as the development and management of public-facing data tools, visualizations, and websites. She brings years of experience supporting various government-funded grants and research at nonprofit research institutes and within academia, thoroughly appreciating efforts that were approached through an equity and inclusion lens.
 
Tiffany completed her undergraduate education at the University of California at Berkeley and earned graduate degrees from Rutgers School of Graduate Studies and Yale School of Public Health. She works with DRJS colleagues and other State of Vermont collaborators to apply data science and analytics toward furthering understanding around issues of racial equity within Vermont.

Division of Racial Justice Statistics Data Analyst

Laura [🕪 pronunciation] serves as a Racial Justice Data Analyst for the Division of Racial Justice Statistics (DRJS) at the State of Vermont Office of Racial Equity. She has a passion not only for racial and social justice, but also data and information governance with a strong interest in improving processes and systems statewide.

She has previously worked as a Records and Information Management Specialist at both the State's Department of Corrections and the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration.

Laura holds a Masters in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archival Studies from Simmons University and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature with a minor in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She currently resides in central VT with her partner and two cats and enjoys powerlifting, reading, and crafting.

What Laura is reading/watching/listening to these days: Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum; Making Malcolm: The Myth and Meaning of Malcolm X

Preschool Development Grant - Program Analyst & Equity Specialist

Anthony (not Tony) serves as a PDG Analyst and Equity Specialist for the Division of Racial Justice Statistics (DRJS) at the State of Vermont Office of Racial Equity. He has a passion for criminal justice reform, racial as well as restorative and transformative justice.

He has previously worked as a Community Affairs Liaison, Community Social Worker, Victim Services Specialist, and Hazing/Harassment/Bullying Coordinator for both Municipal and State Government.

Anthony holds a Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice for Lincoln College of New England. He currently resides in Canada (Quebec) with his partner, two daughters, and two cats, and enjoys rugby, basketball, and hiking.

Fun Fact: Anthony has played collegiate basketball, and semi-pro rugby league.

What Anthony is reading/watching/listening to these days: Chappell Roan, Zach Hood, and Gracie Abrams

For More Information

• Read the enabling statutes here: 3 V.S.A. Ch. 68
• Learn more about the working groups we support: Working Groups We Support
• Learn about our supporting agency: Agency of Administration