Civil Rights

Mission, Goals, and Objectives

The City of Madison’s Department of Civil Rights (DCR), as a catalyst for change, strives to improve the quality of life for all people. Through access, education, and accountability, the DCR promotes equity, equality and the prevention and elimination of discrimination.

Directory

Director

Norman D. Davis

608-267-8759

Manage the staff, programs and functions of the Civil Rights Department to ensure continued advancement of programmatic goals and resources. Provide overall leadership in the development and implementation of civil rights policies and programs, and provide policy direction, interpretations and integration of relevant local, state, and federal legislation and guidelines. Oversee the development, approval and implementation of City affirmative action plans and programmatic and numerical initiatives. Oversee the development, implementation, and promotion of the citywide Disability Rights Program and staff within applicable state, federal and local regulations to ensure that people with disabilities participate fully in city government, City programs and our quality of life. Oversee the development, promotion and implementation of the City’s Contract Compliance Program, in order to ensure compliance with applicable federal, State and local regulations relative to small, disadvantaged, and minority and women business enterprises. Direct and participate in the enforcement of the City’s Equal Opportunities Ordinance. Build positive relationships with commissioners, alders, businesses, advocacy and non-profit groups, and residents to advance civil rights and promote equal opportunities for all persons. Provide for the effective integration, coordination, and support of the roles of the Affirmative Action Commission, the Equal Opportunities Commission, and the Commission on People with Disabilities as an important linkage to the communities served. Develop, analyze, evaluate and present related reports, policy, legislative and program recommendations to the Commissions, the Mayor and the Common Council. Direct and participate in the development and management of the department’s budget.

Affirmative Action Division

Tracy Lomax, Division Manager

608-266-6510

Develops and administers the City’s Contract Compliance Program. Ensures that contractors, vendors and suppliers are in compliance with applicable federal, state and city regulations, statutes and ordinances, as pertains of affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, targeted business utilization and prevailing wage. Manages and administers City of Madison’s Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program, Community Development Block Grant’s Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program, and Madison Metro’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. Administers certification/recertification process for M/W/DBE’s. Provides technical assistance to City departments and divisions to increase opportunities for targeted firms to compete for City business opportunities. Manages APM 3-5 harassment and discrimination training, policy, process and investigations. Provides technical assistance. Manages Citywide Department Equity Action Plans. Liaison with various City committees and commissions, community-based organizations, private and public sector small business resources and economic development agencies and federal agencies. Supervises Contract Compliance staff.

Ana Price, Affirmative Action Specialist

608-267-8634

Coordinates and conducts APM 3-5 investigations as well as provides specialized expertise, consultation and guidance for planning, developing, organizing and establishing City-wide equal employment opportunities/affirmative action and Title VI policies, guidelines, initiatives and performance standards. Develops and implements procedures to evaluate and monitor equal opportunity/affirmative action efforts, including systems for comprehensive EEO/AA data collection and analysis. Provides specialized guidance regarding EEO/AA data requirements for responsible agencies (Information Services, Human Resources and the Finance Department). Participates in human resource efforts, including the AASPIRE Program, as an advocate for equal employment opportunities and to monitor testing/selection procedures. Develops and conducts EEO/AA training for City employees, recommends new or different EEO/AA training programs and resources and/or participates in related team efforts, including Department Equity Action Plans.

Contract Compliance Specialists

Performs the day-to-day functions of the City’s Prevailing Wage and Targeted Business Certification Programs. Monitors contractors on prevailing wage requirements; performs on-site compliance reviews; maintains necessary records and databases; provides technical assistance; performs outreach and information dissemination; prepares audit and activity reports and recommendations. Responds to general questions from workers and provides them with literature describing their rights as workers on City Public Works project. Reviews certified payroll reports from contractors for compliance. Conducts Pre- Bid, Pre-Cons and prevailing wage documents and forms. Maintain databases and file of payroll records. Reviews and evaluates applications and supporting documents submitted for certification and decertification to determine applicant eligibility to participate in targeted business programs.

Administrative Team

Michaelyn Gibson, Administrative Supervisor

608-266-6577

Supervises administrative staff. Provides confidential support to Department of Civil Rights Director. Prepares yearly departmental budget, as well as managing purchasing and payroll for the department. HR Liaison for the department. Staff to the Martin Luther King Junior Humanitarian Award Commission. Provides general clerical support to the Department of Civil Rights.

Gisselle Rocha, Bilingual Administrative Clerk

608-266-4910

First point of contact for Department of Civil Rights. Provides programmatic information, reception, and referral services to agencies and members of the public. Equal Opportunities complaint Intake Coordinator. Staff to the Affirmative Action Commission and Disability Rights Commission. Maintains contracts, assists with Jobs Skills Bank and provides high-level administrative support to DCR staff. Assists in tracking of legislation. Acts as office purchasing contact and maintains supply inventory. 

Angela Banks, Program Assistant 1

608-242-6082

First point of contact for Department of Civil Rights. Provides programmatic information, reception, and referral services to agencies and members of the public. Equal Opportunities complaint Intake coordinator. Serves new complaints, types correspondence, maintains internal and online case tracking systems. Provides first level of customer service and support to complainants and respondents. Staff to the Equal Opportunities Commission. Coordinates contract with U.S. EEOC. Publication coordination of changes to EO Ordinance 39.03. Does a variety of clerical duties to support the Equal Opportunities Division.

Donna Collingwood, Program Assistant 1

608-266-4828

Provides assistance and technical support for the racial equity and social justice initiative’s citywide priorities and procedures, budget and community priorities. Provides communication, graphic design, and media development to the department. Assists with training & program development. Produces (designs, edits, contributes to) department newsletter. Manages RESJI Speaker Series. 

Equal Opportunities Division

Byron Bishop, Division Manager

608-266-4721

Provides leadership to the Division pertaining to planning, developing, directing, coordinating and administering day-to-day operations. This includes the overall program of education to prevent and eliminate discrimination based on those categories found in the Madison General Ordinances, 39.03, Equal Opportunities Ordinance. Oversee the investigative process for complaints received under the Equal Opportunities Ordinance. Available for public speaking on issues of equal opportunities, civil rights issues and discrimination. Resource for outreach and training activities. Conducts intake of formal complaints of discrimination, client counseling and provides technical assistance. Investigates formal complaints. Handles informal complaints. Makes referrals to other governmental or community agencies when appropriate. Coordination of Work-sharing Agreement with Wisconsin Equal Rights Division and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Conducts Conciliations. Supervises the Investigator/Conciliators, Paralegal Mediator, and Hearing Examiner. 

Clifford Blackwell, Hearing Examiner

608-266-4960

Responsible for making jurisdictional determinations, deciding appeals on Investigator’s findings of no probable cause, holding hearings on claims of discrimination following a finding of probable cause and rendering preliminary decisions after the hearing. He also provides legal advice to the Commission and staff with respect to a variety of issues pending before the Commission.

Rebecca Below, Paralegal/Mediator 

608-266-4873

Provides paralegal assistance to the Hearing Examiner and the Department of Civil Rights in the preparation and handling of civil rights discrimination cases for resolution; prepares and maintains information and records for the Hearing Examiner and Division manager; interprets, analyzes, and researches data to prepare for hearings; performs legal research; files and gathers legal documents; conducts, coordinates, and tracks mediations/conciliations.

Investigators

Conducts intake of discrimination complaints and investigate allegations of violations of the Madison Equal Opportunities Ordinance (MGO 39.03) and issues initial determinations. Also conducts mediation and conciliation conferences with parties to a complaint and, if a settlement is reached, prepare an agreement to be signed by both parties. Available to assist with training and provide technical assistance to the public, employers and employees, as well as housing and service providers. Represents the agency on Latino Family Support Network (LaSup), Communities United (CU) the Superintendent’s Human Relations Advisory Committee (SHRAC), and Neighborhood Resource teams. Develops and implements community outreach programs that disseminate information and provide educational programming. Provides technical assistance to businesses, non-profits and other organizations on how to comply with the Equal Opportunities Ordinance. Serves on the Neighborhood Resource Team and the Allied Drive Stakeholders and is the liaison to a number of community based initiatives and events.

AASPIRE Intern

Vacant

Paralegal Intern

Vacant

Equity and Social Justice Division

Kristy Kumar, Division Manager

608-261-8961

Provides leadership and directs the administration of the City of Madison Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative (RESJI), the Disability Rights and Services Program, Title VI Planning and Compliance including implementing the City Language Access Plan, Environmental Justice, and community engagement including through Neighborhood Resource Teams. Coordinates and oversees comprehensive civil rights and equity programs in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws, City ordinances, and professional standards. Provides consultation and advice to Department and Division Heads, the Mayor’s Office, and the Common Council regarding modifications to and/or the creation of relevant policies and procedures to increase physical, programmatic, language accessibility, and racial equity and social justice. Supports departmental staff in including equity in department work plans, budgets, and community engagement efforts. Creates and delivers equity training opportunities for all city staff. Supervises the Equity Coordinator, Disability Rights and Services Program Specialist, and Bilingual Community Connectors

Rebecca Hoyt, Disability Rights and Service Program Specialist

608-266-6511

Leads policy and strategy to advance access, inclusion, and equity through innovative visioning, planning, development, implementation, and coordination. Leads initiatives and supports city programs, activities, and City facilities to ensure they are accessible, inclusive, and providing equal benefit to residents with disabilities and people whose preferred language is one other than English. This position is responsible for facilitating implementation of the provisions of Madison General Ordinance 39.05, applicable Federal and State requirements, and administering the City-wide Language Access Plan. Assist Departments in their implementation of Department Equity Actions relative to Disability Rights and Language Access. Serve as primary liaison and provide technical support to the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) and DRC Executive Committee, as well as other committees and commissions that impact disability rights. Serves as a liaison to City agencies, State and Local agencies, as well as to community-based organizations to ensure awareness and coordination of the interests, priorities, and concerns of individuals with disabilities. This work is performed under the general supervision of the Equity and Social Justice Manager and policy guidance of the Civil Rights Director

Tariq Saqqaf, Neighborhood Resource Team and Racial Equity Coordinator

608-267-4915

Provides coordination for the City of Madison Racial Equity and Social Justice Initiative (RESJI) and provides guidelines and recommendations for overall RESJ priorities and projects; This includes developing, implementing, monitoring and measuring equity impact analyses (Equitable Hiring and Racial Equity Analyses), trainings, and Department Equity Teams. Work to build awareness of institutional racism within City structure, with alders and stakeholders throughout Madison. Coordinate Neighborhood Resource Teams, keeping City government informed about major trends and issues as they develop. Work to better coordinate municipal services within NRTs and identify service delivery issues that may require multi-agency solutions. This work is performed under the general supervision of the Equity and Social Justice Manager and policy guidance of the Civil Rights Director.

Community Connectors 

The Bilingual Community Connector engages and establishes relationships with communities that have historically faced language barriers to meaningful access.  Develops and sustains trusted relationships with their respective speaking communities to connect them with City Services in an equitable, accessible, and inclusive manner. Foster access to City services by removing barriers and creating new modes of engagement. Prepares oral and written communications for the community including emergency and community alerts through written mediums as well video, radio, and City Cable TV content. Reviews translated and interpreted materials for quality monitoring. Develops and proposes new communication methods to increase authentic community engagement and best serve community members that have experienced barriers to meaningful language access.