Isabella County has a new diversity director
Morning Sun
Thursday, January 15, 2009
6:50 AM EST
By SUSAN FIELD
Clare Managing Editor
Blossom Hill has a lot of ideas about diversity and
is passionate about the subject.
Hill, 23, plans to use those ideas to help Isabella County residents
step out of their comfort zones and embrace cultural, ethnic and
racial differences.
Hill, a graduate of Central Michigan University who is working on a
master’s degree in public administration, began working part-time
last week as the county’s diversity coordinator and hit the ground
running, making contact with officials at other diversity agencies
in the county.
Hill, who hails from Detroit, plans on establishing relationships
with diversity-based groups and is a liaison for the county’s human
rights committee and the board of commissioners.
Because Hill was raised in a predominantly African American area,
she said attending CMU opened her up to different ethnicities and
cultures, sparking her desire to grow as a person and encourage
others to do the same.
“When you open up your mind, you learn,” Hill said. “That’s why I’m
so passionate about diversity.”
When people open their minds and hearts, they grow, and stepping
outside their element can be a catalyst to that growth, Hill said.
Hill’s goals include focusing on well-rounded diversity, including
separate dimensions, not simply race, gender and sexual orientation.
“Some people might think it’s far-fetched, but I think it can be
done if it’s done right,” Hill said. “I want to give equality to all
segments of diversity.”
Because she is a CMU graduate, Hill has seen both the college
community and the Mt. Pleasant community and hopes to bring the two
closer.
While some might have the perception that things that happen at CMU
don’t affect the community, Hill sees it differently.
Having been a student who is now part of the community while working
on her master’s degree, Hill hopes to be a liaison between the
university and the community as a whole.
Hill replaces former diversity coordinator Sharon Quinlan, who
resigned in September citing a “hostile” environment in County
Administrator Tim Dolehanty’s office.
Hill researched the job before applying and knew of the situation.
Hill said she is the type of person who wants to learn for herself,
and that she was embraced by her co-workers in Dolehanty’s office.
“It’s really, really good,” she said. “I was embraced as soon as I
started.
“I thought I’d be overwhelmed but I fit in with the whole
administration family.”
Dolehanty said Hill was hired after interviewing with a board of
three county officials, including a representative from the human
rights committee, and that Hill was impressive and perfectly
prepared during the interview.
“I’m very excited to have her on board,” he said. “She came to us
with a lot of ideas."
