SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Andrew Strong has been named San Diego County's newest director of the Office of Equity and Racial Justice after a months-long selection process.
The position was created by the Board of Supervisors last summer to identify systemic bias within the county.
"The office really is the bridge between community engagement, policy, legislation and county operations," said Strong.
And Strong knows county operations, having previously worked for years in several different departments. Prior to that, he served nearly a decade in the Navy.
He says he's eager to start identifying and solving problems.
"For starters the board declared racism a public health crisis last month, so we immediately began developing an action plan to begin implementing," Strong said.
Although Strong says his office and role are still developing, he knows tapping into local community groups and non-profits will be crucial to making the county a more equitable and inclusive place to live.
Strong says the simple fact that his position now exists is progress and he looks forward to building on that foundation.
"It's an opportunity to re-imagine how we've been doing things for the past 20 years and think totally outside the box," Strong said.
