The City Appoints African-American Community and Business Leader Liaison
Scott Carreathers joins the Office of Equity & Inclusion
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M — Today, Mayor Tim Keller announced the appointment of Scott Carreathers as the City of Albuquerque’s African-American Community and Business Leader liaison. Mr. Carreathers will join the Office of Equity and Inclusion and work with departments, including the Mayor’s Office.
In addition to conducting outreach and coordinating two-way communication with the African-American community, business, and youth leaders in the City, Carreathers will manage the City’s participation in the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, as well as other youth initiatives. His business liaison duties will include work with the One Albuquerque Fund and the City’s Small Business Advocacy Office.
“As we continue to hear from and speak with African American community members what has been clear so far is the need for having more African-American voices at the table when decisions are being made,” said Mayor Tim Keller, “Mr. Carreathers role will bring to light important issues and needs of the African-American community as we work to be more inclusive.”
Given the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on communities of color, Mayor Keller will also seek the advice of Mr. Carreathers on how to mitigate the impact and ensure equitable access to information and resources for the African-American community of Albuquerque.
“Our goal is for all people in Albuquerque to receive the information and services they need so that we get better outcomes,” said Michelle Melendez, Director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion. “We are not connecting as well as we should be with the Black community. Scott’s role will be to help us better connect and serve our City.”
William Scott Carreathers was previously the director of the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs, appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham in January 2019. Carreathers led statewide information gathering through town halls and showcased the contributions of Black people to the state of New Mexico through the annual NM Black Expo. His role in mentoring youth in the Inner Beauty program for Black girls and VIBE program for Black boys was an extension of his lifelong dedication to young Black students. Before his appointment to the Governor’s cabinet, Carreathers served as Director of African American Student Services at the University of New Mexico for 20 years.
From 2005 to 2010, he was Associate Dean for diversity initiatives, linking the Division of Student Affairs and the University College Advising Center. Other roles at the University of New Mexico included Senior Academic Advisor and University Representative, helping to develop a recruitment plan and liaising with counselors and educators in New Mexico, Texas and Colorado. Carreathers has an undergraduate degree in Health from Northwest Oklahoma State University and a Master of Education degree from Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas.
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The mission of the Office of Equity and Inclusion is to inspire and equip city government to make Albuquerque a national role model for embracing diversity as our greatest asset. The office was created as part of Mayor Tim Keller’s vision to build a more inclusive Albuquerque. The Office of Equity and Inclusion is a recipient of a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grant, furthering our efforts to increase equity across all indicators and diversity in the City’s workforce.