March 16, 2018 – County Executive Latimer, along with Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins, attended the first meeting of the newly assembled Westchester County Human Rights Commission.
Latimer said: “The team we have put together and met with is the right mix to get this Commission operating as it was intended.”
At this meeting, held on the 9th floor of the Michaelian Office Building, the Commission moved to elect Rev. Doris K. Dalton of White Plains as Chair. Additionally, former Deputy Director Jerrice Epps was named Acting Executive Director.
Epps said: “Westchester County is home to so many with diverse backgrounds and it’s our job at the Human Rights Commission to ensure that all are treated equally and with dignity. I am proud to take on this new role and am eager to get to work on behalf of the nearly one million residents of this great County.”
Dalton said: “I am honored to serve the people of Westchester County, and to work alongside such experienced and gifted community leaders on the Human Rights Commission. We are excited about the opportunities ahead of us and ready to meet the challenges of eliminating and preventing acts of discrimination and to foster tolerance among the inhabitants of Westchester County."
This meeting took place after Latimer announced eleven appointments to the Westchester County Human Rights Commission. Ten of the new members, and one re-appointment, will join the four members currently serving.
Latimer added: “Westchester is a place we are all immensely proud to call home. We share a set of values, and we all must share a basic level of respect for one another. The Human Rights Commission is an important function of County government. It serves as a check on all of us to ensure all of our neighbors are treated fairly and with dignity.”
Based on County Human Rights law, which grants its authority, the Commission has County-wide jurisdiction and aims to protect residents from unjust actions.