| COMMISSION ON DIVERSITY AWARENESS WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2026 |
VIRTUAL TEAMS MEETING 211 WEST ASPEN AVENUE 1:30 P.M. |
Chair Hernandez called the meeting to order at 1:38 p.m.
| NOTE: One or more Commission Members may be in attendance telephonically or by other technological means. |
| MANNY HERNANDEZ, CHAIR - present SANDRA DARLING, VICE CHAIR - absent CARMENLITA CHIEF - present |
SILINA MARTINEZ - present JUSTIN MALLETT - absent ANGELICA SANCHEZ - present VACANT |
Chair Hernandez read the Mission Statement and Land Acknowledgement.
MISSION STATEMENT
A commission to foster support, respect, awareness and appreciation of diversity among all citizens of Flagstaff.
The Commission on Diversity Awareness humbly acknowledges the ancestral homelands of this area’s Indigenous nations and original stewards. These lands, still inhabited by Native descendants, border mountains sacred to Indigenous peoples. We honor them, their legacies, their traditions, and their continued contributions. We celebrate their past, present, and future generations who will forever know this place as home.
Commissioner Sanchez spoke of the Bilingual Beginnings program at the Library featuring American Sign Language, Spanish, and Navajo story time.
The Commission cannot act upon items presented during the Public Participation portion of the Agenda. Individual Commission members may ask questions of the public but are prohibited by the Open Meeting Law from discussion or considering the item among themselves until the item is officially placed on the Agenda. Each public comment or presentation will be limited to four (4) minutes.
Moved by Commissioner Sanchez and Seconded by Commissioner Martinez to approve the minutes with the correction as noted. The vote was unanimous.
Deputy City Clerk Georganna Staskey presented the proclamation for review. Commissioner Sanchez noted that Vice-Chair Darling had invited the Women’s Leadership Group to attend; Ms. Staskey will follow up to confirm their attendance.
Commissioner Martinez moved to approve the proclamation, seconded by Commissioner Sanchez. The motion carried unanimously.
The Commission resumed discussion at approximately 2:04 p.m.
Commissioner Hernandez concurred with Councilmember House’s suggestion, made during her update, to include a call to action within the proclamation. The Commission collaboratively drafted language encouraging community members to learn about, reflect upon, and participate in programs and events that honor women’s history and promote continued progress toward equity.
Following finalization of the revised language, Commissioner Sanchez moved to reapprove the proclamation as amended. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Chief and carried unanimously.
City Clerk Stacy Saltzburg reported that staff is working to formalize materials related to the Regional Plan, finalize details, and share information with the community. She noted that the election is scheduled for May 19, that ballots will be mailed, and that no polling places will be available. She also indicated that staff could attend a future meeting to provide additional information.
Chair Hernandez commented that this would be a valuable use of the Commission’s time and an opportunity to review materials.
Commissioner Sanchez concurred, noting that reviewing program materials falls within the Commission’s purview and expressing a desire to be involved.
Commissioner Chief also expressed support for this approach.
Commissioner Sanchez shared information regarding a recent outreach effort conducted downtown to gather community input on potential locations for a rainbow crosswalk. She reported strong public interaction and positive engagement and noted that she looks forward to reviewing the collected feedback with the Commission at a future meeting.
She emphasized that commissioners should feel empowered to bring forward important topics, offer recommendations, or provide opinions to Council, and encouraged placing such items on future agendas for discussion. Finally, she referenced the recently approved Women’s History Month proclamation, suggesting the Commission consider adding language to encourage community engagement with related events or programming, making the proclamation more actionable. This concluded her updates and the Commission returned to the Proclamation item at approximately 2:04 p.m.
She also reminded commissioners to keep an eye on the working calendar and weekly listserv, and to feel free to submit agenda items in the future. She encouraged looking several months ahead to allow time for staff input and subject matter experts so recommendations can be prepared for council.
Finally, Ms. Staskey shared that the Public Affairs has been posting vacancies on social media and is working to increase awareness of boards and commissions to encourage broader public participation. She emphasized the importance of bringing community voices into specialty groups and commissions.