Stockton will restore its diversity, equity and inclusion officer position after its elimination last year sparked controversy and an investigation into how related funds were handled.
The restoration of the position follows a unanimous Stockton City Council vote on Tuesday to reject bids for DEI consulting services. City staff recommended rejecting all bids, saying the city “has experienced leadership changes and has reassessed its approach to advancing DEI initiatives.” The reassessment led staff to pursue hiring a full-time DEI officer instead of a consultant.
City Manager Johnny Ford said staff were waiting for council action on the proposals received. After the vote, staff will review the position’s job description and the city’s DEI program and bring forward recommendations, including advertising the position and hiring a candidate.
Ford said the hiring process will take at least two to three months “from step A to Z.”
Vice Mayor Jason Lee reflected on a conversation he had earlier Tuesday, April 14 with a student who interviewed him for her school project and asked, “What would you, given where you come from and all your success, say to kids of color like me who are watching a city that may forget how important diversity is?”
“I was blown away by this young kid and that question,” Lee said, noting that leaders “dismantled DEI in a city that’s richly diverse.”
“You look at this audience that makes up women, different colors, different backgrounds, different faiths,” Lee said. “It’s something that we should celebrate and be acknowledged for.”
Lee’s remarks came amid ongoing debate over former Interim City Manager Steve Colangelo’s decision last year to eliminate the city’s DEI office, which prompted scrutiny and an investigation into related spending.
In February 2025, Colangelo signed a contract for Lathrop City Manager Stephen Salvatore to serve as a consultant for up to $100,000 to provide strategic guidance. The deal, funded with DEI money, drew backlash for being no-bid and lacking council approval. It was terminated in June 2025.
The DEI officer role was initially established by former City Manager Harry Black. The city’s previous DEI officer, Preya Nixon, began working in the role in June 2024. She was reassigned to a lower-level human resources role after Colangelo dissolved the DEI office in mid-2025.
During an October 2025 Council Audit Committee investigation into the matter, Nixon told the committee that Colangelo referred to DEI as a “liability,” which conflicted with council direction and a July 2022 resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. She also said she faced threats of termination if she refused the reassignment.
“After I asked where the DEI funds went, I was removed from leadership meetings and email groups,” Nixon testified.
The report found her testimony credible and corroborated by Human Resources Director Rosemary Rivas and former Deputy City Manager Chad Reed.
Additionally, the committee found that roughly $197,000 originally budgeted for the DEI office was transferred to human resources accounts without required council approval, raising concerns about a possible violation of Charter Section 1907. Under the charter, the council may amend the annual budget by majority vote, and funds may not be transferred between accounts or spent beyond authorized levels without council approval.
Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, D-Tracy, and Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, have requested that the state’s Joint Legislative Audit Committee order an audit of the city’s DEI program after the local investigation.
At Tuesday’s meeting, District 4 Councilmember Mario Enríquez, who has often spoken about the importance of DEI alongside Lee, referred to the ordeal as a setback for the council and Stockton.
“That’s a stain on our behalf as a council. That was something that happened here in our city and in the state of California, that DEI was dismantled,” Enríquez said. “But nonetheless, with new, fresh leadership that we have with City Manager Ford, I’m all in.”
Enríquez urged other councilmembers to emphasize the importance of DEI and support the new DEI officer once the position is filled.
Mayor Christina Fugazi said that in 2020, when she was the District 5 representative, she and former District 2 Councilmember Dan Wright drafted the resolution that the council ultimately adopted in support of DEI.
“Making sure that people know that this city is open and available and welcoming to people of all backgrounds is very important, and that we are actively recruiting, as I know the city manager has done, to have staff that is reflective of our community because our community is something that we all should be proud of and everybody has something to contribute,” Fugazi said. “We just have to make sure everyone has a seat at the table.”
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton to restore DEI officer role after probe into elimination
Reporting by Hannah Workman, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
