HomeMy WebLinkAbout25.11.10 - Minutes, Diversity and Inclusion CommitteeWashington County Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Meeting Minutes
Commissioners Administrative Building — Room 1301
100 West Washington Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740
Monday, November 10, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m.
I. Quorum and Call to Order in Open Session called to order at 7:04 p.m.
II. Board Attendance: Angela Yamashita (Vice -Chair), Jeanine Salifou (Secretary), ZSun-
nee Miller-Matema, Eric Schwartz, and Allenia Washington
Ex officio Attendance: Commissioner Derek Harvey
Guest/Public Attendance: Ethan Loewen
Absent: Tiara Burnett (Hagerstown Councilwoman), Darrell Evans (Board of Education),
Terence Ngwa (Chair), and Fatima Sakarya
III. Approval of agenda (Eric/Allenia)
IV. Review, approval, and adoption of July and September Minutes: (Allenia/Eric)
V. Introduction of Guests/Public Comments
*Public Comments are limited to 2 minutes per person*
• Ethan Loewen -Anti-Islam comments that took place at the Board of
Education meeting, asking if we can have a debate on critical thinking on
a range of issues
• Angela acknowledged his comments and said that having a debate is not
the purpose of our committee
• Motion to close public comments (Eric/Znunny)
VI. Liaison/Ex-Officios Reports
• County — Commissioner Derek Harvey - are we diverse?
Regular business, looking good, different questions about the Budget
process
VII. Old Business
• Formulation of an "Excellence in Diversity" award — Attitudes of America
award
Fatima and Zunny are working on the criteria categories for the awards
• Hispanic representation on the D&I Committee
Angela, per Commissioner Harvey, we need to see if we can increase the
number of members by having a Hispanic and Youth member
Have Terence send out a formal request to Dawn and amend our bylaws to
have 9 members
Motion to send a formal request to add two seats to our Committee
membership to 9 (Allenia/Eric)
• Zunny is talking about the Senior Center. Contact has been made with the
Commission on Aging to attend their meetings.
VIII. New Business (Executive Session)
• Islamic Center of Western MD Open House
Commissioner Harvey - Mike Guessford on the WCPS school board
commented on Facebook, wanting to protest at the Open house
There was a cordial discussion with religious leaders.
People being spit on talked about problems around the country
Christians being murdered in Africa and Asia
• Bring in new voices
Invite other committees, boards and nonprofits to attend our meetings, to
see where our goals align each month, start with the Commission of Aging
The Boys and Girls Club they can make a presentation so we can learn
about them.
(Eric/Zunny) motion to make this happen
IX. Adjournment at 7:47