Celina Barrios-Millner has been appointed the City of Boston’s director of Equity and Inclusion in the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. Barrios-Millner will oversee the newly created Inclusion and Equity Unit, which leads the implementation of the Economic Inclusion and Equity Agenda to create access to opportunity for women and people of color by focusing city policy on income and employment, wealth creation, business development, and economic mobility.
Barrios-Millner is tasked with implementing Mayor Martin Walsh’s Economic Inclusion and Equity Agenda and overseeing the city’s efforts to connect local residents, veterans, and people of color to economic opportunity through the Boston Resident Jobs Policy and the Certification and Contracts programs. In this role, Barrios-Millner’s two decades of experience in creating opportunities in disenfranchised communities through community engagement and strategic policy development will guide her 17-member team in managing and enforcing BRJP on City of Boston and BPDA construction projects to ensure local residents can benefit from the over $15 billion in development in the pipeline and connect minority and women-owned enterprises to millions of dollars in economic opportunities through procurement.
“The work of our Equity and Inclusion Unit is not only key to achieving a just society, but it’s also a strategic imperative for our economy. Boston is growing, and the work Celina will be leading is essential to ensuring shared prosperity in every corner of our city,” said Chief John F. Barros.
Originally from Venezuela, Barrios-Millner most recently led immigrant integration efforts for the City of Boston where she provided strategic direction to departments to ensure that immigrant residents and their needs are at the forefront of policy and program design. Previously, she led Partnership Development for the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance to generate business opportunities and resources for certified woman- and minority-owned businesses.
Created in 2014, the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development is a one-stop resource for all businesses in the City of Boston, which promotes policies that help businesses grow while fostering economic inclusion and equity.
