Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger announced the appointment of a new director of the city’s Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging department. Kimberly Carson will take on that role.

The REIB department was created in 2019 to advance racial equity issues in Burlington. There’s still open positions in the department, giving the new director a chance to build her own team. Mayor Weinberger says Carson brings extensive experience to this role.

Carson moved her family to Burlington for this position. “Throughout this process, I’ve just felt a sense of overwhelming belonging, and welcoming here,” she says. “From the people on the committee, to just the everyday citizens that have spent time talking to me, it’s just a community that I feel like is very prime and open for this work.”

Carson most recently served as the Director of Education and Human Capital Development for the Iowa Judicial Branch. She also has a degree in interdisciplinary studies. The Mayor will bring the appointment to the city council for approval in their next meeting on Monday.