Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus Visits Champaign
On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, representatives from the City of Champaign’s Equity and Engagement Department, Janel Gomez and April Rosché, accompanied Karen Muchin of the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus (MMC) on site visits to subrecipients of the Supporting Municipalities for Asylum Seekers Services (SMASS) III grant. These visits aimed to observe the impact of the grant, […]
DEI County Presentation
On Dec. 10, 2024, Janel Gomez from the Equity & Engagement Department, gave a presentation to the Champaign County Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Task Force about the City of Champaign’s Equal Opportunity in Purchasing Ordinance, the Champaign Diversity Advancement Program, and the DEI Division at the City of Champaign. The County DEI Task force […]
DEI | Microaggressions Training
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, Janel Gomez, Community Relations Manager in the Equity and Engagement Department was invited to speak at Keller Williams Realty Lunch and Learn about microaggressions. Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional, words or actions that communicate negative or derogatory messages towards a marginalized group. These can be verbal, nonverbal, or even environmental […]
15th Annual Disability Resource Expo
On October 12, 2024, the 15th Annual Disability Resource Expo was held at Market Place Mall. Over 75 vendors were present, providing information and resources relevant to disabled persons and their families. Janel Gomez, representing the City of Champaign, provided information about disability protections in the human rights ordinance, ADA compliance, and registering a disabled […]
Friday Forum + Conversation
On Friday, September 20, 2024 staff from the City of Champaign were invited to speak at the University YMCA Friday Forum + Conversations. This weekly event is designed to engage the community in thought-provoking discussions about current events. Tom Yu, City Attorney and Janel Gomez, Community Relations Manager, highlighted the City’s involvement in the Champaign […]
Steps to Starting a Small Business
On Monday, September 16, 2024, Janel Gomez, Community Relations Manager (E&E) presented a the Champaign Public Library. This event focused on workers and human rights at the Welcoming Week Event: Steps to Starting a Small Business. The event was hosted in partnership with the Small Business Development Center and The Refugee Project. Attendees learned about […]
Illinois Department of Human Rights
On Friday, September 13, 2024, Janel Gomez, Community Relations Manager & Compliance Officer in E&E, along with Human Rights Staff from 3 other central Illinois municipalities got the chance to meet with Illinois Department of Human Rights Director, Jim Bennett, and IDHR legal staff in Springfield . IDHR is releasing a hate crimes hotline called […]
Keller Williams DEI Workshop
On April 17, 2024, staff from the Equity and Engagement Department presented at Keller Williams Real Estate about the City’s Human Rights Ordinance and how it comes to play in fair housing. Community Relations Manager, Janel Gomez, begin with an overview of what the department does as whole before going more in depth into her […]
Empowering Equity & Inclusion in Business: A Conversation with Janel Gomez
In a new episode of Champaign Spotlight, Communications Manager Jeff Hamilton chats with Community Relations Manager and Compliance Officer Janel Gomez. Learn about Janel’s vital work helping others in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division of the Equity and Engagement Department. She also explains the importance of the City’s Equal Opportunity in Purchasing Ordinance then […]
Administrative Services Team Training
On August 30, 2023, Community Relations Manager, Janel Gomez, presented to the Administrative Services Team (AST) about how to deal with difficult telephone calls, specifically angry citizens. Specific attention was made on how to deal with microaggressions and when customers use racially insensitive language. The team held a discussion on their customer services experiences and […]