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help her be an effective member of the Equity Commission, if appointed. <br />' Ms. Weber stated she has a variety of experiences working with folks from different communities. She noted <br />she has worked with children through young adults, along with people with disabilities. She indicated she has a <br />deaf brother and served as his interpreter and advocate. She discussed how she has worked with people from <br />different cultures and on margins. She explained she has learned how to listen in order to best advocate for <br />them. She reported she was currently taking an anti -racism class which has drastically impacted how she <br />shows up to spaces. She noted she was a new resident to New Brighton after purchasing a home in the <br />community in April. <br />Councilmember Abdulle asked what are some specific goals Ms. Weber hopes to accomplish by serving on <br />New Brighton's Equity Commission. <br />Ms. Weber responded she hoped to be a good listener and to be able to come back and have conversations. In <br />addition, she wanted to be able to bring her neighbors together, creating crossing boundary opportunities. Last, <br />she would like to have hard conversations. <br />Councilmember Allen asked what opportunities and challenges are important for New Brighton to consider in <br />addressing inclusion in New Brighton. <br />Ms. Weber stated there was a lot of energy surrounding equity and inclusion issues. She would like to see this <br />energy captured in order to channel it into pragmatic solutions. She reported the City would also have to work <br />to hear voices that weren't so loud. She commented a challenge with inclusion conversations is that items get <br />stuck in conversations and have to move towards action. <br />' Councilmember Dunsworth explained topics addressed by the Equity Commission will be sensitive, emotional, <br />and important. If she had concerns about a specific policy or issue being discussed, how would she address <br />this. <br />Ms. Weber commented she was reading a book My Grandmother's Hands which addresses how our bodies <br />hold trauma. She reported she would have to learn how to ground and settle her body so she is able to show up <br />with openness. She believed people cared about belonging and she wanted to remember that. <br />Mayor Niedfeldt-Thomas thanked Ms. Weber for coming in and applying for this position. She noted City <br />Clerk Spangrud would be in touch with further information on how the Council was moving forward. She <br />explained the next person to be interviewed was Jason Steffenhuagen. <br />Councilmember Axberg asked Mr. Steffenhuagen to explain how both your personal and professional <br />experiences will help him be an effective member of the Equity Commission, if appointed. <br />Mr. Steffenhuagen stated equity work begins with relationships. He explained it was hard to do this work <br />without personal investment. He discussed his journey through the adoption process. He noted he has adopted <br />two boys, one from Ethiopia and one from Haiti. He discussed what it meant to raise black men in America <br />and how to be a white dad to these boys. He understood it takes a village and noted he has been doing a lot of <br />research and reading. He indicated he completed a civil rights tour in the south. He commented on how <br />impactful the Trayvon Martin murder was to him and the riots that followed. He stated he has recently been <br />' reading Brian Stevenson books. He noted he worked at Bethel for a number of years and served on an <br />interfaith commission helping students to come alongside people that are different from us in their faith <br />practice. <br />