Sapan Parekh

About Sapan Parekh

What you have is called privilege.\" As onlookers standing outside a densely packed slum…

Experience

1. Racial Equity Advisor

   Seattle Public Utilities

   Aug 2023 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   Advise across the Utilities about racial equity, inclusion and belonging, and social justice, with a focus on equitable service across our 1.6 million customers and inclusive participation and decision-making across the 1500 diverse staff• Co-lead efforts to update the Utility’s equity strategy, goals, and metrics to be responsive to a changing climate and community, to current trends in DEIB, and to the voices and perspectives of our internal and external communities• Act as the lead facilitator of racial equity toolkits and provide an equity review and sign-off on most projects, programs, and policies at the Utility to ensure meaningful stakeholder engagement, a mitigation of past harms, and equitable outcomes• Facilitate at least 15 learning and training opportunities annually, and design new learning experiences and create an overarching framework that applies andragogy practices to current trends in equity and belonging• Advise and manage processes for employee-led grassroots racial equity and social justice teams to embed the work across the Utility• Streamline and lead processes that enable meaningful learning from and engagement with the community, in collaboration with the City’s Department of Neighborhoods• Apply community-centered racial equity and social justice lenses to policies, endeavors, and strategic planning activities, including the implementation of Seattle’s Fall 2023 Water Shortage Contingency Plan, the Utility’s Unified Flood Response Plan, and the update to the Customer Care’s Key Performance Indicators

Education

• Portland State University

  Graduate Certificate, Service-Learning and Community-Based Learning in Postsecondary Education

  2016 — 2017

• Syracuse University - Maxwell School

  Master of Arts, International Relations

  2003 — 2004

• Washington University in St. Louis

  Bachelor of Arts, Sociocultural Anthropology & Environmental Studies

  1998 — 2002

Skills

• Conflict Management
• Negotiation
• Employee Training
• Public Speaking
• New Business Development
• 5s
• Quality Assurance
• Teaching
• Conflict Resolution
• Program Management
• Microsoft Office
• Adult Education
• Report Writing
• Test Preparation
• Writing
• Leadership Development
• Intercultural Communication
• Ngos
• Root Cause Analysis
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Training Delivery
• Soft Skills
• Training & Development
• Strategic Planning
• Research
• Teacher Training
• Staff Development
• Curriculum Design
• Curriculum Development
• Mediation