Community organizer and advocate brought on to lead engagement efforts for Mayor Steinberg
(Sacramento - Nov. 10) This week Mayor Darrell Steinberg welcomed Trustee Chinua Rhodes to his staff to lead the Mayor's Office of Civic Engagement. Chinua brings extensive community engagement experience, local government knowledge, and a deep background working on social justice issues.
As Director of Community Engagement, Chinua will not be focused on any specific issue area portfolio but will lead the current team of four staff dedicated to engaging directly with the community: Director of Constituent Affairs Luis Montes and Civic Engagement Liaisons Mariela Medina, Colin Ruan, and Andrew Kehoe.
"I am very excited for Chinua to bring his energy, his passion, and his experience to my office," said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. "It's not every day you get a chance to hire someone who lives the work the way that he does, and I am looking forward to the dynamism Chinua will bring to the Mayor's Office of Civic Engagement."
Rhodes, who grew up in south Sacramento, has worked for years in community engagement, advocacy, and organizing. Currently, he sits as Trustee for Area 5 on the Sacramento City Unified School Board, which overlaps mostly with Sacramento City Council districts 7 and 8. Prior to joining the school board, Chinua served as the Sacramento director for SoFar Sounds, a global community focused on creating unique musical performances. At SoFar Sounds, Rhodes' efforts focused on community and stakeholder engagement, partnership development, and communications. Trustee Rhode's work as an advocate and organizer also includes working for Mutual Housing of California on gang prevention efforts, youth justice initiatives, voter registration drives, and building relationships through the regular engagement of resident councils, neighborhood, and parent groups, and government agencies.
Chinua holds a specialized certification from the University of Michigan in Community Organizing for Social Justice. His education also includes a focus on Cultural Anthropology and Spanish. He previously served as a member of Sacramento's Inclusive Economic Development Committee, Parks and Rec Commissioner for the City of Sacramento, and on the Cabrillo Park Neighborhood Association board.
"It is with great enthusiasm and humility I step into this new role. I am excited about this opportunity to serve Sacramento as a part of Team Steinberg," said Rhodes about joining Mayor Steinberg's office. "I look forward to engaging Sacramento in its entirety with the understanding that while the diversity of our residents, neighborhoods, and business corridors make us unique, it is our collective shared values that make us a community."
