FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: [email protected]

October 21, 2024 
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Race Forward, one of the nation’s largest racial equity organizations, announced today that Karla Bruce, former Chief Equity Officer for Fairfax County, Virginia, has joined the organization as its chief of staff. In this role, Bruce will maximize alignment across the organization to support racial equity, provide strategic counsel and guidance to the president and executive leadership team, and serve as a liaison with internal and external stakeholders. 

"We are excited to have Karla join the Race Forward team," said Glenn Harris, President of Race Forward. "She is a proven leader with over 25 years of government management experience. She built the infrastructure to support Fairfax County's equity planning and decision making. As an organization committed to partnering with both communities and government to advance racial equity, we are excited to have a chief of staff who understands in theory and practice how to drive change.”

Bruce’s appointment as the Chief Equity Officer for Fairfax County, Virginia in June 2018 was historic. She became the first local government, equity- focused senior leader in the jurisdiction, the first in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the first in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. 

An accomplished innovator in public service delivery, Bruce successfully bridged the efforts of local government with the collective action of residents and broad networks of partners. During her tenure with Fairfax County, she led the process to adopt the One Fairfax Racial and Social Equity Resolution and Policy. Bruce’s career has earned her numerous accolades across the many sectors with which she has worked, including government, nonprofit, philanthropy, faith, and corporate, and she is a nationally recognized thought leader on the role of government in advancing equity. 

"I am thrilled to join Race Forward after years of working alongside the organization as a partner," Bruce said. "At this critical moment in our nation, I am particularly excited to be leading the  implementation of our new Strategic Plan which focuses on community and government collaboration to create pathways for equity and inclusion as we continue to work toward building a multiracial democracy.”

“With ongoing attacks on racial equity and democracy, our movement needs leaders who are skilled in and passionate about advancing racial equity,” Harris said. “Karla is such a leader and we are delighted to have her onboard.”

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