>> Eric: THIS WAS THE FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB FOR OUR STATE'S FIRST EVER CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER.

STEPHANIE BURRAGE WAS TAPPED FOR THE POST.

SHE PREVIOUSLY WAS A TEACHER AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR.

MOST RECENTLY BURRAGE WAS DEPUTY COMMISSIONER IN THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Eric: WHAT'S YOUR ROLE IN THIS CONTINUED BATTLE TO REDUCE INEQUITIES IN OUR STATE?

>> OH, MY GOSH, IT'S A LOT.

BUT I LOVE IT, SO I HAVE TO SAY THIS HAS BEEN PROBABLY THE -- AND, YOU KNOW, I'M AN EDUCATOR, YOU JUST SHARED THAT BUT WHAT HAS BEEN GREAT FOR ME IS AS AN EDUCATOR I GOT TO LISTEN TO STUDENTS, I WAS ABLE TO THROWN PARENTS, I WAS ABLE TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND THIS HAS JUST EXPANDED THE WORK THAT I WILL DO.

I'M HEAVY INTO LISTENING TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO BEING THE CHIEF EQUITY OFFICER FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA IS GOING TO ALLOW ME TO DO THIS ACROSS THE STATE.

I'M GOING, I LOOK AT MYSELF AS THE AMBASSADOR FOR THE COMMUNITY.

AND THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO REACH OUT AND SAY HERE OOZE WHAT'S HAPPENING N MY COMMUNITY, HELP ME MAKE SURE I'M GETTING TO THE RIGHT PLACES AND THAT'S MY JOB I FEEL IS TO GET THEM TO THE TABLE BECAUSE THERE HAS TO BE A SEAT FOR THE PEOPLE.

THEY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO COME AND SHARE THEIR CONCERNS AND SHARE WHAT'S HAPPENING AND I BELIEVE THAT IT'S MY IS TO HELP GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE CONNECTED TO THEM BUT I'M SITTING AT THE TABLE WITH THEM THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

>> Eric: I SEE.

>> Cathy: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A CENTRALIZED POSITION IN STATE GOVERNMENT TO WORK ON EQUITY ISSUES?

>> SO I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HEARD BUT WE STARTED SOMETHING CALLED MIND, BODY AND SOUL.

AND LITERALLY, AND IT STARTED WITH ME JUST GOING TO THE GOVERNOR SAYING I NEED OU TO LISTEN TO THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE HAVING SOME CONCERNS.

AND I WANT YOU JUST TO LISTEN.

HE DID.

THE GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR WAS IN THE ROOM AND IT STARTED WITH ABOUT 100 PEOPLE.

IT HAS GROWN TO 750-PLUS PEOPLE AND THEY COME INTO THE ROOM TO JUST LISTEN.

WE HAVE FACILITATORS THAT FACILITATE SMALL GROUPS, WE HAVE TOPICS SO EVERY COMMISSIONER MAY COME IN AND TALK ABOUT HERE'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR AREA AND THEN AFTER THAT THEY'LL GO INTO THE GROUPS AND THE GROUPS WILL THEN SHARE HERE'S WHAT'S WORKING WELL FOR US, HERE'S WHAT'S NOT, HERE'S WHAT WE WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT BECAUSE THIS IS AFFECTING US IN THIS WAY.

>> Eric: HOW MUCH OF THIS IS MONEY FROM THE LEGISLATURE AND POLICY CHANGE AND HOW MUCH IS HEARTS AND MINDS FOR ALL MINNESOTANS ON THIS ISSUE?

>> IT'S BOTH, AND.

SO WHEN WE STARTED THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED, WE STARTED TALKING AND THEN THESE CONVERSATIONS LED TO HERE OOZE WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN OUR BUDGET.

HERE'S WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR GOVERNMENT DO FOR US.

IT HAS SHIFTED TO CONVERSATIONS AROUND WE'D LIKE TO SEE THIS IN THE BUDGET AND I'LL GIVE A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.

UNIVERSAL MEALS, THAT WAS A BIG TOPIC IN THE CONVERSATIONS.

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP FAMILIES, HERE'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR US WHEN WE HAVE TO MANAGE HAVING TO COVER FOOD, HAVING TO MAKE SURE OUR KIDS ARE BEING ABLE TO EAT AND UNIVERSAL MEALS WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE REQUESTS TO GO IN THE BUDGET TO SAY HELP US WITH MAKING SURE THAT OUR KIDS ARE FED WHILE THEY ARE AT SCHOOL.

>> Cathy: OKAY, SO THERE'S A STATE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS, HOW DOES THAT MESH WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING?

>> IT MESHES DIRECTLY BECAUSE I'M WORKING WITH ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS.

SO WHEN I HEAR CERTAIN THINGS, THEN I AM NOW GOING BACK TO THE COMMISSIONERS OR GOING INTO THE COMMUNITIES TO SAY MAYBE I NEED TO CONNECT DIFFERENT GROUPS TOGETHER AND MAYBE WE NEED DIFFERENT CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, HOW CAN WE GET TO A SOLUTION TO HELP THIS ISSUE.

SO IT DOES TIE.

>> Eric: HOW MUCH DOES IT HELP TO HAVE A GROWING AND GROWING IN POWER AND STATURE PO POCI, PEOPLE OF COLOR CAUCUS AT THE CAPITOL?

>> I'LL TELL YOU HIS, I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN, BLUEBERRIES, THAT WAS OUR FAMILY REA.

SO SOMETIMES THING THAT HAPPEN IN RURAL SPACES WILL LOOK DIFFERENT THAN OF COURSE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CITIES.

SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE OR DIFFERENT GROUPS TO HELP MOVE YOUR CAUSE ALONG.

AND I THINK THAT'S AGAIN WHAT MY JOB IS.

IF THERE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE OUT THERE THEN THE COMMUNITIES CAN REACH OUT TO SAY HERE'S AN ISSUE AND THAT MAY BE A SPACE WHERE I'LL GO.

I MAY SAY WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CAUCUS OR WE MAY NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER GROUP BECAUSE HERE'S AN ISSUE WE HAVE TO ADDRESS AND SOMETIMES IT'S GETTING MULTIPLE GROUPS IN THE ROOM TO SAY HOW CAN WE GET TO A SOLUTION.

>> Cathy: SO HOW WILL YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE SUCCESSFUL?

YOU KNOW, AT THE END MAYBE SAY IN THE NEXT TWO, THREE YEARS, I'M SURE YOU'VE GOT GOALS.

>> I DO, YEAH.

I DO.

>> Cathy: WHEN WILL YOU KNOW THAT YOU'VE REACHED WHERE YOU WANT TO GO?

>> SO THE FIRST THING, I BELIEVE IN METRICS, I BELIEVE IN LOOKING AT HOW, HOW DO YOU MEASURE.

SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I'M GOING TO DO IS GOING TO AVE A LISTENING TOUR.

I'M GOING TO GO THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND LISTEN TO HE PEOPLE.

I WANT TO HEAR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO SEE AND TOPICS THAT THEY HAVE IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE STATE SO THAT I CAN BUILD WHAT ARE GOING TO BE THE MEASUREMENTS THAT I WILL USE TO SEE HOW I'VE REACHED THE GOALS THAT I NEED TO REACH.

BUT I BELIEVE YOU CAN'T MAKE IT JUST I CAN'T COME UP WITH SOMETHING, I NEED TO HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE.

>> Cathy: YOU JUST STARTED THE JOB THIS WEEK.

>> DID YOU HEAR ME?

CAN YOU FEEL MY ENERGY, LIKE, YES.

>> Cathy: SO YOU START WITH THE LISTENING SESSION, PROBABLY YOUR FIRST STEP.

>> VERY FIRST.

>> Eric: WE'LL WATCH WITH INTEREST AND CHECK IN AND COME