Gaston’s first and only DEI officer reflects on work in retirement
GASTONIA, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Gaston County’s first and only equity and inclusion officer is no longer on the job.
Dr. Pearl Burris-Floyd quietly retired at the end of 2023 as the county’s equity and inclusion officer. In a statement, the county decided not to rehire the position and will continue her work through its departments.
Now, the former Gaston County commissioner (2001-2008) and state representative (2009-2011) can enjoy life and spend more time with her family.
“I believe, as the first DEI officer, that we did a lot to impact positive change,” Burris-Floyd said.
The Dallas resident counts successful programs with county staff and work that honored African-American, Hispanic, and women’s histories. Burris-Floyd also recalls having former Appalachian State University Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Willie Fleming talk to county employees among the past work.
Burris-Floyd is also proud of her work with the African-American Museum at Loray Mill in Gastonia. She said she worked with museum founder and Gaston County School board member Dot Guthrie to bring the Tuskegee Airman exhibit to the city last year.
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Other work included involving 25 women in a partnership that involved Habitat for Humanity and home building in Gaston County.
“It was a great thing and opportunity for everyone to be active and involved in that,” she added.
Burris-Floyd said her work and the work of others was “more important” than the job, saying it wasn’t about the office.
“It’s really not about how we impress others,” she said. “It’s more about doing what’s important (for the community).”
An irreplaceable job
City officials confirmed Burris-Floyd’s retirement at the end of 2023 while lauding her efforts by saying that Gaston County “benefited greatly from her work.”
The city wished her the best while vowing her work would continue through its departments. The statement went on to say that the county’s leadership is always extremely careful with allocating taxpayer dollars.
In early February, the city said they would not fill the county’s DEI position and that its departments would “continue Pearl’s work while not filling that position provides savings without compromising our mission of providing excellent public service every day.”
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The city also stated, “Human Resources has assigned a point person to continue handling DEI-related questions.”
According to The Gaston Gazette, Burris-Floyd’s initial annual salary in 2020 was $105,000.
While Burris-Floyd worked to bring sides together in the county in the post, she does hope the controversy involving a Confederate statue in front of the Gaston County Courthouse has a positive outcome.
While other cities and states have had violent and tense exchanges over the removal and displacement of these memorials, Burris-Floyd hopes residents won’t go to extremes.
“I hope people will be safe and not get injured because of a statue,” she said. “To people, the monument speaks volumes. (My) desire is for a peaceful resolution.”
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