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Forrest Perkins Appointed to Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights Board

By: Heartspring

WICHITA, KANSAS, Thursday, May 19, 2022– President and CEO Karina Forrest Perkins was appointed to and sworn into the City of Wichita’s Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights Advisory Board by District II’s city councilperson, Becky Tuttle.

Forrest Perkins has a long history of serving in government-appointed positions. As an indigenous woman and member of the Cherokee nation, Forrest Perkins has served as the governor’s appointee for the Health and Human Services advisory council in Oklahoma and spent almost two decades leading diversity and inclusion efforts.

Serving as Heartspring’s first female leader and first minority leader in its almost 90-year history, Forrest Perkins’ mission-focused, culturally responsive and employee and client-centered approach to leadership aligns with the Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights Advisory Board’s purpose of promoting diversity, inclusion and equity across the Wichita community.

“I am honored to be appointed to Wichita’s Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights Advisory Board by Council Person, Becky Tuttle,” says Forrest Perkins. “Wichita is an incredible community, and I am excited to represent a diverse voice representing those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

The Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights Advisory Board was established with the goal of making “recommendations to the Mayor and City Council on strategies to engage Wichita’s diverse residents, businesses and community leaders,” according to the city’s website.