President Donald Trump’s executive orders ending so-called Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) regulations at the federal level made big headlines this week. But in New Hampshire, they appear to be old news.
For example, newly-elected Gov. Kelly Ayotte has already taken down the webpage for the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion.
When asked by NHJournal how many state employees are DEI managers or diversity officers, New Hampshire Commissioner of Administrative Services Charlie Arlinghaus said the answer appears to be “none.”
The webpage for the Governor’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion was not available on Wednesday.
“The state does not employ diversity officers, DEI officers, or any similar type positions, nor am I aware of any position whose duties, regardless of title, are managed in such a way,” said Arlinghaus, whose agency is in charge of procurement for New Hampshire’s government.
“There is, in fact, not a position in the classification for such a thing. Nonetheless, the state and every agency does ensure that all of its policies and programs are implemented in all ways to avoid discrimination and bias as is befitting of those of us working on behalf of the people of the state,” Arlinghaus said.
There are around 5,000 federal employees in New Hampshire, not including military personnel, and their agencies are dealing with a large number of executive orders from Trump, some of which are sweeping in nature. Local federal offices are trying to sort out the details.
“It’s like trying to take a drink from a firehose,” one federal official told NHJournal.
Under Trump’s order, signed Tuesday, agencies had until 5 p.m. Wednesday to place all DEI staffers on paid leave and remove all DEI information from federal agency web pages. All DEI training sessions are to be canceled, as are all contracts with outside DEI consultants.
Federal employees were also instructed to report anyone suspected of still engaging in DEI work inside their agency. Employees were told they could face “adverse consequences” if they did not report suspected DEI colleagues.
NHJournal asked newly-elected Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte’s office if there will be a move to push state government agencies to follow Trump’s lead. It declined to respond.
Trump’s actions only apply to federal agencies, not state and local. And while the Ayotte administration may not have any DEI officers, many local towns and school boards have hired DEI employees.
As of last April, for example, Oyster River School District in Durham and SAU 16 in Exeter were each paying six-figure salaries to at least one DEI staffer.
The city of Concord just approved a $40,000 contract with DEI consultant James Bird Guess as part of a $140,000 diversity spending initiative.
“He really is a Horacio Alger type of story,” Concord Mayor Byron Champlin said of Guess. “He’s a self-made man.”
Guess is the man behind the “Cash Cow Consultant” seminar which taught people how to get rich as an expert consultant without the need for specialized subject matter training, degrees, or qualifications. Now, Guess works for municipal government and businesses spreading the word on DEI.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, speaking with passion and helping people is a blessing. I love helping people, but that’s only a small part of the equation of making six to seven figures!” Guess wrote on the Cash Cow website. (Emphasis in original.)
The Cash Cow website, which was still up and running before the Concord city council vote, has been shut down.
