Deputy Mayor Richard Buery: Diversity is not “a strong enough word”

Richard Buery has become somewhat of a fixer for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. As deputy mayor for strategic policy initiatives, Buery has been the point man on high-profile projects like Pre-K for All, ThriveNYC and the Young Men’s Initiative. One of his latest projects is leading the Mayor’s Office of M/WBEs, which aims to get 30 percent of city contract dollars to firms owned by women and racial minorities by 2021.

Buery sat with City & State Editor-in-Chief Jon Lentz for a one-on-one interview at City & State’s On Diversity conference on June 27. Buery admitted the 30 percent goal was ambitious, but said the city is making progress. He also spoke about the importance of the effort.

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“Diversity is, for me, not quite a strong enough word to get at what we’re trying to get at here,” Buery said. “We’re really talking about equity. We’re talking about having a city that functions well for everyone. A city that honors and takes advantage of the skills and talents that everyone has to offer.”

You can watch the entire conversation here: