After two years of planning, the Mahoning County Children Services selected Nancy Walker-McCain as the agency’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer. More than 100 candidates applied for the new position, which was created in June 2020.

In the new position, Walker-McCain will lead the development and implementation of internal and external initiatives in the agency’s diversity, equity and inclusion plan, both internally and externally, while developing and maintaining a diverse workforce. Waler-McCain will also be implementing a minority recruitment program and adhering to practices in all aspects of hiring, promotion, labor relations, and employee evaluation processes while ensuring non-discriminatory practices, among various other duties.

“This new position is key to implementing the Agency’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan which serves as the Agency’s guide to how we view, assess, promote, measure and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion into virtually every aspect of our work,” said Randall B. Muth, J.D., Executive Director,
Mahoning County Children Services.

Walker-McCain currently holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Religious Studies from John Carroll University in Cleveland, and two Master’s Degrees in Business Administration from Point Park University in Pittsburgh and Community Counseling from Malone University, Canton.

Walker-McCain has experience teaching Cultural Diversity, Gender Diversity, Women’s Studies, Human Development, Case Management and Crisis Management. She has counseling experience and specializations with LGBTIQA+, Military/Veterans, State of Ohio Offenders and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Offenders, Developmentally Challenged Individuals, Child and Adolescents, Community Mental Health, Trauma Victims, Substance Abuse and Marriage and Family. She has Organizational Development and Management with Local and State Government. She was a former Park and Recreation Commissioner for the City of Youngstown. She has also been involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

She was one of the founding Board Members for the State of Ohio Multiethnic Advocates for Cultural Competence (MACC) Board and a represented Board Member for Northeast Ohio serving 2 terms with Ohio’s National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Walker-McCain has been a Lecturer and Adjunct Professor since 2005. She has instructed future case managers, caseworkers, and social workers attending Eastern Gateway Community College, Youngstown State University, Kent State
University, and Penn State University. She has been a resident of Mahoning County for over 27 years.

“My ultimate goal for this position is to have MCCS represent and mitigate marginalized individuals who are within our Agency
as well as those we serve,” stated Walker-McCain.