Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced Tuesday morning that Dr. Aisha Rousseau will be the city’s chief equity officer, tasked with carrying out one of the administration’s priorities in Hancock’s final term.

Rousseau will serve as the head of the Mayor’s Office of Social Equity and Innovation and “prioritize bringing to fruition Mayor Hancock’s vision of creating the first-of-its-kind Denver Institute of Equity and Reconciliation, establishing Denver as a national leader in research related to racism, bias, inclusion, practices of reconciliation, and development of programs and trainings for law enforcement and the public, private and education sectors,” the city said in a press release.

“Dr. Rousseau has demonstrated a unique expertise in balancing the exposure of racial and social injustices, with the very critical work of improving the systems and processes that created them in the first place,” Hancock said in a statement. “Her candid approach and passionate leadership is exactly what we need and I am proud to have her leading this effort.”

The mayor’s office said Rousseau’s would ensure equity is included in “education, processes and policies, into city departments and programs, with the goal of providing those we serve with a more accessible, diverse, and inclusive city government.”

Most recently served as the director of the city’s Division of Disability Rights.

“I have enjoyed leading the cultural shift in Denver around equity, as it specifically pertains to physical and programmatic accessibility these last six years,” Rousseau stated. “I look forward to partnering with internal and external stakeholders and continue to set Denver on a track towards leading the way in dismantling systemic racism through the development of more equitable processes, practices, and policies.”

Before joining the city, Rousseau was an assistant professor at the University of Arizona. She also was the first Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for the Richmond (Virginia) Public Schools District. She was the first African American doctoral graduate from the Rehabilitation Counseling Department at Virginia Commonwealth University.