From Staff Reports 

Sala Menaya-Merritt on Jan. 8 began her training to be the City of Asheville’s equity and inclusion director, as she shifted from working with the Asheville-Buncombe County Community Reparations Commission.

Menaya-Merritt will spend her first three weeks of cross-training with current Asheville Equity and Inclusion Director Brenda Mills, who is retiring Jan. 31 after 18 years with the city..

While Mills’ annual salary is $130,000, Menaya-Merritt’s salary was not listed on the city’s open date portal as of the press deadline for this edition of the Daily Planet.  

Regarding Menaya-Merritt, “Sala has 25 years of professional experience in government, ranging from City, County and State agencies,” City Manager Debra Campbell announced in a city press release on Jan. 2.

Campbell, the city manager, added in the release, “Her (Menaya-Merritt’s) roles included the Diversion Services program manager with Buncombe County, the Organizational Development administrator for the City of Savannah’s Human Resources Department, and the Savannah Impact director with the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department. Earlier in her career, she worked in various community based roles with the City of Los Angeles and the City of Hemet, which is located in Southern California.

“Currently, Ms. Menaya-Merritt serves as the Impact Focus Area administrator for the Community Reparations Commission, which is a contracted position, where she has worked closely with commission members and both city and county staff. 

Further, Campbell asserted, “The City’s Equity & Inclusion Department plays a vital role in helping to ensure our community is a safe, diverse and welcoming place where everyone can thrive. 

“We are confident that Ms. Menaya-Merritt will continue to build on the progress and strength of the Equity & Inclusion Department. I look forward to her leadership to continue momentum on several key initiatives....” Campbell concluded.