Jasmine Higgins is the City of Albany's Chief Equity Officer. In Jasmine's capacity as Chief Equity Officer, Jasmine also serves as the City's LGBTQ+ Liaison, Executive Director of the City's Commission on Human Rights, and ADA Coordinator. Prior to that role, Jasmine served as Policy Analyst and Special Advisor to Mayor Kathy Sheehan for several years. As Policy Analyst and Special Advisor, Jasmine helped lead a variety of important initiatives including the City’s Policing Reform and Reinvention Collaborative, the development of the new West Hill Community Center, the City’s Conviction Sealing Clinic and Community Resource Fair, the Document Translation Initiative, and the City’s Cannabis Advisory Committee and is liaison to the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program. Jasmine has also served as Constituent Services Assistant. Jasmine is a graduate of the Albany Public Schools, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy, a minor in Political Science, and a Pre-Law Certification from Siena College, and is working toward securing a Master of Public Administration from Marist College. Jasmine is a first-generation dual Italian-American national and speaks English and Italian and is proficient in Spanish. Jasmine is the great granddaughter of one of Albany’s first Black attorneys, John W. Jennings Esq., and the great-great granddaughter of local activist Ida J. Yarbrough, and draws much of her passion for social and racial equity from her family. Jasmine is a resident of Albany’s 14th Ward.