As conversations about racial justice continue across the D.C. region, including in the halls of government and public institutions, Arlington County Executive Mark Schwartz has named a new “chief race and equity officer” for the Northern Virginia county.

Samia Byrd, a veteran Arlington official, comes to the position from serving for three years as deputy county manager. According to a release, Byrd will spearhead the county’s efforts to “advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion” and implement a countywide action plan.

She will also continue overseeing Arlington’s work with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ racial equity cohort, which launched last fall and is currently developing a “racial equity tool” to help guide public policy decisions in the D.C. area.

“The time is past due to dedicate and commit our time, resources and effort to advancing race and equity in achieving Arlington’s vision of a diverse and inclusive community,” Byrd said in a statement Wednesday. “It is an opportunity we should not take lightly or as a response to the moment, and one I approach with humility.”

Byrd formerly served for more than a decade as a principal planner in Arlington’s Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development. She also did research on public housing, tax policy, and economic development at the Urban Land Institute, a prominent nonprofit based in D.C.

Schwartz, the county executive, said in a statement that Byrd’s appointment fits into Arlington’s broader work to ensure that all its residents have “the same opportunities regardless of the color of their skin, their education level, their housing type, their job, or the [county] ZIP code where they live.” Byrd was born in Hampton, Virginia, and graduated from the University of Virginia.