The 12 members who will make up the reintroduction of the Jamestown Commission on Human Rights have been named.

During the Jamestown City Council meeting Monday, it was announced that Mayor Eddie Sundquist has selected the Rev. Uvie Stewart Jr. to be the chairman of the commission. Stewart, along with Momina Di Blasio, Billy Torres and Chris Blakeslee will have terms on the commission through 2022. Other members with their term ending Dec. 31, 2021, include Kayla Crosby, Daniel Groh, Matthew Misiaszek and Kellie Roberts. Members of the commission with their term ending Dec. 31 include Dodi McIntyre, Justin Hubbard, Alize Scott and Kimberly Knight.

Sundquist told The Post-Journal Tuesday that he selected Stewart to head the commission because he is very invested in the community.

“(Stewart) is someone who really understand the issues that different pockets of our community face,” Sundquist said. “In particularly for the position of chair person, we were looking for someone to help bring consensus to the commission to focus on the needs of the community and help educate our community on different ways of life.”

Sundquist said it was not only Stewart’s faith background that made him a good choice as chairman, but also the work he’d done at a local manufacturer.

“(Stewart) worked for Cummins for sometime and helped develop their diversity program and that greatly struck me when I chatted with him about that,” Sundquist said. “I’m really encouraged. He has an upbeat personality and really understands the challenges we face and the successes we can have together.”

Sundquist said there were more than 80 applicants for the 12-member commission, of which he interviewed all the applicants.

“I’m excited about all of our members. I tried to put together a good group of individual that represents many pockets of our community,” he said.

Sundquist said along with the commission, there will be sub-working groups that will focus on more specific aspects like inclusion, LGBT and minority rights, and education.

“The working groups led by commission members will help us understand more about our community,” he said.

Sundquist said the commission will meet monthly.

He said they’re in the process of scheduling their first meeting. He added that the meetings will be open to the public, who will also be eligible to join the commission’s working groups.

“It’s important to allow members of the public to join the working groups to better understand aspects of our community,” he said.

In June, Sundquist announced the reintroduction of the Jamestown Commission on Human Rights. The commission’s purpose is to foster mutual respect and understanding among all racial, religious and nationality groups in the community; inquire into incidents of tension and conflict among or between various racial, religious and nationality groups, and to take such action as may be designed to alleviate such tension and conflict; conduct and recommend such educational programs as in its judgment will increase good will among inhabitants of the community; and open new opportunities into all phases of community life for all inhabitants.