The Austin City Council voted unanimously to appoint Riverland Community College Director of Business Services George Bass as its first honorary council member during its regular meeting on Monday.

The honorary council position was created at the recommendation of the Austin Human Rights Commission as a means to “empower multicultural leadership.”

“I think it’s a privilege,” Bass said of his appointment. “There are so many capable people in the city.”

Bass is originally from Gambia, but has been in Minnesota since 2000. He was working with a French oil company based in Gambia, but came to study in the United States at the encouragement of several friends who were studying here.  He started at college in Georgia as a business major before changing to finance and transferring to St. Cloud State University.

In 2016, while living in Thief River Falls, Bass ran for the Minnesota House of Representatives. He was unsuccessful in his bid for office, but came to Austin six days later to work for Riverland.

“Having moved to Austin, one thing that became apparent to me is the commitment of people in leadership,” he said. “The leadership at Riverland is committed to civility and respect for everybody, which is critical. If you look at the initiatives the city has been pushing, it shows me that the city leaders are committed to making an environment that is welcoming to everybody. They want to be inclusive.”

Bass became involved in events in the Austin community with groups such as the Austin Rotary Club, the Welcome Center, the Chamber of Commerce’s Austin Leadership program, the Austin Human Rights Commission and the Austin Art Council’s board of directors.

“My visibility in the community is what brought me into contact with players in the community, so when they came up with this honorary city council membership, they reached out to me and asked if I would be interested,” he said.

Bass calls the appointment “a challenge that I welcome.”

“One thing my dad told me when I decided to come live in the United States is that it’s critical to understand that when you get to the U.S., the communities that you live in are your family,” he said. “It’s important to be part of the communities you live in. I think that is the best advice anyone could give.”

As an honorary member, Bass will receive all correspondence directed to the council (except that which is deemed “privileged”) and will participate in discussions at council meetings. As an immigrant, he has an understanding of some of the challenges facing those who are not originally from the United States.

“Personally, I came from a British colony, so I went to school speaking English,” he said. “There are those that came from other countries that do not speak English or maybe know English, but speak with an accent. There are those challenges anywhere you find yourself. You speak differently and that generates interest; people are curious and want to know where you’re from. What I like to say is that this curiosity is both ways. I speak with an accent, certainly, but my American friends speak differently from me as well. To me, these differences are not barriers; indeed, they’re to be celebrated. It only shows the diversity of mankind. That defines my philosophy in life.”

Bass said he believes that individuals, both native and foreign, share more commonalities than they realize.

“If I live in Austin, the economic development of the city is not only going to impact somebody that lived in Austin for three generations,” he said. “It will impact them as well as people who got here yesterday or today. The difficulty is that sometimes, at face value, people will be skeptical as to who you are, but that’s human nature. It’s not unique to one particular set of people and I think it’s critical to understand that it takes both of us to break the ice and come together.”

“The fact that they chose me is not to say I have a silver bullet or I have the answers,” he added. “I don’t, but I think in a situation like this we need the ability to listen to the dissenting views in the room. Ultimately, those that disagree, it doesn’t mean that they are wrong. They may just see things differently. What matters is for us to come together and provide and promote a platform where you can encourage a process that puts every perspective in the mix to make sure we’re not leaving any stone unturned.”

Bass will start his term at the next regular city council meeting on Monday, Oct. 15.