Jesse M. Soriano, a former university administrator, has been named director of the Utah Office of Ethnic Affairs.

Palmer DePaulis, executive director of the Utah Department of Community and Culture, announced the appointment today.

Soriano, who had been acting director, had also served as director of Hispanic/Latino Affairs since October 2006.

He told the Deseret Morning News this morning that he wants to see broader outreach beyond the Wasatch Front and do more to get Utah's ethnic communities working together. He also wants to enhance the office's work with state agencies to ensure they're accessible to the state's ethnic minority communities.

"I'll make sure it's more accessible to our communities," Soriano said. "I want people to feel comfortable calling me up."

The Ethnic Affairs Office, under Community and Culture, oversees the programs and services of the Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Pacific Islander Affairs Offices.

"We are delighted to fill this critical post with someone of Jesseis caliber," said DePaulis in a statement. "He is a proven leader and an insightful advocate — strengths that will well serve Utah's diverse ethnic communities."

Soriano is a former director of the Health Sciences Ethnic Minority Affairs Office at the University of Utah, and a former member of the U. School of Medicine Admissions Committee.