Last November, nine of every 10 managerial jobs in state government were held by white employees. Determined to change that, Gov. Mark Dayton pledged that the state's workforce would soon better reflect the state's growing diversity and put more Minnesotans of color in charge of developing and administering important policies.

Within a few short months, Dayton has made a head start on that commitment. A report by the Governor's Diversity and Inclusion Council shows that of 50 executive openings, 49 hired were women, a quarter were racial or ethnic minorities, 10 percent were veterans and 4 percent were people with disabilities.

That mix is important, because diversity, to be meaningful, must go beyond race. It is as important for the disabled to be in positions of authority as it is for the general population to see them there. The same is true for African-Americans, Hmong, Karen, women, Hispanics and others.

The disparities facing racial and ethnic minorities here was highlighted last fall, with U.S. census data that showed a startling drop in the median income for blacks as compared with whites and a poverty rate more than triple that of whites.

Headed by several of Dayton's top commissioners, the council has laid out a strong foundation for moving forward, with improved hiring practices, expanded outreach and key strategies for improving diversity across state government. Those and other measures should pay dividends in years to come. One particularly important change: a better pre-hire interview process to ensure that all candidates have a legitimate opportunity to get hired.

But success will depend on vigilance and a commitment to ensuring that those efforts are broadened. And they should not be limited to state government. Minnesota is about 85 percent white. Its Legislature is 97 percent white. Having a government and representatives that look more like the state's population won't solve all of the state's disparity issues, but it would be a start.