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The Department of the Interior’s
Office of Civil Rights and its Special Emphasis Observances Committee recently
held a celebration for diversity. The Fourth
Annual DOI Diversity Days took place June 9 through June 12, 2008, at the main
Interior building in Washington,
D.C. Interior’s Diversity Days events center on celebrating and
recognizing cultural richness and providing equal opportunity and diversity
training. They also provide a forum for positive interaction among the department’s
diverse groups. The theme for Diversity
Days 2008 was “Educate, Access, Opportunity.” June 9 This year’s event began with a
full day of diversity-training workshops, which Bobbie Moore, deputy assistant director,
Bureau of Land Management, held on June 9. Under Moore’s dynamic coaching, managers,
supervisors, and employees received training on the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator, on promoting diversity, and on preventing unlawful harassment. Participants
walked away with a better understanding of the value of diverse thought and
experience through all levels of the organization. Moore
also challenged them with interactive exercises and decision-making scenarios
regarding real-life workplace situations. June 10 Jerry Gidner, director, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, hosted the official kickoff ceremony for Diversity Days on June
10. The ceremony featured the inspiring words and personal stories of keynote
speaker Judi Moore Latta. Latta is the director, WHUR-WORLD, 96.3, and a professor
of Radio, Television and Film at Howard
University. In response to a question, Latta said she
could not think of any “real obstacles” that she has had to overcome on her
road to success. “I didn’t know that it is unheard of to lead in a field
that you’ve never studied,” Latta said. “I
didn’t know that you weren’t supposed to succeed because you were black. My parents and teachers taught me that
everything is possible.” Sharon D. Eller, director,
Office of Civil Rights, delivered welcome remarks on behalf of Deputy Secretary
of the Interior Lynn Scarlett at the kickoff ceremony. “I think our organization has a variety of
differences,” Eller said in her remarks. “These differences give us the
uniqueness that we need to have a successful organization. As with fabric, each strand of thread woven into
the fabric contributes to its richness, strength, and quality.” Kathleen J.H. Wheeler, Interior’s
deputy chief human capitol officer, presented the 2008 Diversity Partnership
Awards to the directors of the Minerals Management Service and Office of Surface
Mining at the ceremony. Wheeler credited the Equal Opportunity Offices of both
bureaus with consistently providing outstanding support to the Office of
Civil Rights in support of the Special Emphasis Program. These bureaus are
always among the first to commit whenever the Office of Civil Rights requests
bureau assistance, she said. Wheeler also announced the winners of the Diversity Days amateur
photography contest. After her announcement, those at the ceremony had the
opportunity to view a video display of all 76 entries. Winners of the eight
categories of the contest follow: Category: Countries Leanna Westfall, U.S.
Geological Survey, Title: “Fog Over Lago Nahuel Huapi” Category: Diversity Amy Bracewell, National Park Service, Title: “Friendship Dance” Category: Food Jim Van Dorin, National Park Service, Title: “Corn Maque Choux Cooking” Category: Landscapes Greg J. Mitchell, Office of Surface Mining, Title: “The Old Grist Mill” Category: Nature Janine Marie Tobias, Minerals Management Service, Title: “Sitting Pretty” Category: People Judy Jaffie, National Park Service, Title: “Trogir Woman” Category: Scenics Bill Courtwright, Minerals Management Service, Title: “A Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow” Category: Sports Paula Mansfield, National Park Service, Title: “Barrel Racing, Jefferson County” A multi-cultural food-sampling event followed the program
and was a popular element of Diversity Days that
provided a welcome opportunity for light-hearted interaction among employees. June 11 On June
11, eight DOI employee organizations came together for a session titled, “Employee
Organizations Meet and Greet.” Paul Hoffman, deputy assistant secretary for
Human Capital, Performance, and Partnerships, led the session, which Shelva
Nobles, program analyst, Bureau of Land Management, helped run. In his opening remarks, Hoffman said, “Diversity
is a journey, not a destination.” Participants
learned about the value and benefits of each organization. The collaboration of the organizations
during this session demonstrated the effectiveness of working together toward
common goals. Notably, Doug Gentile of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service serves on several of the employee
organizations. Also on June 11, John M. Robinson,
director of the Office of Civil Rights and chief diversity officer, U.S.
Department of State, presented a diversity-training
workshop titled, “Create Your Own Opportunities.” In this interactive session, participants
learned about decision-making styles and undertook challenging exercises about
making life decisions that affect those around them. “Training in
self-development is among the most important means of increasing diversity,” Robinson
said. June 12 Diversity Days culminated with the
Diversity Fair on June 12. The highlight
of the day was the Health and Fitness Expo, which Interior conducted in
partnership with Dr. Lenor Coleman, DC Chartered Health. Medical students from Howard University,
Health Village and other local vendors promoted
sustained physical wellness and provided literature and routine examinations,
such as blood-pressure checks. The fair also featured
winning photos from Diversity Days’ amateur photography contest, games, prizes
and music. In addition Interior’s Accessible
Technology Center
presented displays and held demonstrations on assistive and ergonomic
technology solutions for employees. “Technology has made my life 100
percent better. …I love my job,” said OSM employee Dianne Wood-Medley, sitting
on a red scooter in front of the Accessible
Technology Center’s
table at the Diversity Fair. Openness to sharing stories with those of different
appearance and background flourished throughout Diversity Days. Those in attendance found themselves in a web
of diversity stories. For example, Latta
and Eller discovered they grew up on opposite ends of the same street in Tallahassee, Fla. Diversity Days 2008 delivered a wealth of experiences. From the first day to the last, it provided education,
access and opportunity for Interior employees to learn more about diversity and
the value it brings to the department.
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