Washington, D.C. – U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director Kay Coles James recently met with the President of Blacks in Government, Gregory Reeves, to discuss diversity in the federal work force. They specifically discussed the need for diversity in the government’s senior ranks. At the end of meeting with Reeves, James was given the “Blacks in Government Presidential Award” in recognition of her loyal commitment and dedicated support of the goals and objectives of Blacks in Government.

“OPM is working on a number of fronts to build a diverse work force,” said James. “And we want the help of organizations like BIG to achieve President George W. Bush’s goal of recruiting talent from every segment of society. I know that with the dedication of both OPM and BIG we will be able to fulfill the President’s commitment to excellence in the workplace.”

OPM’s latest recruitment initiative includes sending recruitment teams and employee volunteers to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), hosting recruitment booths at Howard University in Washington, D.C.; Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia; Spelman and Morehouse Colleges in Atlanta, Georgia; and, Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia. At each of these venues, OPM staff will provide information on job opportunities and the process of applying for a position with the federal government.

In addition to her reassurance that the federal government is aggressively recruiting in traditionally underrepresented communities, James discussed with Reeves the importance of BIG’s involvement in the public process of setting up the new human resources system for the Department of Homeland Security.

“Secretary Ridge and I have reached out to the employees of DHS and their representatives to involve them in the HR design process,” said James. “And with continued meetings such as those with key stakeholders like BIG, I know that we will be able to implement a fair and equitable system completely consistent with merit principles.

Our mission is to ensure the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve work force performance.