Weather Forecast Office (WFO) Shreveport conducts
Second Annual Regional Diversity Conference - May 2008
Representatives from 16 National Weather Service
offices throughout the Southern Region and a representative from
National Weather Service Headquarters Office of Equal Opportunity
and Diversity Management participated in the Second annual Regional
Diversity Conference which was held in Shreveport, Louisiana
May 6-7, 2008.
There were approximately 45 NWS employees who attended
from offices as far east as Mobile and Huntsville, Alabama to as far
west as Albuquerque, New Mexico. In this group were eight WFO MICs,
one SMG MIC, and one HIC. Equal Employment Opportunity Diversity
Inclusion Advisory Council (EEODIAC) members from Southern Region
were also present. Also participating as attendees or speakers were
diversity managers and focal points from other federal agencies
(USPS, VA, DOJ) and local community partners who were invited from the
Shreveport-Bossier city area.
The conference planning committee was
made up of the WFO Shreveport Diversity Team consisting
of MIC Armando Garza, ASA Lisa Frantz, Journeyman Forecaster
Bill Parker, and Regional EEO Manager Regena "Gena"
Morrison. The conference commenced on Monday afternoon,
May 5, 2008 where Gena Morrison provided specific training
for the regional SEPMs. Members of the Executive Council
were also present and helped.
Building on last year's conference theme, the focus
of the 2008 conference was also on providing "real world diversity
training" and embracing the fact that while we would like to see
change happen quickly, diversity is not a fast race but rather a slow
journey that requires us to look more closely at everyday challenges
- cultural and generational. Southern Region Director Bill Proenza
opened the conference by welcoming the attendees and addressing the
National Weather Service commitment to diversity in the workplace.
Topics that followed included a look at the different generations in
the workplace and how to work with each; reasons why diversity
initiatives fail; disabilities and employees who overcome challenges
such as stuttering; the ever shifting/ changing workplace with new
technologies; and the inclusion of more individuals who are not
considered women and minorities into the diversity
program.
Many kudos were received from attendees concerning the
topics that were presented and discussed at the conference. What many
conference attendees took away from this experience will ultimately be
measured by, not only what they learned, but what they will be able to
build upon and pass on to fellow workers when they return to their
workplace and community.
Click
here for the Diversity Conference 2007 website