Office of Small Business and Civil Rights
On this Page:
- Small Business, Outreach, and Compliance Coordination Directorate
- Civil Rights and Diversity Directorate
Vonna Ordaz, Director
Develops, implements, and manages four major programs: (1) Affirmative Action, including the Federal Women's Program and implementing a managing diversity process; (2) Civil Rights; (3) Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU); and (4) Small Business.
The programs' mission is:
To facilitate equal employment opportunity for all NRC employees and applicants for employment through an ongoing affirmative employment process;
To provide for prompt, fair, and impartial processing of discrimination complaints filed under applicable civil rights statutes;
To administer grants to HBCU faculty and graduate and undergraduate students, which affords these individuals opportunities to participate in NRC's scientific, engineering, and research activities; and
To ensure that small businesses, including those owned by the disadvantaged, women, veterans, service-disabled veterans, and concerns located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUBZone), are afforded maximum practicable opportunities to participate in NRC prime and subcontract activities.
These activities include developing the Agency's Equal Employment Opportunity Program, and conducting the semi-annual briefing to the Commission on the status and progress of the Agency's Affirmative Employment Plan. Implements a managing diversity process to maintain a work environment that supports valuing and utilizing all employees regardless of differences.
Small Business, Outreach, and Compliance Coordination Directorate
Associate Director: Jerome Murphy
Leads the agency's small business,outreach and compliance coordination programs. Conducts acquisition oversight to ensure compliance with small business-related Federal statutes, regulations, Executive Orders, and policy. When regulatory requirements are met, recommends small business set-asides or other incentivized strategic measures to provide the maximum practicable prime and subcontract opportunities for small businesses; provides training, technical assistance and counseling to the business community and agency acquisition officials; and engages in economic and business development outreach events in support of the Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local government, and the business community to explore marketplace capabilities.
Provides oversight, outreach, technical assistance, coordination, training, and enforcement to assure NRC conducted and Federal financially assisted programs and activities comply with fair practices and Equal Opportunity requirements imposed under applicable Federal Civil Rights regulations and mandates. Administers NRC's Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) Program to assist and support MSIs in their efforts achieve academic excellence and produce a diverse STEM workforce.
In addition, the office's overall lead in providing direction and coordination of strategic planning, financial, and administrative support functions.
Civil Rights and Diversity Directorate
Associate Director: Lori Suto-Goldsby
Leads the agency's equal employment opportunity (EEO), civil rights, affirmative employment, and diversity management activities. Leads the agency's informal and formal discrimination processes, EEO Counseling Program, Alternative Dispute Resolution Program, and the Comprehensive Diversity Management Plan. Provides advice and guidance to NRC diversity committees, and leads the planning and presentation of special emphasis observances to enhance the cultural awareness for all employees. Conducts EEO and diversity management program assessments and issues statistical reports to offices to determine overall EEO effectiveness. Responds to EEO data requests and reports from external and internal organizations.
Maintains and fosters relationships with all appropriate external organizations to ensure all appropriate statutory, regulatory and Government-wide requirements are executed properly in all phases.
