Greater Atlantic Region Equal Employment Opportunity/Diversity Advisory Committee

The primary purpose of this advisory committee is to enhance Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) and Affirmative Employment Programs (AEP) within our office by promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace and advising on EEO, AEP, and diversity. We have adopted the definition of diversity and inclusion from the Government-Wide Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan.

Workforce diversity is a collection of individual attributes that together help agencies pursue organizational objectives efficiently and effectively. These include, but are not limited to, characteristics such as national origin, language, race, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and family structures. The concept also encompasses differences among people concerning where they are from and where they have lived and their differences of thought and life experiences.

We define inclusion as a culture that connects each employee to the organization; encourages collaboration, flexibility, and fairness; and leverages diversity throughout the organization so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

To achieve these goals, we have developed programs for In-house Education/Workplace Inclusion and Recruitment.  Our In-house Education and Workplace Inclusion sub-committee hosts a number of speakers on a variety of diversity-related topics, hosts webinars on a diverse workforce, and celebrates our veterans on the U.S. Marine Corps Birthday.  Our recruitment sub-committee participates in career fairs at a number of universities and has developed outreach materials on how to get a job within our office.  Through these committees, we strive for a workforce that embraces the culture described above.  For more information or questions, please contact us at nmfs.gar.eeodac@noaa.gov.