FORT LEE, Va. –
Women’s History Month originated as a week in March. After 1981’s first steps, Women’s History Week continued as annual proclamations until 1987, which honored the historic contributions and achievements of America’s women throughout March for the first time.
“During Women’s History Month, let us honor the accomplished and visionary women who have helped build our country, including those whose contributions have not been adequately recognized and celebrated. And let us pay tribute to the trailblazers from the recent and distant past for daring to envision a future for which no past precedent existed, and for building a Nation of endless possibilities for all of its women and girls,” wrote President Joe Biden, in his 2021 proclamation to announce the month.
The Smithsonian’s Because of Her Story website offers yearlong access to its mission of amplifying "a diversity of women’s voices — not in one gallery or museum, but throughout the Smithsonian’s many museums, research centers, cultural heritage affiliates and wherever people are online — reaching millions of people in Washington, D.C., across the nation and around the world.”
Aerospace engineer wins BEYA technology award
At the 2021 Black Engineer of the Year Awards, Mark Senior, a Defense Contract Management Agency Aircraft Propulsion Operations — Pratt & Whitney aerospace engineer, earned a BEYA Modern-Day Technology Leader Award.
“These awards honor those who served with distinction and supported efforts in leadership, mentorship, diversity and value-based service to the nation and their military component,” said Linda Galimore, DCMA’s Equal Employment Opportunity director. “One role model is selected per agency who has served as an inspiration, promoted better access to STEM careers and has raised the profile of not only themselves, but also their agency.”
A sample of Senior’s highlighted accomplishments within the award criteria includes:
• Worked 16 Technical Support for Negotiation requests, representing $1.8 billion in proposals and more than 500,000 proposed labor hours.
• Averaged a 5% reduction in proposed work hours on TSNs, ultimately saving more than 30,000 work hours and resulting in millions of saved taxpayer dollars.
• Led the coordination and completion of some of the largest TSN requests ever received at DCMA. Directed a $600 million F-35 aircraft spare engine proposal. Led the coordination and completion of the upcoming $3.6 billion TSN F-35 aircraft spare engine proposal.
• Initiated planning meetings to begin the restart of the B-52 aircraft engine production lines. This is a significant task due to many of the B-52 engine components not being produced for more than 30 years. Efforts will assure that the B-52 aircraft engine will sustain a 76-aircraft fleet until 2035.
A library concert without shushing
The Library of Congress presents jazz fans a musical conversation as well as a concert with pianist Matthew Whitaker.
Whitaker, who has been blind since birth, has won American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards for 2019 and 2020 and has been featured on stages around the world and on television programs.
First, the jazz pianist spoke with Karen Keninger, director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, or NLS, before his virtual concert, which launched a yearlong commemoration of NLS’s 90th anniversary.
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
Participation drives change
DCMA team members can inspire change throughout March by completing a 2021 Defense Organizational Climate Survey, known as DEOCS.
“The DEOCS offers team members a great opportunity to orchestrate change and to voice their agency beliefs and perceptions,” said Army Lt. Gen. David Bassett, DCMA director. “Your insights provide empirical data to facilitate positive change. Your voice will help me to provide and enhance a healthy working environment that is free of all forms of discrimination and allow every employee to pursue their full potential.”
The anonymous survey, which “is designed to assess the ‘shared perceptions’ of respondents about formal or informal policies and practices,” is scheduled to conclude March 31. Each agency team member can gain survey access through an emailed invite within Outlook.
EEO’s Debra Simmon, who is serving as DCMA’s survey administrator, is available to answer questions by email.
Venture to explore women’s global contributions
The National Archive host a virtual discussion on “The Girl Explorers: The Untold Story of the Globetrotting Women Who Trekked, Flew and Fought Their Way Around,” Tuesday, March 9, at noon.
According to America’s record keepers, “In The Girl Explorers, author Jayne Zanglein tells the inspirational and untold story of the founding of the Society of Women Geographers ― an organization of adventurous female world explorers ― and how key members served as early advocates for human rights and paved the way for today’s women scientists.”
The hourlong event will be recorded and available to view soon after the event.
EEOC release 2020 enforcement and litigation data
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently released statistical details of the 67,448 charges of workplace discrimination they received in fiscal year 2020.
The agency secured $439.2 million for victims of discrimination in the private sector and state and local government workplaces through voluntary resolutions and litigation.
“EEOC advances opportunity for all of our nation’s workers and plays a critical role in ensuring justice in the American workplace,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows. “Despite an incredibly challenging year, the EEOC’s dedicated workforce advanced the agency’s mission to fight employment discrimination on all fronts.”
According to the commission’s press release, the following categories of discrimination are listed in descending order of frequency:
Retaliation: 37,632 (55.8 percent of all charges filed)
Disability: 24,324 (36.1 percent)
Race: 22,064 (32.7 percent)
Sex: 21,398 (31.7 percent)
Age: 14,183 (21.0 percent)
National Origin: 6,377 (9.5 percent)
Color: 3,562 (5.3 percent)
Religion: 2,404 (3.6 percent)
Equal Pay Act: 980 (1.5 percent)
Genetic Information: 440 (0.7 percent)
These percentages add up to more than 100% because some charges allege multiple categories.
In connected DCMA news, Galimore plans to announce workforce opportunities to serve as collateral duty representatives in the complaints and alternate dispute resolution programs.
She said the effort will be designed to bring visibility to the program in its continued pursuit to offer a workplace environment free of discrimination.
“The EEO Office is a neutral entity within the agency that has the responsibility to ensure all agency employees have an equal and fair opportunity to be successful,” said Galimore. “EEO is equally important because it establishes the baseline for how people should treat each other at work. Leaders at every level must set the tone and create a culture that does not tolerate any kind of discriminatory behavior. Doing so is not just a matter of staying compliant — it’s a necessary element if you want to create a dynamic and comfortable work environment that helps all people thrive.”