Photo By Andrew LaMoreaux | Air Force Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Rita Aragon, native of Dale, Oklahoma, and Governor's...... read more read more
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Story by Senior Airman Brigette Waltermire, 137th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
WILL ROGERS AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE - Representatives from all 50 states, U.S. territories and the District of Columbia attended the 2016 National Guard Diversity Training and Workshop held in Norman, Oklahoma, July 11 to 13.
The annual workshop is aimed to help Army and Air National Guard service members to develop talent management strategies within their units from a diversity perspective.
The diversity workshop is hosted by the Joint Diversity Executive Council (JDEC), which was formed in 2010 to advise leadership about current and upcoming issues that can aid in the professional and personal development of their forces. The Association of Diversity Councils voted JDEC as one of the top 25 diversity councils in the country since 2012. By continuing to improve its diversity initiative, states will have the tools necessary to competitively recruit talent in a way that also matches the changing priorities of the nation’s younger population.
“Those things that you can tangibly see as an element of diversity…. You can’t change those things overnight, especially in the military,” said Brig. Gen. Mark E. Anderson, special assistant to the chief of the Guard Bureau for diversity and the adjutant general for Wisconsin.
Air Force Col. Kerry Lovely, chief of diversity for the Air National Guard and National Guard Bureau, organized the workshop. Her goal was to bring in keynote speakers who have implemented successful diversity programs, effected culture change, have had influential careers, and could be role models for the myriad of adjutants general, command chiefs and state senior enlisted advisors in attendance.
“When you’re looking at a diversity workshop, you have to have a diverse set of speakers,” said Lovely.
Gabe Camarillo, assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve, said that he wanted to see installations begin to recruit from currently isolated regions in local communities to try and broaden their diversity. The workshop could then be used to develop an approach on how to retain those service members past their initial enlistment. Consequently, leadership would have tools necessary to help members advance and develop as leaders at critical junctures of their careers – positively affecting retention.
“We need to establish inroads with communities that we do not yet have an established relationship with,” said Camarillo during his keynote speech Tuesday morning.
Another workshop goal was to pool tools and practices of different states that could benefit other counterparts so they can use a previously tested solution, according to Anderson.
The findings of the workshop will be shared by representatives to their leadership, who will then implement and utilize diversity tools that are relevant to their communities to improve their force’s mission readiness.
“By developing the people, you’re improving the mission,” said Klein.
| Date Taken: | 07.12.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2016 10:20 |
| Story ID: | 203785 |
| Location: | NORMAN, OK, US |
| Web Views: | 239 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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