Photo By Kristin Carver | Robert Hankinson, Trident Refit Facility Bangor's (TRFB) Lifting and Handling...... read more read more
By Kristin L. Carver, Trident Refit Facility Bangor Public Affairs
SILVERDALE, Wash. (Jan. 7, 2020) – The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) team at Trident Refit Facility Bangor (TRFB) recently established its own Special Emphasis Programs (SEP) and selected three Champions to represent the required programs.
Bruce Girkin, TRFB Security Director, was selected as the Champion for the Federal Women’s Program; Robert Hankinson, TRFB Lifting and Handling Director, was selected as the Champion for the Hispanic Employment Program; and Richard White, TRFB Occupational Safety and Health Office Director, was selected as the Champion for the Individuals with Disabilities Program. These three programs are a mandatory part of the Affirmative Employment Program (AEP) and required by DON regulation.
“I volunteered for this program and I am honored to have the opportunity to support so many valuable members of our workforce,” said Hankinson, Champion for the Hispanic Employment Program at TRFB. “I’m looking forward to working with the SEP team and moving this program forward.”
This will be the first time TRFB has had its own SEP program and representatives, creating a new and exciting opportunity for the incoming SEP Champions. The program was previously managed by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS&IMF) until an organizational realignment occurred on Oct. 1, 2018.
Tamara Wood, an EEO Specialist at TRFB, explained the purpose of SEPs is to remove equal employment opportunity barriers and bring awareness to the strengths of employees who may not be traditionally represented in the workforce.
“SEPs lead to a more engaged and innovative workforce,” said Wood. “In addition to SEPs being required by law, the efforts of the SEPs can lead to a more engaged, diverse, and inclusive workforce. Employee engagement leads to innovation and employee retention.”
The newly appointed SEP Champions will hold their collateral duty positions for two years. In that time, they will work to uphold the values of the program and identify equal opportunity barriers and develop recommendations to remove them.
“It is important to ensure there is an ear at the senior management level for legitimate issues and concerns as well as possible “perceived” issues,” said Girkin, Champion for the Federal Women’s Program at TRFB. “I hope to be able to ensure women feel valued and equal, and that they truly understand their importance to the TRF Bangor mission.”
White, Champion for the Individuals with Disabilities Program at TRFB, chose to apply for the role because he wanted the opportunity to work on and resolve issues for his program while promoting dignity, respect and equality within the TRFB workforce.
“Everybody has something to add to our command,” said White. “I wanted to be part of the solution to ensure each person has the tools needed to unlock opportunities. Our people make our command successful – each person, regardless of situation, plays a valuable role to reach that goal.”
The SEP Champions are part of the SEP Team, which also includes SEP Managers, SEP Coordinators and other members of the management team. All of the team members serve as advisors, mentors, advocates and subject matter experts in support of the Special Emphasis Programs.
“Today’s workforce looks for employers that demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion,” said Wood. “Active SEPs ensure employees can see that commitment while also allowing commands to evaluate their recruitment, recognition, and retention practices. I enjoy working the proactive side of the EEO program and assisting commands in attracting and retaining a workforce that can support their mission and innovate for the future.”
TRFB was established in the Pacific Northwest on July 1, 1981, as the primary maintenance facility for the West Coast Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBN) fleet. TRFB’s principal mission is to support the nation’s strategic deterrence mission by repairing, incrementally overhauling, and modernizing the Ohio-class and the future Columbia-class until the end of service life. The TRFB team is comprised of approximately 500 military and 1,500 civilians.
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 01.07.2021 12:09 |
| Story ID: | 386541 |
| Location: | SILVERDALE, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 239 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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