Hispanic Employee Resource Group: Empowering our command, one meeting at time

BREMERTON, WA, UNITED STATES

10.14.2021

Story by Adrienne Burns  

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility

As National Hispanic Heritage month comes to an end it’s important to note that the work to support and develop opportunities for Hispanic and Latinx employees at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a year-round effort. Helping to lead this initiative is the Hispanic Employee Resource Organization, one of many employee resource groups here that help to ensure all employees feel supported in bringing their authentic selves to work, feel they belong and are valued and empowered to perform to their highest potential.
HERO meets monthly to create a community for Hispanic and Latinx employees at PSNS & IMF, providing opportunities that empower them to thrive and develop into engaged leaders. HERO’s efforts are a part of the group’s larger mission to support the command’s outreach, retention and professional development of Hispanic and Latinx civilian and military employees. Authentic allyship with command leaders and resource groups is a vital component of creating a workplace of inclusivity and empowerment, according to Nina Cole, health physicist, Code 105.55, Radioactivity Analysis & Detection, and co-lead for HERO.
“The command leadership support is crucial to HERO and the other ERGs so that everyone feels safe and confident to participate,” Cole said. “Command leaders help to break any of the barriers employees may have that prevent them from attending an ERG event and ensure that employees can attend events where they are gaining important information, networking and getting inspired.”
While the group is focused on the support and development of Hispanic and Latinx employees, participation in HERO is open to all PSNS & IMF employees who share in HERO’s vision of diversity, equity and inclusion at the command.
“Diversity is important, therefore all members of the command are welcome—including military,” Cole said. “Through diversity we can learn from everyone and help others have a different perspective. When you have a room of diverse people, that is when you have really great innovation and ideas.”
Meetings are much more than social events at HERO; they are opportunities to hear from leaders and innovators and to network with a variety of employees at all levels of the command and ship’s force. Most recently, HERO had its first ship’s force guest speaker, Master Chief Angellus Garcia, Chief of the Boat, USS Michigan (SSGN 727), who spoke about his top contributors to success, what drives excellence, and his lessons learned in the military.
HERO has provided the workforce with the opportunity to engage with 12 command leaders over the last 18 months in thoughtful dialogue curated to create a well-rounded series of topics. Krystle Edwards, inactivation branch head, Code 105.3, Radiological Controls and co-lead for HERO, said that these meetings are remarkable for how much they’re able to provide in just one hour a month.
“We have thoughtful and engaging discussions that leave attendees feeling inspired and energized,” she said. “Our mission is to empower our workforce to thrive and develop into engaged leaders. It is really a win-win situation if supervisors can support just one hour a month for people who want to attend.”
Even if you do not attend HERO meetings, it is still possible to support their efforts. Supervisors can ensure their workers are aware of meetings and offered time to attend, if workload permits. And anyone can volunteer to help with an event or initiative hosted by HERO. For more information on HERO and how you can support the group, email [e-mail].
Story was originally published on Page 6 of the Oct. 14, 2021 issue of Salute. It may also be found at https://www.dvidshub.net/publication/issues/59293.

• Date Taken: 10.14.2021
• Date Posted: 12.17.2021 19:55
• Story ID: 411502
• Location: BREMERTON, WA, US