Robins Member Employee Resource Group: Wingmen for co-workers

Photo By Kisha Johnson | ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Melissa Bryant, 78th Air Base Wing Affirmative Employment Program manager, center, and Stephanie Hawthorne, 78th ABW Disability Acton Team manager, right, share information with a base employee about the Member Employee Resource Group during a health fair at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Feb. 24, 2023. The MERG is composed of base employees who are working to determine barriers to hiring, retention and representation. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kisha Foster Johnson)  

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GA, UNITED STATES

03.08.2023

Story by Kisha Johnson 

78th Air Base Wing

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is putting out a call for help.

Melissa Bryant, 78th Air Base Wing Affirmative Employment Program manager, said there is a recruitment effort underway for the Member Employee Resource Group.

“The role and responsibility of MERGs are directly related to helping achieve diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunities in recruitment, hiring, training, development and advancement,” Bryant said. “This will also be an opportunity to bring ideas, inputs, and qualitative data to the Affirmative Employment Program that could potentially identify triggers and/or barriers or simply demystify perceptions and myths associated with Robins AFB.

“As a MERG, Team Robins members will have the ability to foster an inclusive and collaborative workforce,” she continued. “They can help create a platform to share common career and professional goals and communicate areas of concern and interest to leadership.”

MERGs will work alongside the Special Emphasis Program Managers, who work to enhance employment and employee development.

They also support initiatives by helping address professional development, along with advancement and training of underrepresented groups, so the groups have the opportunity to reach their full employment potential.

All are dedicated to creating a sense of belonging to Team Robins’ members who have historically been marginalized. MERGs do not have to belong to a particular affinity group, just have the desire to want to help.

“Volunteers are needed,” said Bryant. “We are looking for people who want to be a wingman for other co-workers. People with the ability to empower, communicate positively, show empathy and humility, be passionate and committed, have respect for all individuals, be patient and persistent and be a person of integrity.

“Ultimately, we want people to realize that our differences shouldn’t divide us, but instead, make us stronger as we bring various perspectives to the workforce.” Bryant continued.

For more information about the Robins MERG, https://www.robins.af.mil/Units/78th-Air-Base-Wing/DEIA/.

Story was originally posted to the Robins Air Force web site March 8, 2023, and may be found at https://www.robins.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3322234/robins-member-employee-resource-group-wingmen-for-co-workers/

• Date Taken: 03.08.2023
• Date Posted: 03.08.2023 12:26
• Story ID: 439944
• Location: ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GA, US