Photo By Palmer Pinckney II | 220224-N-RQ622-0002 – PORT HUENEME, Calif. (Feb. 24, 2022) - Amanda Davidson...... read more read more
Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) announces the re-launch of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committee following the unveiling of the committee’s fiscal year 2022 commitments, as part of the organization’s annual leadership strategic off-site meeting.
NAVFAC EXWC is a U.S. Navy command and one of three warfare centers located onboard Naval Base Ventura County. The Navy base is the largest employer in the county according to Ventura County Assessor’s Office. With approximately 1,300 civilian, military, and contracted employees at NAVFAC EXW, the DEI committee members are working to encourage open and candid conversations amongst peers and management through inclusion training, suggestion box recommendations to the DEI committee, and the launch of DEI podcasts.
According to the NAVAC EXWC DEI Committee Co-Chairs Amanda Davidson, Chelsea Campbell, and CDR Vince Fonte, diversity, equity, and inclusion are the key elements of success at NAVFAC EXWC that promote representation and fair treatment amongst the workforce regardless of differences associated with societal barriers. Davidson said, “NAVFAC EXWC leadership acknowledges that respect, fairness, equal opportunities for learning and development, and feelings of belonging drive productivity.”
Davidson further explained that the initial step in promoting DEI is to encourage open and honest dialog throughout the organization. In the coming months, the DEI committee plans to recruit volunteers for the annual Management Directive Barrier Analysis effort—known as the MD-715. Volunteer employees will assist in conducting analyses of barriers at the Navy command for underrepresented groups that are identified through data-driven reports provided by EEO. Captain Scott Raymond, NAVFAC EXWC Commanding Officer, Command EEO and DEI Champion, is fully supporting the DEI committee in implementing these goals and efforts.
DEI training is a major goal that the committee aspires to implement. NAVFAC EXWC senior leadership requested the DEI committee assist in rolling out inclusion training. The DEI committee will work with the command’s Total Force Development Training Team to develop a plan to introduce the topic of inclusion through new training sessions.
NAVFAC EXWC is part of the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC). NAVFAC’s Civilian Workforce Development Continuum (or “WFD Continuum”) is a cornerstone of NAVFAC’s workforce development system and identifies a standard set of non-technical employee competencies essential to NAVFAC’s mission. Inspiring, fostering, and managing a diverse, inclusive, and committed team that creates trust and pride to achieve the NAVFAC vision and mission is the definition that NAVFAC embraces for building diverse and inclusive teams, and is one of five supervisory competencies included in the NAVFAC WFD Continuum.
“This competency is applicable to all employees but is most relevant to current or prospective supervisors and leaders, facilitating cooperation and motivating team members to accomplish group goals,” said Ms. Jill Stein, MBA, NAVFAC EXWC Total Force Development and HR Specialist. “In addition, NAVFAC EXWC is exploring opportunity in inclusion, diversity and building trust training. Our leadership understands that for training to be successful here at NAVFAC EXWC we must cultivate a culture that is inclusive.”
Although the NAVFAC EXWC DEI committee hit some obstacles over the last few years due to the global pandemic and implemented situational telework policies, the new fiscal year 2022 has brought upon opportunities for the committee to make a lasting difference. Meanwhile, the committee’s overall goal is to make DEI a key part of EXWC’s culture. In the next 12 months they also plan on implementing three key program areas for DEI success: training, education and awareness.
To increase awareness of EXWC DEI efforts, the first-ever DEI podcasts are planned to acknowledge and discuss issues that members of the workforce face daily. The committee also desires to plan more interactive events for the annual federal observances including: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Women's History Month, Days of Remembrance, Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Women's Equality Day, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month.
“We [NAVFAC EXWC] want to attract, develop and retain a top-quality workforce,” said Davidson. “The committee fully supports that goal by fostering an organizational culture of inclusiveness, mutual respect and teamwork where only measures of an individual are character, performance, merit, fitness and capability. Intent is to celebrate and embrace diversity such that every employee is valued, respected, and can recognize their full professional potential, thereby increasing trust, a sense of belonging and work productivity.”
About Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC):
NAVFAC EXWC is a command of more than 1,100 dedicated federal employees, contractors and military personnel who provide research, development, testing and evaluation, and in-service engineering to deliver specialized facility and expeditionary solutions to the American warfighter.
| Date Taken: | 03.03.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.03.2022 12:16 |
| Story ID: | 415698 |
| Location: | PORT HUENEME, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 287 |
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