DIVERSITY ACT

Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act

The Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act has been introduced into the Senate as S 2148 and the House of Representatives as HR 3774. There are approximately 6100 members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) however only 200 of these members are African Americans and as a result the SES ranks are not very diverse. This lack of diversity extends to women as well. If our nation is to continue to grow and maintain its position of leadership in the world our federal leadership needs to reflect the diversity of the American culture.

Over the next ten years more than 80 percent of the 6100 SES will retire. Unless this Act is passed the replacements for these retirees will not reflect the American landscape.  The proposed legislation will ensure that minorities and women are judged against the same criteria as majority members, that minorities and women are represented on the selection panels, and that agency heads are held accountable for achieving diversity in their agencies.  It will also establish a Senior Executive Service Resource Office in the Office of Personnel Management responsible for promoting fair and equal policies with regards to SES selection and for maintaining statistics on the composition of the SES.

The African American Federal Executive Association Incorporated and many other prominent organizations support this bill.  To ensure passage of this Act please contact your representatives and your congressman/woman and obtain their support for this Act/Bill.

William A. Brown SR, AAFEA National President

• Click HERE to see the 3 April 2008 statement by William A. Brown SR, P.E., HAIA, before the House Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, and the Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia. 

• Click HERE to see the 4 October  2007 statement by William A. Brown SR, P.E., HAIA, concerning the introduction of the “Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act” by Congressman Davis and Senator Akaka. 

• Click HERE to see the 10 May 2007 testimony William A. Brown SR, P.E., HAIA, before the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia.