EDI strives to advance diversity and inclusion at the National Institutes of Health, and ensure that the civil rights of all employees are protected. The Portfolio for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders is directed at ensuring that this constituency remains a successful part of a broader diversity and inclusion strategy for the NIH. This portfolio is federally mandated, having its authority grounded in Presidential Executive Orders.
THE PORTFOLIO
Asians and Pacific Islanders are an integral part of the NIH community and we are committed to ensuring that every member of this constituency are supported, given the tools needed to be successful, and encouraged to contribute their ideas and perspectives to tackle challenges at the NIH. We are responsible for designing rich programming and outreach initiatives, our goal being to ensure positive experiences at every level of employment. We count on the commitment and support of leaders and managers from all NIH Institutes and Centers to sustain this important work. EDI works in partnership with the Office of Human Resources (OHR), the Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD), and NIH leadership to support the Asian American and Pacific Islander Portfolio. Together, we develop collaborations to advance the representation of our Asian and Pacific Islander employees in all occupations of the NIH workforce and support this constituency in achieving their fullest potential.
At NIH we understand that our responsibility to diverse groups extends well beyond federal mandates. We define diversity broadly to include all elements of our human identities and to encompass every aspect of difference. Within EDI, we are interested in leveraging the ideas of each NIH employee to fuel innovation and drive health discovery. The Asian and Pacific Islander constituency is a critical piece of our overall diversity strategy.
THE STRATEGIST
Tyrone Banks
Tyrone Banks is the principal strategist of the Asian American and Pacific Islander Portfolio at NIH. In his position he formulates strategies for recruitment, career development, and provides guidance on removal of barriers to equal employment for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Mr. Banks’ EEO career began in 1997 as a Program Analyst with the Office of Special Concerns, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health. His government service includes serving as a Biologist with NHLBI’s Pulmonary Branch.
Tyrone is a certified trainer and mediator. A native of Washington, D.C., Mr. Banks received his Bachelor of Science from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, and completed course work in the Graduate Program in Management at the National Louis University in Evanston, Illinois.