EDI strives to advance diversity and inclusion at the National Institutes of Health, and ensure that the civil rights of all of our employees are protected. The Portfolio for Hispanics 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
Hispanics and Latinos are an integral part of building a diverse and high performing community. We are Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, and an array of other persons of Spanish culture and origin, regardless of race. The Hispanic Portfolio creates strategies to ensure an inclusive environment in which our ideas are valued and that we experience equal opportunities in recruitment, hiring, training, and advancement in federal employment. 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 Hispanic Portfolio. Together, we develop collaborations to advance the representation of our Hispanic 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 Hispanic constituency is a critical piece of our overall diversity strategy.
MEET THE STRATEGIST
Gerard Roman
Gerard Roman is the principal strategist of the NIH Hispanic Portfolio. Mr. Roman has worked in Diversity Management and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for over 20 years. He joined NIH in 2002 after a distinguished military career in the United States Army. His academic preparation includes a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from Troy State University and a master’s degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. He is a graduate of the Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) Equal Opportunity Advisor, EEO Specialist, and EEO Officer courses.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The NIH Hispanic and Latino Engagement Committee (HLEC) is composed of members of the NIH community who are willing to help promote the efforts of the Hispanic Portfolio. The committee works closely with the Hispanic Strategist to identify opportunities and challenges associated with creating an inclusive work environment. They assist in the educational and cultural competency awareness efforts as well as liaise with various internal and external stakeholders and collaborators on matters that encompass all aspects of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in NIH programs. They serve as a catalyst for achieving NIH EDI objectives through effective culture transformation, interventions, and strategies. NIH members interested in becoming part of the HLEC may contact the EDI Hispanic Strategist for information and nomination process.
MORE ABOUT THE PORTFOLIO
History and Presidential Orders
At nearly 23 million, people of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity represented fifteen percent of the U.S. labor force in 2011. U.S. labor force projections show that by 2018 Hispanics and/or Latinos will comprise eighteen percent of the labor force.
- In 1970, President Nixon issued a comprehensive Sixteen-Point Federal Employment Plan aimed at increasing Hispanic representation in the Federal workforce.
- In 1973, the 16-point plan was renamed “Spanish-Speaking Program” to emphasize bilingual skills; and in 1978, the program was again renamed to what it is known as today, the “Hispanic Employment Program” (HEP).
- In 2000, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13171, which requires Executive Departments and Agencies to establish and maintain a program for the recruitment and career development of Hispanics in federal employment.
- In 2010, President Obama issued Executive Order 13555, an order that called for expanding educational opportunities and improving educational outcomes for Hispanics and Latinos of all ages, and to help ensure that all Hispanics receive an education that properly prepares them for college and productive careers.
- In 2011, President Obama issued Executive Order 13583, which contain comprehensive strategies for the identification and removal of barriers to equal employment opportunity that might exist in recruitment, hiring, promotion, retention, professional development and training, policies, and practices.
FEDERAL REPORTS
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Hispanic Employment Statistical Report, is a yearly report that containing information on the representation of Hispanics within the Federal Government and best practices of federal agencies.
The U.S. Census Bureau Hispanic Origin Data is a site that provides the latest Hispanic origin news releases and statistics published by the U.S. Census Bureau.
PROGRAM REPORTS
The 2008 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Report on the Hispanic Employment Challenge in the Federal Government contains both assessments of the problems and issues concerning Hispanic employment, and recommendations on how to resolve them.
The PEW Hispanic Center Hispanic Origin Profiles provide a comprehensive collection of reports based on social science research, including economic, demographic, and public opinion studies.