Nominations for DOJ-AHEAD 2018 Exec Board & General Membership Meeting

EXECUTIVE BOARD NOMINATIONS PERIOD IS OPEN

DOJ-AHEAD is looking for dedicated members with great ideas to serve in its Executive Council for 2018.  We are looking to fill the offices of Chairperson (1), Vice-Chairperson (1) , Secretary (1), Treasurer (1), Director of Professional Development (1), and Executive Council Representatives.  New officers will begin their terms starting January 2018.

If you are interested or know a DOJ employee (or several!) who is a good fit for any of the above mentioned positions, please fill out the DOJ-AHEAD Nomination Form by clicking here: NOMINATION FORM.

The Nomination Form contains more detail about the positions and election schedule.  Also, feel free to reach out to any current Executive Council members, whose names and emails are available on our BLOG. 

The Nomination Period will close on November 22, 2017.  The Nominating Committee will reach out to the individuals interested in running and those nominated to confirm acceptance. 

This is an exciting opportunity for members to be actively involved and help organize DOJ-AHEAD events.  In 2017, DOJ-AHEAD has been very active in sponsoring events like the DOJ-AHEAD Mentoring Program,  and panel presentations such as Preparing for the Senior Executive Service (SES), How to Become a Superior Court Judge, and assisting the Department with events such as the DOJ Hispanic Heritage Month Program.  More details about these events are on our BLOG.  By joining the Executive Council, you can help make 2018 even better!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email aheadelections@gmail.com and a member of the Nominating Committee will get back to you.

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GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Also, please join us for the General Membership Meeting on November 16, 2017, 12:30 p.m.–2 p.m. (short program presentation beginning at 1:00 p.m.) at Patrick Henry Building, Room LL104.  The brief presentations will cover:  (1) the State of DOJ-AHEAD and (2) the ongoing Nominations process for prospective candidates to run for office of the Board/Executive Committee of DOJ-AHEAD.  Feel free to bring your lunches, but save room for dessert!   We will be serving mostly not-so-healthy dessert options, but we will endeavor to include fruit.

Congratulations to Award-Winning DOJ-AHEAD Members

Please congratulate your DOJ-AHEAD fellow members who have been recognized by the Department for their accomplishments!

• JoHanna Hall, Bureau of Prisons, graduated from the Department’s Leadership, Excellence, & Achievement Program (LEAP) on August 24, 2017, and received a Special Commendation Award from the Attorney General.

• Jorge Gonzalez, National Security Div., received the Assistant Attorney General of the National Security Division's Award for Excellence. 

• Gerardo Despian, Antitrust Div., received a Special Commendation Award from the Assistant Attorney General of the Environmental Natural Resources Division for his work with the Environmental Justice Group.  

• Jennifer Mondino, Civil Rights Div., was on the Baltimore Police Department Team (in the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section), which was awarded the Assistant Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award at the Civil Rights Division’s awards ceremony in December 2016.  

• Benjamin Hernandez-Stern, Office Justice Programs, received a Special Act award.

• Carmen M. Banerjee, Tax Div., on November 1, 2017, received an Outstanding Attorney Award from the Assistant Attorney General of the Tax Division.

• Beatriz T. Saiz, Tax Div., on November 1, 2017, received an Outstanding Attorney Award from the Assistant Attorney General of the Tax Division.

Felicidades, amig@s!  If any other members have accomplishments they (or their colleagues) would like to share, please email dojahead@gmail.com with the details!

Successful Hispanic Heritage Month Observance Program

On October 12, 2017, the Department of Justice held its annual Hispanic Heritage Month Observance Program with special remarks from Associate Attorney General Rachel L. Brand, and the keynote speech by Emmanuel Caudillo, Senior Advisor for the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.  Below are some photos from the event.  Thanks to the Justice Management Division (JMD) Equal Employment Opportunity Staff (EEOS) for putting the program together and allowing DOJ-AHEAD to participate.  A special thanks to all those who attended!!!  We hope to see you again next year!

Keynote Speaker Emmanuel Caudillo

Richard Toscano, Director of Equal Employment Opportunity Staff, 

providing Emmanuel Caudillo a gift in appreciation for providing the keynote speech.

DOJ-AHEAD Chair Carmen Banerjee providing closing remarks.

Emmanuel Caudillo, some of his staff, and DOJ-AHEAD
board members after the program.

Happy Hour Today!

Join your colleagues from DOJ's affinity groups for happy hour!  This Happy Hour will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2017 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Hill Country, 410 7th Street NW (look for the sign).  Meet and network with others who are working to make the Department a more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse place.  Event co-sponsors include DOJ-AHEAD, DOJ Pride, DOJ Association of Black Attorneys (DOJABA), DOJ Blacks in Government (BIG), DOJ Gender Equality Network (DOJ GEN), DEA HOPE, DOJ Native American Association (JUNAA), DOJ Asian Pacific American Employees Association (DOJ Pan Asia), and the AG's Committee on the Employment of Persons with Disabilities.  To find the group, look for the DOJ Pride and DOJ affinity group event signs.

DOJ Hispanic Heritage Month Event: “Shaping the Bright Future of America”– October 12, 2017

To acknowledge the important contributions of Hispanic Americans to our Nation and the Justice Department, the Department of Justice will hold its annual Hispanic Heritage Month Observance Program from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, Thursday, October 12, 2017, in The Great Hall, Robert F. Kennedy Main Justice Building.  The National theme for this year’s program is “Shaping the Bright Future of America.”

During the program, DOJ employees will hear special remarks from Departmental Senior Leadership, and the program keynote speaker, Emmanuel Caudillo, Senior Advisor, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.  To learn more about Mr. Caudillo, please visit https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/list/hispanic-initiative/caudillo.html?exp=5.   In addition, DOJ employees are encouraged to read the Presidential Proclamation for Hispanic Heritage Month by visiting https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/09/13/president-donald-j-trump-proclaims-september-15-through-october-15-2017.

The Departmental Hispanic Heritage Month Observance Program qualifies as diversity training; thus, DOJ employees should consider participating in this program to satisfy Departmental or Component diversity training requirements, either by attending this program in person or viewing it via JTN.  Employees who wish to receive credit for attending this program should follow the instructions located at https://dojnet.doj.gov/jmd/eeos/events.php.  For general questions about satisfying the diversity training requirement, please contact your Component’s Training Office or EEO Office.

Please contact Isabel Flores Kaufman, Hispanic Employment Program Manager, Justice Management Division (JMD) Equal Employment Opportunity Staff (EEOS), via email at Isabel.f.Kaufman@usdoj.gov for additional information and to request a reasonable accommodation.  Please submit requests for reasonable accommodation no later than five business days prior to the event.

The program will be broadcast live via the Justice Television Network (JTN).  Managers are encouraged to grant employees reasonable official time to attend or to view the program on JTN.  Your participation in Departmental Special Observance Programs will help facilitate increased awareness about all segments of the Department’s workforce, and the benefits of diversity and inclusion to the Justice mission.

Disaster Relief Efforts

Hispanic Heritage Month is usually a non-stop celebration, one of the brightest and most festive months of the year where Hispanics can honor their culture and traditions.  And while DOJ-AHEAD will continue to promote events for sharing our heritage with our neighbors and colleagues, the usually sweet celebration is embittered this year due to the recent devastation of hurricanes and earthquakes.  Please consider donating funds to the various relief efforts out there, some of which you can links to at this website.  DOJ-AHEAD does not specifically endorse any one relief effort, but strongly encourages members and allies to get involved.  Our hearts are with those affected by the recent natural disasters.

Si se puede.

USAO-DC Hosting Hispanic Heritage Month Program on September 29, 2017

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, United States Attorney's Office for the District will welcome this year’s guest speaker, Alejandro N. Mayorkas.  Mr. Mayorkas is currently a partner at the law firm WilmerHale and has previously held several high-level federal government positions, including serving as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.  Please consider joining for what promises to be an informative and insightful look into his career.

When: Friday, September 29, 2017 at noon

Where: Moot Courtroom, USAO-DC, 555 4th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20530

BOP Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

On September 19, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month.The program included DOJ-AHEAD Chair Carmen Banerjee as a speaker.  Carmen discussed the the challenge of  underrepresention of Hispanics in federal government from the 1990s through today.  Carmen also shared DOJ-AHEAD’s priorities and goals, including how its committees advance those priorities and goals, specifically through programming.  A special thanks to JoHanna Hall and Victoria Harding for allowing DOJ-AHEAD to be involved with the program.

Below are some of the resources Carmen shared during the event:

• For information about all the employee affinity groups at the Department, please see the Department’s Equal Employment Opportunity Staff’s (EEOS) internet page: https://dojnet.doj.gov/diversity/orgs.php

• Would you like to find out more about DOJ-AHEAD, including how to join our organization? Please check out our blog page at: https://doj-ahead.blogspot.com/ You will also find:
• Pictures and news about some of our events.
• Presentation materials for the Senior Executive Service (SES) Panel on July 18, 2017 that DOJ-AHEAD co-sponsored with the EEOS of the Department.

• Statistic in most recent government report. As of FY 2015 according to the Office of Personnel Management:
• Total number of employees overall who serve in the Senior Executive Service (SES): 7,696
• Total number of Hispanics in SES positions: 342 (or 4.4%).
  See FY 2015 OPM report on Employment of Hispanics in Federal Government; https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/diversity-and-inclusion/reports/hispanic-report-2016.pdf

From Left: Steve Mora, Assistant Director, Program Review Division; Carmen M. Banerjee, Chair of DOJ-AHEAD; Mark S. Inch, Director of Bureau of Prisons; Mina Raskin, EEO Officer; Ben Caraballo, Affirmative Employment Officer

Professional Development: How to Become a Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Professional Development: The DOJ Association of Hispanic Employees for Advancement and Development (DOJ-AHEAD) is pleased to host a presentation to learn about the process of applying for a judicial vacancy on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and efforts by the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission (JNC) to enhance the diversity of the pool of applicants.  The program features Katherine L. Garrett, Executive Director of JNC.

Date and Time:  Wednesday, September 27, 2017, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Location:  Judiciary Center Building, 555 4th Street, NW, Room 6310, Washington, DC 20001 (Hewitt Training Room)

There is no need to R.S.V.P.; you may just show up!  For additional information, please contact Cathy Meza, DOJ-AHEAD Director of Professional Development, by email at catherine.meza@usdoj.gov.

Feliz Hispanic Heritage Month!

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.

From www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov, a Web portal made collaboratively by the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.  There is a lot of great stuff on that website, so check it out!

Professional Development: SES Panel Well Received

DOJ-AHEAD and the Department of Justice’s JMD EEO Staff hosted a panel on preparing for Senior Executive Service ("SES") on July 18, 2017.  Guided by moderator Carmen M. Banerjee, Chair of DOJ-AHEAD, the panelists provided attendees with expert advice on preparing for a crafting a successful SES application.  The discussion ranged from recognizing opportunities for the necessary professional/leadership development to surviving all levels of review in the application process.  

A special thanks to our panelists, Bob Bruffy, Executive Officer, Tax Division; Jamila Frone, Director, Office of Attorney Recruitment & Management; and Richard Toscano, Director, EEOS.  

Click here for the handout that includes panelist backgrounds and a short resource list.

Click here for the PowerPoint slides used by the panel.

Visit by Youth Law Camp Students a Success!

On Thursday July 20, 2017, DOJ-AHEAD hosted the Hispanic National Bar Association Foundation Youth Law Camp participants for a tour of the Robert F. Kennedy Main Justice Building and panel of DOJ-AHEAD attorneys in the DOJ Great Hall.  The panelists were Cathy Meza of the Civil Rights Division, Marina Torres of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Jorge Gonzalez of the National Security Division, moderated by Ben Hernandez-Stern of the Office of Justice Programs.  All three panelists shared with the law fellows their journey to the Department of Justice and answered questions.

¡Que se repite!

DOJ-AHEAD Hosts Students

Organizational Outreach and Mentoring:  Historically, DOJ-AHEAD had been involved in helping to develop Latino high school and college students.  To this end, on July 20, 2017, DOJ-AHEAD is hosting of a two-hour two part program (a tour of DOJ and a short panel presentation) to Latino high school students and law school students, who are their camp counselors.  Ben Hernandez-Stern, Executive Council Member of DOJ-AHEAD, is spearheading this pivotal educational program.  DOJ’s program is just one component of the Hispanic National Bar Foundation’s “Future Latino Leaders Law Camp,” which is a nine day program for Hispanic high school students who aspire to attend law school.  

[updated]

Professional Development: “Preparing for the Senior Executive Service”

Professional Development:  DOJ-AHEAD and the Department of Justice’s Equal Employment Opportunity Staff will host  a panel session called “Preparing for the Senior Executive Service.”

            When:  July 18, 2017, 12:00pm-1:00pm
            Where: DOJ Conference Center (Room 7411), RFK Main Justice Building.

Carmen M. Banerjee, Chair of DOJ-AHEAD, will moderate a discussion in which Bob Bruffy, Executive Officer, Tax Division; Jamila Frone, Director, Office of Attorney Recruitment & Management; and Richard Toscano, Director, EEOS, Justice Management Division will share their insights on developing leadership competencies necessary to succeed as a Senior Executive, offer helpful hints on how to prepare an effective SES application, and impart their lessons learned from serving as Senior Executives.  All Department employees of the Department are welcome and managers and supervisors are encouraged to grant employees reasonable official time to attend this event.

Professional Development: Our Mentorship Program 2017 Is Well Under Way!

The six-month mentoring program of DOJ’s Association of Hispanic Employees Advancement and Development (DOJ AHEAD) has begun!  The program runs from April 2017 through October 2017.

The Mentorship Program seeks to:

• Increase mentors’ and mentees’ knowledge of the Department’s operations.
• Develop mentees and advance mentors professionally and personally.
• Encourage employees throughout the country (not just the D.C. metropolitan area) to participate in this program.   
• Enhance the diversity experience of the program’s participants.  

DOJ AHEAD’s mentoring program allows caring, experienced federal employees to support primarily Hispanic employees and their professional development, broaden their professional networks, provide them with a greater understanding of the Department, its components, and the federal government. One of the guiding principles of the mentoring program is to inspire public service in the federal government, and to contribute to the positive morale and development of federal workers, especially Hispanic ones.

The first DOJ AHEAD Mentoring Program was launched in 2012.  This is now the 7th iteration of the program!  DOJ AHEAD’s Board champions the program by communicating the purpose and need for the mentoring program to senior leaders and stakeholders at the Department.  DOJ AHEAD’s mentoring program’s policies, rules, and plan of action are routinely reviewed and modified as appropriate by the current DOJ AHEAD board.

DOJ AHEAD’s mentoring program is an equal opportunity program and is run by volunteers.

Raison D'être for DOJ AHEAD

The primary goals of DOJ-AHEAD are:

1. To assist the Department of Justice in promoting equitable participation and full utilization of its Hispanic employees.
2. To assist the Department in increasing the numbers of qualified Hispanics in its workforce.
3. To speak on issues affecting DOJ-AHEAD members and Hispanic employees.
4. To develop and maintain meaningful relationships with DOJ management, Hispanic employees and the greater Hispanic community.