R 291426Z APR 11 ALCOAST 215/11 COMDTNOTE 5354 SUBJ: OPERATIONAL TASKING (OPTASK) DIVERSITY FY2011 SITREP TWO A. COAST GUARD DIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 221412Z DEC 09/OPTASK DIVERSITY 1. IN JAN 2010, COMMANDER ATLANTIC AREA (LANTAREA), COMMANDER PACIFIC AREA (PACAREA), DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR OPERATIONS (DCO), AND DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR MISSION SUPPORT (DCMS) DEVELOPED DIVERSITY ACTION PLANS RELEVANT TO THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL FOCUS IN AN EFFORT TO OPTIMIZE WORKFORCE READINESS AND MEET THE MARITIME CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY. THE RESULTANT PLANS IDENTIFY ACTION ITEMS THAT WILL HELP THE COAST GUARD ACHIEVE ITS STRATEGIC DIVERSITY GOALS AS OUTLINED IN REF A. 2. REF B REQUIRES THAT QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORTS AND UPDATES BE SUBMITTED TO DCMS. THE FOLLOWING UPDATES ARE PROVIDED TO OUTLINE THE PROGRESS AND INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN THE LAST QUARTER. A. THE COMDT SIGNED THE UPDATED VERSION OF REF A. AVAILABLE AT WWW.USCG.MIL/DIVERSITY, THE UPDATED PLAN BUILDS UPON THE PROGESS WE HAVE ACHIEVED AND FOR WHICH WE CONTINUE TO STRIVE, AND PROVIDES DIRECTION FOR OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO MAKE THE COAST GUARD A LEADER IN DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AND A MODEL FOR THE NATION. B. IN SUPPORT OF GOALS 2 AND 5 OF REF A (FULLY UTILIZE COMMUNICATION AND FOCUS GROUPS TO IMPROVE THE WORKFORCE CULTURAL CLIMATE AND OPTIMIZE TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO UNDERSCORE THE VALUE OF WORKFORCE DIVERSITY, RESPECTIVELY), BASE SUPPORT UNIT ELIZABETH CITY HOSTED DIVERSITY TRAINING FOR ALL ELIZABETH CITY COMMANDS. OVER 200 MEMBERS RECEIVED FORMAL TRAINING ON DIVERSITY AWARENESS AND COAST GUARD INITIATIVES. C. REINFORCING THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY AND THE VITAL ROLE OF SENIOR LEADERSHIP IN SHAPING OUR WORKFORCE, MCPO-CG INCORPORATED A SESSION ON THE COAST GUARD DIVERSITY PROGRAM AND INITIATIVES DURING THE 2011 GOLD BADGE CONFERENCE. D. FURTHERING COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE COAST GUARD AND HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (HBCUS), A MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN THE COAST GUARD AND DILLARD UNIVERSITY (DU) IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. THIS AGREEMENT WILL ALLOW DU TO ESTABLISH A HOMELAND SECURITY SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (STEM) SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS WHILE PRODUCING HIGHLY QUALIFIED STUDENTS FOR COAST GUARD RECRUITMENT EFFORTS. E. COAST GUARD ATTENDANCE AT THE 2011 JOINT WOMENS LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM INCREASED BY 58 PERCENT OVER LAST YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, UNIT FUNDING SUPPORTED 90 PERCENT OF COAST GUARD ATTENDEES SIGNALING THE OPERATIONALIZATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF DIVERSITY EFFORTS AT THE UNIT LEVEL. AIMED AT INCREASING RETENTION, AFFINITY GROUPS SUCH AS THIS PROVIDE TREMENDOUS MENTORING AND CAREER GUIDANCE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH OPEN LEADERSHIP DISCUSSIONS WHICH OPTIMALLY POSITION OUR MEMBERS TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. F. IN TRUE RECOGNITION OF AN ALL-HANDS COMMITMENT TO THE DIVERSITY OUTREACH MISSION, THE COAST GUARD WAS PROMINENTLY REPRESENTED DURING THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK ENGINEERS ANNUAL CONVENTION. THANKS TO THE TIRELESS EFFORTS OF NUMEROUS COAST GUARD PERSONNEL, OVER 8,000 STEM STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS IN ATTENDANCE RECEIVED KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF COAST GUARD EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. ADDITIONALLY, THE COAST GUARD WAS RECOGNIZED AS A TOP SPONSOR OF THE ORGANIZATION DURING THE OPENING SESSION. G. DISPLAYING SUPPORT AND COMMITMENT TO RETAINING OUR TOP TALENT, THE OFFICE OF AVIATION FORCES (CG-711) SUPPORTED 32 MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL WOMEN IN AVIATION INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. WHILE RECEIVING INVALUABLE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, OUR PRESENCE ALSO PROVIDED OUTREACH TO AN UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATION WITHIN THE GREATER AVIATION COMMUNITY THROUGH RECRUITING, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND AWARENESS. H. INDICATIVE OF OUR SERVICES TARGETED OUTREACH AND FORMAL MEMORANDUMS OF AGREEMENT WITH HBCUS, THE COLLEGE STUDENT PRE-COMMISSIONING INITIATIVE (CSPI) PROGRAM HAS SEEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HBCU STUDENTS SELECTED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. THIS YEAR, 51 PERCENT OF THE RECENT SELECTEES TO THE PROGRAM WERE FROM HBCUS AS COMPARED TO 39 PERCENT IN 2010 AND 12.5 PERCENT IN 2009. I. COAST GUARD PERSONNEL ENSURED A ROBUST PRESENCE AT THE ANNUAL BLACK ENGINEER OF THE YEAR STEM CONFERENCE. HELD TO RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE AS A MEANS OF RETENTION IN THE STEM FIELDS, SEVEN COAST GUARD PERSONNEL RECEIVED AWARDS FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THE COAST GUARD. AS THE EVENT ALSO SERVES TO PROVIDE OUTREACH TO INNER-CITY YOUTH IN GRADES 8-12, COAST GUARD PERSONNEL PROVIDED WORKSHOPS WITH LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND MENTORING TO OVER 120 STEM STUDENTS. J. AS A RESULT OF EXTENSIVE AND FOCUSED OUTREACH EFFORTS AND RESOURCES AIMED AT TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (TCUS), COAST GUARD ACTIVITIES WERE NOTED THROUGHOUT THE DHS ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT ON EXECUTIVE AGENCY ACTIONS TO ASSIST TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. 3. A SERVICE-LEVEL SUMMARY OF THE LANTAREA, PACAREA, DCO AND DCMS DIVERSITY ACTION ACHIEVEMENTS AND COPIES OF REFS A AND B CAN BE FOUND ON THE COAST GUARD OFFICE OF DIVERSITY WEBSITE AT WWW.USCG.MIL/DIVERSITY/RESOURCES.ASP. 4. POINT OF CONTACT: CAPT CATHERINE A. HAINES, COMDT (CG-12B), (CATHERINE.A.HAINES(AT)USCG.MIL), 202-475-5245. 5. VADM J. P. CURRIER, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR MISSION SUPORT, SENDS. 6. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.